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VAA NEWS

4 TYPE CLUB NOTES EXTRA HG Frautschy

6 REMEMBERING ANNE John Underwood

8 AIR MAIL FOR SMALL TOWNS Earl Stahl

14 UNKNOWN TAYLORCRAFT HG Frautchy

19 WHAT IF Steve Johnson

24 MYSTERY PLANE

25 PASS IT TO BUCK Buck Hilbert

27 NEW MEMBERS

28 CALENDAR

30 CLASSIFIEDS

wwwvintageaircraftorg ON THE COVERS

Publisher TOM POBEREZNY

Editor-i-Chie scon SPANGLER

Executive Director Editor HENRY G FRAUTSCHY

VAA Administrative Assistant THERESA BOOKS

Executive Editor MIKE DIFRISCO

Contributing Editors JOHN UNDERWOOD BUDD DAVISSON

ArtPhoto Layout BETH BLANCK

Photography Staff JIM KOEPNICK LEEANN ABRAMS MARK SCHAIBLE

AdvertisillglEditorial Assistalll ISABELLE WISKE

Front Cover Dick Roe was looking for something in a Classic airplane and he found it in his rare Taylorcraft 15A The 15A has four seats and cruises at a stately 105 mph behind a Continental C-145 engine EM photo by Mark Schaible shot with a Canon EOS1 n equipped with an 80-200 mm lens on 100 ASA Fuji slide film EM Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore

Back Cover EM Master Artist William Marsalko 3717 Addington Ct Fairview Park Ohio 44126 painted his tribute to Eddys No1 He writes Nieuport N28 C-1 In combat with the German Albatros Fokker Triplanes and Pfalz OIIIs the 28 could hold its own Capt Rickenbacker Maj Lufbery and Capt Meissner were a few Americans who flew the 28 with the 94th Pursuit Squadron

SEE PAGE 31 FOR FURTHER VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

VAA NEWS

4 TYPE CLUB NOTES EXTRA HG Frautschy

6 REMEMBERING ANNE John Underwood

8 AIR MAIL FOR SMALL TOWNS Earl Stahl

14 UNKNOWN TAYLORCRAFT HG Frautchy

19 WHAT IF Steve Johnson

24 MYSTERY PLANE

25 PASS IT TO BUCK Buck Hilbert

27 NEW MEMBERS

28 CALENDAR

30 CLASSIFIEDS

wwwvintageaircraftorg ON THE COVERS

Publisher TOM POBEREZNY

Editor-i-Chie scon SPANGLER

Executive Director Editor HENRY G FRAUTSCHY

VAA Administrative Assistant THERESA BOOKS

Executive Editor MIKE DIFRISCO

Contributing Editors JOHN UNDERWOOD BUDD DAVISSON

ArtPhoto Layout BETH BLANCK

Photography Staff JIM KOEPNICK LEEANN ABRAMS MARK SCHAIBLE

AdvertisillglEditorial Assistalll ISABELLE WISKE

Front Cover Dick Roe was looking for something in a Classic airplane and he found it in his rare Taylorcraft 15A The 15A has four seats and cruises at a stately 105 mph behind a Continental C-145 engine EM photo by Mark Schaible shot with a Canon EOS1 n equipped with an 80-200 mm lens on 100 ASA Fuji slide film EM Cessna 210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore

Back Cover EM Master Artist William Marsalko 3717 Addington Ct Fairview Park Ohio 44126 painted his tribute to Eddys No1 He writes Nieuport N28 C-1 In combat with the German Albatros Fokker Triplanes and Pfalz OIIIs the 28 could hold its own Capt Rickenbacker Maj Lufbery and Capt Meissner were a few Americans who flew the 28 with the 94th Pursuit Squadron

SEE PAGE 31 FOR FURTHER VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

VAANEWS compiled by HG Frautschy

Because of the inclusion of the extenshysive Cessna landing gear news item VAA President Butch Joyces column Straight amp Level will not be included in the April issue

GOVERNMENT SERVICES One of our greatest challenges as

an organization is keeping abreast of the constantly changing governshymental scene One of the benefits of VAA membership is our organizashytions access to EAAs Government Services office headed by Earl Lawrence Their mission is To preshyserve the freedom of flight and to reduce regulatory barriers regarding the affordability and access to memshybers participation in recreational aviation II

To that end in addition to speakshying with EAA and VAA members on a daily basis the Government Sershyvices staff meets regularly with EAA President Tom Poberezny to confirm the departments goals This year one of their four major goals relates to aging aircraft The personnel from EAAs Government Services office serves on the Aging Aircraft Ad Hoc Committee and participates in the FAA review process for ADs (EAA AOPA and affected type clubs are consulted prior to the FAA writing the ADs)

The Government Services staff is actively gauging feedback on their efshyfectiveness in dealing with issues of concern and have been expanding their attention to include rotorcraft Theyve also been actively working on the concepts of owner mainteshynance for vintage aircraft

EAA and the Vintage Aircraft Assoshyciations goal is to ensure that owners of aging aircraft continue to have the support and services needed to mainshytain their recreational aircraft and to prevent the establishment of rules or regulations that would restrict or make impractical the recreational use

of older aircraft no matter what cateshygory they may operate under (eg experimental exhibition amateurshybuilt or standard category)

There may be times when it seems that little is being done to further the causes we all hold so dear and we may not always win but I can asshysure you these folks are among the hardest working in the EAA family This V AA News page is filled with isshysues being worked on by the Government Services staff

VACUUM PUMP MEETING There are a number of members

who fly IFR with their well-equipped vintage airplanes In an EAA-facilishytate d m eet ing hosted by Ea rl Lawrence attendees at a specia l meeting in Kansas City on March 5 concluded that more n eeds to be done to heighten safety and awareshyness relating to pn e umatic gyro syste m failures in IFR general aviashytion aircraft Seve ral aircraft manufacturers including Mooney Aircraft Twin Commander Aircraft Cessna and New Piper as well as the American Bonanza Society and Swift Museum Foundation were represhysented Also prese nt were officials from the FAA AOPA and Parker Hannifins Airborne Division

The group will look into designshying a study project involving private pilots to test the effectiven ess of pishylots using partial panel and various types of backup systems in a simulashytor Data from this study may hold the key in measuring the effectiveshyness of backup systems for IFR flying andor a highly visible warning sysshytem that alerts pilots of a pneumatic system failure

EAA maintains that this is an agshying aircraft iss ue since aircraft manufacturers have installed redunshydant systems in new aircraft since 1986 using backup pneumatic sysshytems or e lectrical sys t ems plus

warning systems that activate in the event of a primary system failure Parker Hannifins Airborne Division is concerned that FAA regulations for older aircraft are not sufficient in this area

Airbornes position is clear acshycording to John Hruska general manager He referred to the 1986 Safety Warning Service Letter No 31 that was recently updated and mailed to piston single- and twin-engine airshycraft owners (Vac u umPressure Gyroscopic Flight Instrument Power System) It includes strongly worded statements including A backup pneumatic power source for air-drishyven gyros or a backup electric attitude gyro instrument must be inshystalled in all aircraft which fly IFR and Any inoperative air pump or other component of the gyro system and any inoperative backup system or component must be replaced prior to the next flight II

Hruska announced that Airborne will no longer sell air pumps for older aircraft that do not meet our Safety Warning Service Letter No 31 meaning those aircraft without installed backup pneumatic or elecshytric flight indicator systems

Owners of aircraft deemed ineligishyble by Airborne s requirements will likely buy from other manufacturers like Rapco or Sigma Tek Champion also recently announced its inten shytions to enter the market

For more information on the danshyger of pne umatic system fai lu res visit the FAA website at wwwfaagov avrnewssilenthtm and read The Silent Emergency

AEROMATIC PROPELLER MAY BE GROUNDED

The Federal Aviation Administrashytion has not yet issued an Airworthiness Directive on Aero shymatic propeller models and all Flopttorp (formally Beach Roby) pro-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

pellers fitted with FA200 Flopttorp blades The FAA is exploring the need for an Airworthiness Directive (AD) on all in the wake of an Aeroshymatic propeller failure in April 2000

The current type certificate holder Tarver Propeller has issued a service bulletin No 2000-001 requiring the repetitive inspection of the propeller blades for looseness If an AD were issued the propeller would be effecshytively grounded due to the lack of replacement parts Tarver is in the process of obtaining a production certificate but is still working with the FAA to comply with all agency requirements Until the production certificate is issued to Tarver Proshypeller there will not be any replacement parts for the propellers currently in service

For updates check in periodically at EAAs website wwweaaorg You can also e-mail Jay Turnberg the FAA aerospace engineer who is workshying on this issue at jayturnberg faagov or call him at 781238-7116

CESSNA FLAT SPRING STEEL LANDING GEAR

Just as this issue was going to press the NTSB sent a Safety Recomshymendation letter to FAA administrator Jane Garvey asking the FAA to take action on what they perceive as a problem with the flat spring steel main landing gear used on many high-wing Cessna 170180 185190 and 195 aircraft Heres the full text of the letter (minus an illusshytration of the Cessna 180 main landing gear)

National Transportation Safety Board Washington DC 20594 Safety Recommendation Date March 16 2001 In reply refer to A-01-01 and -02 Honorable Jane F Garvey Administrator Federal Aviation Administration Washington DC 20591 In this letter the National Transshy

portation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Adminis-

APRIL 2001

tration (FAA) take action to address a safety issue concerning corrosion and fatigue cracking of main landshying gear (MLG) spring struts on Cessna 170 180 185 190 and 195 series airplanes The recommendashytions were prompted by the Safety Boards investigation of a September 14 1999 accident involving a Cessna 185 N85LC near Delta Juncshytion Alaska This letter summarizes the Boards rationale for issuing these recommendations

On September 14 1999 a Cessna 185 N85LC operated by Tamarack Air Ltd Fairbanks Alaska sustained substantial damage while landing at a remote dirt airstrip near Delta Junction Alaska Near the end of the landing roll the left MLG collapsed and dug into the ground causing the airplane to nose over The pilot and one passenger suffered minor injuries the remaining passenger was uninjured The flight was an onshydemand passenger flight operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulashytions (CFR) Part 135 At the time of the accident the airplane was 24 years old and had accumulated 5892 flight hours

Cessna 170 180 185 190 and 195 series airplanes are tail wheelshyequipped with MLG that have a tapered spring-steel cantilever strut supporting each main wheel The spring-steel cantilever strut is made from chromium-vanadium steel which is heat treated and shot peened for added fatigue resistance and is attached to the fuselage bracket and clamp by bolts at the upper end The lower end of the spring strut has four holes through which the axle is bolted

The Safety Boards post accident examination of the Cessna 185 reshyvea led the left MLG spring strut had fractured above the left wheel axle through the upper two axle bolt holes Further examination of the fractured spring strut at the Boards Materials Laboratory reshyvealed corrosion pitting had caused fatigue cracks to emanate from two regions on the interior surface of

the forward upper axle bolt hole A review of Safety Board records 1

indicated that from 1984 to the preshysent 16 of the approximately 76000 Cessna 170180185190 and 195 series airplanes in service (including the accident airplane) had experienced MLG spring strut fatigue failures2 at the time of the failure the average age of these airshyplanes was approximately 15 years Five of the 16 failures occurred at the upper end of the spring strut fatigue typically initiated from fretshyting and corrosion pitting near the fuselage attachment clamp area Eleven of the 16 failures occurred at the lower end of the spring strut fashytig u e typically initiated from corrosion pitting in and around the ax le bolt holes In addition a reshyview of the FAAs Service Difficulty Reports (SDR) data indicated that from 1974 to the present at least nine other reports exist of cracked or failed MLG spring struts on Cessna 170 180 and 185 series airshyplanes) Because previous reviews of SDR data have revealed the SDR system frequently underreports sershyvice failures it is likely that other unreported MLG spring strut failshyures have occurred

Inspections of the MLG spring strut are required by 14 CFR Part 43 and recommended in th e Cessna Aircraft service manual Acshycording to 14 CFR Part 43 airplanes must undergo an annual inspection in accordance with the inspection plan in Appendix D of Part 43 which requires a general visual inspection of the MLG comshyponents In addition the Cessna Aircraft service manual recomshymends inspecting the MLG spring strut every 50 hours of service and provides general instructions to inshyspect the movable and metal parts of the MLG for cracks and corroshysion However 14 CFR Part 43 and the Cessna Aircraft service manual do not specifically require or recshyommend a detailed inspection of the MLG spring strut near the fuseshylage attachment clamp area and

2

axle assembly area for corrosion and cracks removal of the MLG spring strut to expose the fuselage attachment clamp area and axle asshysembly area or the use of nondestructive inspection (NOl) techniques The Safety Board notes that a detailed inspection of the MLG spring strut near the fuselage attachment clamp area and the axle as sembl y area for corrosion and cracks can only be accomshyplished if the spring strut is removed from the fuselage and the axle is removed from the spring strut

Despite the inspections required by 14 CF R Part 43 and recom shymend ed in the Cessna Aircraft service manual MLG spring strut failures continue to occur Visual inspections have not prevented all spring strut failures and do not adeshyquately detect the relatively small fatigue cracks before failure occurs The lack of a requirement for deshytailed inspection s of the MLG spring strut fus e lage attachment clamp area and axle assembly area allows airplanes with corrosion and cracks in the spring strut to experishyence fatigue failures An initial inspection involving the removal of the MLG spring strut and the use of NDI techniques to examine the spring strut should aid in the deshytection of fatigue cracks that cannot be identified through visual inspecshytions th e reby reducing the possibility of an incident or accishydent The Safety Board notes that initial inspections although benefishycial might not be enough to monitor whether corrosion and cracks are developing in the spring struts Repetitive inspections pershyformed at ap propriate intervals4

should further reduce the possibilshyity of fatigue failure incidents or accidents

Therefore the Na tional Transshyportation Safety Board recommends that the Federal Aviation Adminisshytration

Issue an airworthiness directive to req uire an initial inspection of

Cessna 170 180 185 190 and 195 series airplane main landing gear spring struts involving the removal of the spring struts from the fuseshylage attachm ent clamp and axle assembly and the use of nondeshystructive inspection techniques to examine the upper and lower ends of the spring struts for corrosion and cracks at the next 100-hour or annual inspection whichever ocshycurs first (A-Ol-Ol)

Issue an airworthiness directive to require repetitive inspections of Cessna 170 180 185 190 and 195 series airplane main landing gear spring struts involving the removal of the spring struts from the fuseshylage attachment clamp and axle assembly and the us e of nondeshystructive inspection techniques to examine the upper and lower ends of the spring struts for corrosion and cracks at appropriate intervals (A-01-02)

Vice Chairman HALL5 and Memshybers BLACK and CA RMODY concurred in these recommendashytions Members HAMMERSCHMIDT and GOGLIA did not concur

Original signed by Carol] Carshymody Acting Chairman

Footnotes 1 Th e Safety Board contacted

Cessna regarding MLG spring stmt fashytigue failures but Cess na had no record ofsuch failures

2 Eleven of th e 16 failures ocshycurred from 1993 to 1999

3 The Safety Board notes that Cessna tail wheel-equipped airplanes and Cessna nose wheel-equipped airshyplanes have MLG spring struts similar in design However a review ofBoard records indicated that from 1984 to th e present only 5 of the approxishymately 118000 Cess na nose wheel-equipped airplan es in service have experienced MLG spring strut fashytigue failures In addition a review of the FAAs SDR data indica ted that from 1972 to the present no reports exist ofcracked or failed MLG spring struts in Cessna nose wheel-equipped airplanes On the basis of this review the Board notes that the fatigue failure

rate of MLG spring struts in Cessna nose wheel-equipped airplanes is sigshynificantly lower than that in Cessna tail wheel-equipped airplanes thereshyfore the Board is only addressing spring strut fatigue failures in Cessna tail wheel-equipped airplanes in this letter However the Board will monitor the spring strut fatigue failure rate in Cessna nose wheel-equipped airplanes to assess whether additional safety recshyommendations are necessary

4 Appropriate intervals would alshylow ea rly evidence of corrosion and fatigue cracks in MLG spring stmts to be detected before a failure occurs The Safety Board notes that the Cessna Aircraft Company Model 100 Series Continued Airworthiness Program conshytain s an in spection of the MLG outboard spring supports of Cess na 180 and 185 series airplanes that inshyvolves removing the MLG spring struts from the airplane every 1000 hours or every 3 years

5 Vice Chairman Hall was serving as the Safety Boards Acting Chairman at the time ofhis concurrence

You can obtain a PDF electronic copy of this lette r on the NTSBs website at wwwntsbgovrecs letters2001A 01_01 _02pdf

As we were going to press we had not been notified of the FAAs intenshytions but we are certain an Airworthiness Concern Sheet will be issued similar to the one just issued regarding Piper lift strut attachment fittings You can read about that isshysue starting on page 4

For continued updates on the Cessna landing gear issue please visit EAAs website at wwweaaorg

TULSA FLY-IN AND BIPLANE EXPO The 15th annual Biplane Expo

and Convention at Bartlesville Okshylahoma originally scheduled for June 1-2 has been rescheduled beshycause of delayed taxiway conshystruction at the Bartlesville airport It will now take place in conjuncshytion with the Tulsa Regional Fly-In September 21-22 Please see the FlyshyIn Ca lendar on page 28 for more information

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

tra YPE CLUB by HG Frautschy

The FAAs Airworthiness Concern Sheet program and the Piper lift strut ACS

Over the past year the FAA EAA and other aviation organizations have agreed to a program using the resources of the many active vintage aircraft type clubs Called the Airshyworthiness Concern Sheet (ACS) it is issued by the FAA when they desire input from the aviation community affected by any proposed action To clarify the issuance of an Airworthishyness Concern Sheet does not necessarily mean an Airworthiness Directive (AD) will be issued The process is used to gather information that could influence the content of an AD for whatever action may be needed

As the program matures we plan on presenting each ACS affecting vintage airplanes on our website at wwwvintageaircraftorg Well post them as soon as they are received With each type club receiving this noshytice directly from the FAA and with our web postings well all be able to respond to the situashytion in a timely manner

Checking in at wwwvintageairaaftmiddotorg on a regular basis will give you a chance to see the ACS almost as soon as we do giving you time to add your opinshyion to the FAAs folder on a particular item parshyticularly those with short comment periods

issued with 30- 60- and 90-day comment periods Its nearly imposshysible to get an item with a 30-day comment period to you via the magshyazine so the web is our best resource when confronted with a short fuse Youll probably also hear from the appropriate type club if yo u re a member

Recently the FAA issued an Airshyworthiness Concern Sheet regarding the upper lift strut fittings on all Piper high-wing aircraft The 30-day comment period closed just before you rece ived this magazine with comments and recommendations by the various type clubs solicited dishyrectly by the FAA

The NTSB has asked the FAA to reshyview their decision not to issue an Airworthiness Directive concerning

FWD LIFT STRUT ATTACH FlmNG

FILLER BLOCK

FWD ~(I ~INBD

the failure due to undetected corroshysion of a lift strut fitting on a Piper PA-18 The NTSB fe lt the issue warshyranted an AD the FAA has maintained that it is a maintenanceshyrelated issue and should be dealt with by the production of a mandashytory manufacturers service bulletin complete with inspection procedures to adequately inspect the forward side of the forward upper lift strut fitting

The NTSB does not concur with the FAAs assessment and has asked that the agency again review the possibility of issuing an AD In this case the Airworthiness Concern Sheet program now gives the FAA a tool to gather information that can be used to formulate a plan of action that will satisfy both the NTSB and

00

~~ ttmiddots~~~ ~-Typically the sheets are

4 APRIL 2001

The forward wing strut attachment fittings on all high-wing Piper aircraft are the subject of an Airworthiness Concern Sheet recently issued by the FAA as well as the subject of a mandatory Service Bulletin No1 044 issued July 27 2000 by The New Piper Aircraft Inc The PA-18 wing structure is shown in this view with the other aircraft being nearly identical

ownersoperators of high-wing Piper airplanes After all the New Piper Corporation is not in the business of building high-wing fabric-covered aircraft any longer and the best exshyperts in this area are most likely the active restorers who rebuild these aircraft on a regular basis Theyre the ones who can address practical inspection methods and intervals

To summarize it is the NTSBs contention that the forward lift strut is susceptible to undetected corroshysion due to the manner in which the wings are constructed and covered Both the fabric covering and leading edge skin obscure the forward porshytion of the fitting Also since the vast majority of fabric-covered airshyplanes are now covered with Dacron fabric the interval between inspecshytions of areas hidden by the fabric has been lengthened substantially In this particular case the Super Cub was re-covered in 1967 and had a toshy

tal of 21 years and 761 hours since the re-cover job All that time it would have been impossible to accushyrately determine the condition of the forward side of the fitting Any inspection of the forward portion of the fitting above the covered area would require some form of aircraft modification that would include reshymoving a portion of the leading edge skin and installing some form of inspection plate or patch

The notification method is the source of debate between the NTSB and FAA The FAA believes a mandatory service bulletin would be appropriate given the relative rareness of the failure of this part (one non-fatal in-flight failure less than 10 Service Difficulty Reports reporting corrosion on the fitting) This in no way minimizes the poshytential for a failure such as this to be a fatal accident A mandatory service bulletin is exactly that with

no leeway For this particular ACS we dont

have the electronic versions of each of the FAAs enclosures (this entire program is still in the process of mashyturing) but you can access the NTSBs website for the narrative for the accident report Go to wwwntsbgovaviationAccidenthtm click on Use a Query Form and enter this NTSB accident number MIA98LA226 If you have comments or questions regarding this mainteshynance issue contact FAA engineer William O Herderich at the FAAs Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office ACE-Il7A 1895 Phoenix Blvd Suite 450 Atlanta GA 30349 phone 770703-6082 fax 770703-6979 You can also e-mail him at williamoherderich(aagov

As mentioned the normal comshyment period for this Airworthiness Concern Sheet just ended but a quick reply couldnt hurt

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

feme

A remembrance ofAnne Morrow Lindbergh 1906-2001

One could not begin to do Anne Morrow Lindbergh jusshytice in a few words She was

too remarkable a woman for that Inshydeed she was unique At various times over two decades she became the most envied the most pitied and the most hated woman in America according to her biographers

Anne Spencer Morrow was born June 221906 Her father banker Dwight W Morrow was a US senashytor and diplomat Shy and retiring by nature Anne inherited her mothers love of poetry and fine literature She became the author of thirteen volshyumes most of which became bestsellers

Anne was an English major at Smith College when she traveled to Mexico City to be with her family during Christmas 1927 Her father was then the ambassador to Mexico and Charles Lindbergh on a goodshywill tour south of the border was the Morrows houseguest for the holiday week

So tongue-tied was Anne in Lindshybergh s company that she hardly spoke Her elder sister Elizabeth the outgoing one seemed to have caught the Lone Eagles eye In truth being with Anne was a welcome respite for Lindbergh who was ill at ease as a conversationalist in mixed company When they did talk it was mostly about flying Anne was fascinated

Lindbergh had never dated a girl in his life before meeting Anne Painfully shy he had always gone out of his way to avoid socializing

6 APRIL 2001

by John Underwood

with single women his own age With Anne it was different The chemistry was right and they both knew it Two years later they were married

Lindbergh had started teaching Anne to fly on their first date in a rented Gipsy Moth Over a period of time he gave her more lessons in a Curtiss Fledgling a Fleet and an Aeromarine-Klemm Anne qualified for her private pilots certificate 20169 in her own Bird BK in 1930 She was also the first woman in the United States to qualify as a sailplane pilot She remained active as a pilot until the onset of World War II

By the time the Lindberghs made their survey flight to the Orient Anne was sufficiently seasoned to coshypilot their Lockheed Sirius That flight which ended prematurely in China when the Sirius capsized on the flood-swollen Yangtze River was the subject of her first book North to the Orient

Whereas Anne had been envied by women everywhere for what seemed a storybook romance and marriage her life took a tragic turn in 1931 when the Lindberghs first child was kidnapped and killed Overnight Anne became the most pitied woman on the planet It was a singularly calshylous crime and the case kept the couple under public scrutiny for sevshyeral agonizing years Ultimately it led to their self-imposed exile first in England then in France

Charles Lindberghs years in Eushyrope convinced him that a war with Germany would destroy Europe He

had seen Germanys industrial might firsthand and had flown their latest aircraft which he believed were supeshyrior to anything available anywhere else in the world The upshot of this was his isolationist stance Lindbergh became a spokesman for non-intershyvention in a European war that began in September 1939

Anne supported her husband s views which seemed pro-German to many and tried to explain them in a small volume titled The Wave of the Future which argued against US inshyvolvement in WWII It was perceived to be a pro-Nazi polemic and served to fuel the growing anti-Lindbergh sentiment Anne was crushed by the widespread denunciations and didnt write again for 15 years

Charles rendered valuable war sershyvice as a test pilot and technical advisor ultimately restoring the Lindbergh name to a place of honor Anne in the meantime devoted hershyself to raising a growing family two girls and three boys almost entirely on her own In her spare moments she began writing again

Gift From the Sea published in 1955 was perhaps Annes most enshyduring success and restored her to the ranks of the countrys most beloved authors That was followed by her dishyaries five volumes encompassing the years 1922 to 1944

Anne Morrow Lindbergh had outshylived her husband by more than a quarter of a century when she passed away on February 7 at her home in Passumpsic Vermont She was 94

(Above) Taken at the start of the Lockheed Sirius shakedown flight in April 1930 Anne accompanied her husband as they set an unofficial transcontinental record of 14 hours 45 minutes Anne became quite proficient at sending and receiving Morse code Left to right in the photo are Carl Squire Lockheed sales manager Hugh White assistant to Squire Charles Lindbergh Anne Lindbergh and designer Jerry Vultee

(Below) Anne looks intently down the hill as her husband stands next to the wing of the Bowlus sailplane she would solo in 1929 The flight would last six minutes a quite respectable performance from a bungee launch

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

8 APRIL 2001

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PERMANENT PICKUP ROUTES ESTABLISHED

Under the plan for permanent routes the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) would be the contracting agency rather than the Post Office Department Routes would be exshypanded from two to five serving all of the original destinations as well as over SO more Radiating a total of 1380 miles from the Pittsburgh hub two routes would be to Huntington West Virginia with others being to Jamestown New York Williamsport Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Communities in six states with populations of 800 to 120000 thus would be served

Despite the one year demonstrated success of the trailing grapple pickup system it became increasingly evishydent that a further improved method was necessary Under the existing means holding optimum altitude in heavy turbulence was difficult someshytimes resulting in a miss at capturing the horizontally stretched transfer rope A miss of an inch required a circle to try again Further in bumpy air the 8-pound grapple would someshytimes swing laterally to collide with the wooden markers atop the poles damaging them or even breaking the cable

NEW PICKUP SYSTEM DEVELOPED Work on an entirely new system

had been in progress at All Amerishycans experimental shop at Wilmington Delaware so in agreeshyment with the CAB service to new destinations would be delayed until planes were provided with new equipment and totally different ground facilities were in place The Stinsons would be fitted with reshytractable IS-12-foot long 2-inch diameter ash booms to be positioned for pickup at a 4S-degree angle with a single prong hook at the lower end

(Graphic 4) A completely new conshycept a compact mechanism consisting of reel brake and electric motor wou ld be mounted at the hatch on the floor of the aircraft Forty feet of 38-inch diameter nylon rope connected reel and hook

Ground stations would likewise be much different Gone would be the tall husky steel poles In their place would be portable small-diamshyeter aluminum tubes tipped by short lengths of bamboo Set upright in ground receptacles they would be 20 feet tall which would later be reshyduced to 12 feet and 20 feet apart Small orange canvas triangles with wire hitch pins would hold aloft a loop of 38-inch diameter nylon rope attached to the delivery conshytainer situated on the ground between the poles

The 28-inch tall delivery containshyers remained unchanged To protect the contents each had a thick fiber dome and a vulcanized rubber skirt as well as an internal canvas bag with a closure strap

Patent records credit Stuart Plumshymer as the inventor of this radically changed system which enabled pishylots to approach pickup stations with greater accuracy and higher speeds With the incoming delivery trailing above and behind the extended hook the pilot would release the rope with bag about 200 feet before reaching the upright poles Once the boom contacted the nylon transfer rope causing it to pull free the rope would slide down the boom to disenshygage the hook Under the strain of lifting and accelerating the outgoing load the nylon ropes stretched conshycurrently rope briefly played out from the reel while an automatic brake smoothly stopped the unwind Once the flight mechanic assured there was no fouling an electric moshytor was activated to draw the

container close the last short disshytance to bring the bag through the hatch was by hand Using nylon rope in this process was critical since under stress of pickup the nylon elongated somewhat without rapid recoil That rope stretch reel unshywind and smooth braking so effectively dissipated energy and strain that capturing a load was barely felt by the flight crew

Within months all the Stinsons were fitted with the new equipment Then because of higher allowable pickup speeds schedules terminalshyto-terminal were shortened The allowable total weight of regular and express mail to be placed in the bag was increased to SO pounds Flight crews as well as station attendants found this new system to be a vast improvement

CAB PROPOSES WEATHER RESTRICTIONS

Once under CAB administration of the contract some flight rules were imposed A minimum ceiling of 500 feet and 1 mile of visibility as viewed from the cockpit was to be observed En route if atmospheric conditions became worse and pilots had to pull up on instruments to reshyturn to base that action had to be justified with a letter of explanation By liberall interpretation of obshyserved weather pilots found it unnecessary to write many letters Decades later Captain Lloyd Santshymyer reflected If we had followed those rules we would have been bankrupt in one yearI In plying their routes there were countless inshystances when crews pushed the limits of contact flying to get their jobs done

DR LYTLE S ADAMS DEPARTS During its first year All American

had notable success in fulfilling its

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

As shown in these two pictures the new pickup system with a retractable boom made of ash and a single hook underwent development testing at Wilmington Delaware during the summer of 1940 As the Stinson approached the pickup point the arriving load was released

With the messenger standing by near his car the Stinson was caught by the photographer just as the hook began to pull the nylon rope free of the poles And in a fraction of a second the 28-inch tall delivery container was pulled off the ground and reeled into the cabin us Airways photos via Earl Stahl

primary mission of hauling mail But there was increasing tension beshytween the two top officials Visionary inventor and promoter Dr Lytle Adams and pragmatic wealthy Richard duPont were inshycreasingly at odds Adams was terribly offended for example when he was excluded from participation during two upgrades of pickup appashyratus DuPont excluded him because he felt Adams would not be open to ideas for major changes to the equipshyment and methods he had evolved over many years To allay further difshyficulties a financial settlement was agreed upon so Adams would fade

10 APRil 2001

from the aerial delivshyery-pickup scene

When one looks back it is obvishyous that expansion of the system was at a most favorable time The Great Depression was slowly fading while World War II was ignited in Europe Soon we would be involved Prodshyucts from th e region being served were in escalating demand With time some routes had sufficient volshyumes of regular and express mail to make two round trips a day necesshysary One manufacturer of aircraft parts at the small town of Cory Pennsylvania had such quantity of urgently required product going out

that multiple pickups were necesshysary On one occasion pilot Dave Patterson and flight mechanic Ralph Monaco had to make 33 successive pickups to get the whole load on board before they could wing on to the next station

Observing the success of this feeder service other regions became interested All American considered creating another network for the Northeast In fact Richard duPonts vision was to carry passengers along with the regular and express mail A competitor wanted to establish seven

routes in the Midwest using AAAshytype equipment When the United States entered the war in December 1941 all considerations for such exshypansions were put on hold

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS Our involvement in World War II

had a mounting impact on All Amershyican Aviation Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to highshyranking Air Corps personnel using AAAs Stinson SR-10F Wasp-powered research and development craft Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the milshyitary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-carshyrying gliders Before long duPont resigned as All Amerishycan president to head the Air Corps expanding glider proshygram Unfortunately within five months he would lose his life along with five others in the crash of a new cargo glider

Upon duPonts departure Halsey R Bazley former vice preSident became acting presishydent A seasoned pilot he was also an effective administrator His elevation to the top posishytion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground pershysonnel alike

With the militarys vorashycious demands for personnel equipment and supplies most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainteshynance and equipment replacement problems With its fleet of as many as 16 Stinshysons operating over rough terrain often in foul turbulent weather few if any carriers had greater requirements for

The redesigned ground station equipshyment A pair of 20-foot aluminum bamboo poles held upright by a pair of ground receptacles was soon shortened to 12 feet The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

superior maintenance achievement Planes were aging parts were becomshying scarce At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop there were more than 50 technicians about 20 AampE mechanics an equal number of apshyprentices and the rest inspectors and supervisors Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15 60 120 and 450 hours major overshyhauls were scheduled at 4500 hours

Of necessity most maintenance was done at night starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours Queried decades later pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews

For several of the early years an impediment to most efficient operashytions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations So appropriate ra-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

(Above) Taken at the start of the Lockheed Sirius shakedown flight in April 1930 Anne accompanied her husband as they set an unofficial transcontinental record of 14 hours 45 minutes Anne became quite proficient at sending and receiving Morse code Left to right in the photo are Carl Squire Lockheed sales manager Hugh White assistant to Squire Charles Lindbergh Anne Lindbergh and designer Jerry Vultee

(Below) Anne looks intently down the hill as her husband stands next to the wing of the Bowlus sailplane she would solo in 1929 The flight would last six minutes a quite respectable performance from a bungee launch

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

8 APRIL 2001

-

be) ~rl 1Sthl wi Ivra of 1hcc

~rr1Wo__________________________

PERMANENT PICKUP ROUTES ESTABLISHED

Under the plan for permanent routes the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) would be the contracting agency rather than the Post Office Department Routes would be exshypanded from two to five serving all of the original destinations as well as over SO more Radiating a total of 1380 miles from the Pittsburgh hub two routes would be to Huntington West Virginia with others being to Jamestown New York Williamsport Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Communities in six states with populations of 800 to 120000 thus would be served

Despite the one year demonstrated success of the trailing grapple pickup system it became increasingly evishydent that a further improved method was necessary Under the existing means holding optimum altitude in heavy turbulence was difficult someshytimes resulting in a miss at capturing the horizontally stretched transfer rope A miss of an inch required a circle to try again Further in bumpy air the 8-pound grapple would someshytimes swing laterally to collide with the wooden markers atop the poles damaging them or even breaking the cable

NEW PICKUP SYSTEM DEVELOPED Work on an entirely new system

had been in progress at All Amerishycans experimental shop at Wilmington Delaware so in agreeshyment with the CAB service to new destinations would be delayed until planes were provided with new equipment and totally different ground facilities were in place The Stinsons would be fitted with reshytractable IS-12-foot long 2-inch diameter ash booms to be positioned for pickup at a 4S-degree angle with a single prong hook at the lower end

(Graphic 4) A completely new conshycept a compact mechanism consisting of reel brake and electric motor wou ld be mounted at the hatch on the floor of the aircraft Forty feet of 38-inch diameter nylon rope connected reel and hook

Ground stations would likewise be much different Gone would be the tall husky steel poles In their place would be portable small-diamshyeter aluminum tubes tipped by short lengths of bamboo Set upright in ground receptacles they would be 20 feet tall which would later be reshyduced to 12 feet and 20 feet apart Small orange canvas triangles with wire hitch pins would hold aloft a loop of 38-inch diameter nylon rope attached to the delivery conshytainer situated on the ground between the poles

The 28-inch tall delivery containshyers remained unchanged To protect the contents each had a thick fiber dome and a vulcanized rubber skirt as well as an internal canvas bag with a closure strap

Patent records credit Stuart Plumshymer as the inventor of this radically changed system which enabled pishylots to approach pickup stations with greater accuracy and higher speeds With the incoming delivery trailing above and behind the extended hook the pilot would release the rope with bag about 200 feet before reaching the upright poles Once the boom contacted the nylon transfer rope causing it to pull free the rope would slide down the boom to disenshygage the hook Under the strain of lifting and accelerating the outgoing load the nylon ropes stretched conshycurrently rope briefly played out from the reel while an automatic brake smoothly stopped the unwind Once the flight mechanic assured there was no fouling an electric moshytor was activated to draw the

container close the last short disshytance to bring the bag through the hatch was by hand Using nylon rope in this process was critical since under stress of pickup the nylon elongated somewhat without rapid recoil That rope stretch reel unshywind and smooth braking so effectively dissipated energy and strain that capturing a load was barely felt by the flight crew

Within months all the Stinsons were fitted with the new equipment Then because of higher allowable pickup speeds schedules terminalshyto-terminal were shortened The allowable total weight of regular and express mail to be placed in the bag was increased to SO pounds Flight crews as well as station attendants found this new system to be a vast improvement

CAB PROPOSES WEATHER RESTRICTIONS

Once under CAB administration of the contract some flight rules were imposed A minimum ceiling of 500 feet and 1 mile of visibility as viewed from the cockpit was to be observed En route if atmospheric conditions became worse and pilots had to pull up on instruments to reshyturn to base that action had to be justified with a letter of explanation By liberall interpretation of obshyserved weather pilots found it unnecessary to write many letters Decades later Captain Lloyd Santshymyer reflected If we had followed those rules we would have been bankrupt in one yearI In plying their routes there were countless inshystances when crews pushed the limits of contact flying to get their jobs done

DR LYTLE S ADAMS DEPARTS During its first year All American

had notable success in fulfilling its

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

As shown in these two pictures the new pickup system with a retractable boom made of ash and a single hook underwent development testing at Wilmington Delaware during the summer of 1940 As the Stinson approached the pickup point the arriving load was released

With the messenger standing by near his car the Stinson was caught by the photographer just as the hook began to pull the nylon rope free of the poles And in a fraction of a second the 28-inch tall delivery container was pulled off the ground and reeled into the cabin us Airways photos via Earl Stahl

primary mission of hauling mail But there was increasing tension beshytween the two top officials Visionary inventor and promoter Dr Lytle Adams and pragmatic wealthy Richard duPont were inshycreasingly at odds Adams was terribly offended for example when he was excluded from participation during two upgrades of pickup appashyratus DuPont excluded him because he felt Adams would not be open to ideas for major changes to the equipshyment and methods he had evolved over many years To allay further difshyficulties a financial settlement was agreed upon so Adams would fade

10 APRil 2001

from the aerial delivshyery-pickup scene

When one looks back it is obvishyous that expansion of the system was at a most favorable time The Great Depression was slowly fading while World War II was ignited in Europe Soon we would be involved Prodshyucts from th e region being served were in escalating demand With time some routes had sufficient volshyumes of regular and express mail to make two round trips a day necesshysary One manufacturer of aircraft parts at the small town of Cory Pennsylvania had such quantity of urgently required product going out

that multiple pickups were necesshysary On one occasion pilot Dave Patterson and flight mechanic Ralph Monaco had to make 33 successive pickups to get the whole load on board before they could wing on to the next station

Observing the success of this feeder service other regions became interested All American considered creating another network for the Northeast In fact Richard duPonts vision was to carry passengers along with the regular and express mail A competitor wanted to establish seven

routes in the Midwest using AAAshytype equipment When the United States entered the war in December 1941 all considerations for such exshypansions were put on hold

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS Our involvement in World War II

had a mounting impact on All Amershyican Aviation Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to highshyranking Air Corps personnel using AAAs Stinson SR-10F Wasp-powered research and development craft Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the milshyitary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-carshyrying gliders Before long duPont resigned as All Amerishycan president to head the Air Corps expanding glider proshygram Unfortunately within five months he would lose his life along with five others in the crash of a new cargo glider

Upon duPonts departure Halsey R Bazley former vice preSident became acting presishydent A seasoned pilot he was also an effective administrator His elevation to the top posishytion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground pershysonnel alike

With the militarys vorashycious demands for personnel equipment and supplies most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainteshynance and equipment replacement problems With its fleet of as many as 16 Stinshysons operating over rough terrain often in foul turbulent weather few if any carriers had greater requirements for

The redesigned ground station equipshyment A pair of 20-foot aluminum bamboo poles held upright by a pair of ground receptacles was soon shortened to 12 feet The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

superior maintenance achievement Planes were aging parts were becomshying scarce At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop there were more than 50 technicians about 20 AampE mechanics an equal number of apshyprentices and the rest inspectors and supervisors Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15 60 120 and 450 hours major overshyhauls were scheduled at 4500 hours

Of necessity most maintenance was done at night starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours Queried decades later pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews

For several of the early years an impediment to most efficient operashytions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations So appropriate ra-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

8 APRIL 2001

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be) ~rl 1Sthl wi Ivra of 1hcc

~rr1Wo__________________________

PERMANENT PICKUP ROUTES ESTABLISHED

Under the plan for permanent routes the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) would be the contracting agency rather than the Post Office Department Routes would be exshypanded from two to five serving all of the original destinations as well as over SO more Radiating a total of 1380 miles from the Pittsburgh hub two routes would be to Huntington West Virginia with others being to Jamestown New York Williamsport Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Communities in six states with populations of 800 to 120000 thus would be served

Despite the one year demonstrated success of the trailing grapple pickup system it became increasingly evishydent that a further improved method was necessary Under the existing means holding optimum altitude in heavy turbulence was difficult someshytimes resulting in a miss at capturing the horizontally stretched transfer rope A miss of an inch required a circle to try again Further in bumpy air the 8-pound grapple would someshytimes swing laterally to collide with the wooden markers atop the poles damaging them or even breaking the cable

NEW PICKUP SYSTEM DEVELOPED Work on an entirely new system

had been in progress at All Amerishycans experimental shop at Wilmington Delaware so in agreeshyment with the CAB service to new destinations would be delayed until planes were provided with new equipment and totally different ground facilities were in place The Stinsons would be fitted with reshytractable IS-12-foot long 2-inch diameter ash booms to be positioned for pickup at a 4S-degree angle with a single prong hook at the lower end

(Graphic 4) A completely new conshycept a compact mechanism consisting of reel brake and electric motor wou ld be mounted at the hatch on the floor of the aircraft Forty feet of 38-inch diameter nylon rope connected reel and hook

Ground stations would likewise be much different Gone would be the tall husky steel poles In their place would be portable small-diamshyeter aluminum tubes tipped by short lengths of bamboo Set upright in ground receptacles they would be 20 feet tall which would later be reshyduced to 12 feet and 20 feet apart Small orange canvas triangles with wire hitch pins would hold aloft a loop of 38-inch diameter nylon rope attached to the delivery conshytainer situated on the ground between the poles

The 28-inch tall delivery containshyers remained unchanged To protect the contents each had a thick fiber dome and a vulcanized rubber skirt as well as an internal canvas bag with a closure strap

Patent records credit Stuart Plumshymer as the inventor of this radically changed system which enabled pishylots to approach pickup stations with greater accuracy and higher speeds With the incoming delivery trailing above and behind the extended hook the pilot would release the rope with bag about 200 feet before reaching the upright poles Once the boom contacted the nylon transfer rope causing it to pull free the rope would slide down the boom to disenshygage the hook Under the strain of lifting and accelerating the outgoing load the nylon ropes stretched conshycurrently rope briefly played out from the reel while an automatic brake smoothly stopped the unwind Once the flight mechanic assured there was no fouling an electric moshytor was activated to draw the

container close the last short disshytance to bring the bag through the hatch was by hand Using nylon rope in this process was critical since under stress of pickup the nylon elongated somewhat without rapid recoil That rope stretch reel unshywind and smooth braking so effectively dissipated energy and strain that capturing a load was barely felt by the flight crew

Within months all the Stinsons were fitted with the new equipment Then because of higher allowable pickup speeds schedules terminalshyto-terminal were shortened The allowable total weight of regular and express mail to be placed in the bag was increased to SO pounds Flight crews as well as station attendants found this new system to be a vast improvement

CAB PROPOSES WEATHER RESTRICTIONS

Once under CAB administration of the contract some flight rules were imposed A minimum ceiling of 500 feet and 1 mile of visibility as viewed from the cockpit was to be observed En route if atmospheric conditions became worse and pilots had to pull up on instruments to reshyturn to base that action had to be justified with a letter of explanation By liberall interpretation of obshyserved weather pilots found it unnecessary to write many letters Decades later Captain Lloyd Santshymyer reflected If we had followed those rules we would have been bankrupt in one yearI In plying their routes there were countless inshystances when crews pushed the limits of contact flying to get their jobs done

DR LYTLE S ADAMS DEPARTS During its first year All American

had notable success in fulfilling its

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

As shown in these two pictures the new pickup system with a retractable boom made of ash and a single hook underwent development testing at Wilmington Delaware during the summer of 1940 As the Stinson approached the pickup point the arriving load was released

With the messenger standing by near his car the Stinson was caught by the photographer just as the hook began to pull the nylon rope free of the poles And in a fraction of a second the 28-inch tall delivery container was pulled off the ground and reeled into the cabin us Airways photos via Earl Stahl

primary mission of hauling mail But there was increasing tension beshytween the two top officials Visionary inventor and promoter Dr Lytle Adams and pragmatic wealthy Richard duPont were inshycreasingly at odds Adams was terribly offended for example when he was excluded from participation during two upgrades of pickup appashyratus DuPont excluded him because he felt Adams would not be open to ideas for major changes to the equipshyment and methods he had evolved over many years To allay further difshyficulties a financial settlement was agreed upon so Adams would fade

10 APRil 2001

from the aerial delivshyery-pickup scene

When one looks back it is obvishyous that expansion of the system was at a most favorable time The Great Depression was slowly fading while World War II was ignited in Europe Soon we would be involved Prodshyucts from th e region being served were in escalating demand With time some routes had sufficient volshyumes of regular and express mail to make two round trips a day necesshysary One manufacturer of aircraft parts at the small town of Cory Pennsylvania had such quantity of urgently required product going out

that multiple pickups were necesshysary On one occasion pilot Dave Patterson and flight mechanic Ralph Monaco had to make 33 successive pickups to get the whole load on board before they could wing on to the next station

Observing the success of this feeder service other regions became interested All American considered creating another network for the Northeast In fact Richard duPonts vision was to carry passengers along with the regular and express mail A competitor wanted to establish seven

routes in the Midwest using AAAshytype equipment When the United States entered the war in December 1941 all considerations for such exshypansions were put on hold

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS Our involvement in World War II

had a mounting impact on All Amershyican Aviation Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to highshyranking Air Corps personnel using AAAs Stinson SR-10F Wasp-powered research and development craft Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the milshyitary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-carshyrying gliders Before long duPont resigned as All Amerishycan president to head the Air Corps expanding glider proshygram Unfortunately within five months he would lose his life along with five others in the crash of a new cargo glider

Upon duPonts departure Halsey R Bazley former vice preSident became acting presishydent A seasoned pilot he was also an effective administrator His elevation to the top posishytion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground pershysonnel alike

With the militarys vorashycious demands for personnel equipment and supplies most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainteshynance and equipment replacement problems With its fleet of as many as 16 Stinshysons operating over rough terrain often in foul turbulent weather few if any carriers had greater requirements for

The redesigned ground station equipshyment A pair of 20-foot aluminum bamboo poles held upright by a pair of ground receptacles was soon shortened to 12 feet The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

superior maintenance achievement Planes were aging parts were becomshying scarce At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop there were more than 50 technicians about 20 AampE mechanics an equal number of apshyprentices and the rest inspectors and supervisors Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15 60 120 and 450 hours major overshyhauls were scheduled at 4500 hours

Of necessity most maintenance was done at night starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours Queried decades later pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews

For several of the early years an impediment to most efficient operashytions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations So appropriate ra-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

~rr1Wo__________________________

PERMANENT PICKUP ROUTES ESTABLISHED

Under the plan for permanent routes the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) would be the contracting agency rather than the Post Office Department Routes would be exshypanded from two to five serving all of the original destinations as well as over SO more Radiating a total of 1380 miles from the Pittsburgh hub two routes would be to Huntington West Virginia with others being to Jamestown New York Williamsport Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Pennsylvania Communities in six states with populations of 800 to 120000 thus would be served

Despite the one year demonstrated success of the trailing grapple pickup system it became increasingly evishydent that a further improved method was necessary Under the existing means holding optimum altitude in heavy turbulence was difficult someshytimes resulting in a miss at capturing the horizontally stretched transfer rope A miss of an inch required a circle to try again Further in bumpy air the 8-pound grapple would someshytimes swing laterally to collide with the wooden markers atop the poles damaging them or even breaking the cable

NEW PICKUP SYSTEM DEVELOPED Work on an entirely new system

had been in progress at All Amerishycans experimental shop at Wilmington Delaware so in agreeshyment with the CAB service to new destinations would be delayed until planes were provided with new equipment and totally different ground facilities were in place The Stinsons would be fitted with reshytractable IS-12-foot long 2-inch diameter ash booms to be positioned for pickup at a 4S-degree angle with a single prong hook at the lower end

(Graphic 4) A completely new conshycept a compact mechanism consisting of reel brake and electric motor wou ld be mounted at the hatch on the floor of the aircraft Forty feet of 38-inch diameter nylon rope connected reel and hook

Ground stations would likewise be much different Gone would be the tall husky steel poles In their place would be portable small-diamshyeter aluminum tubes tipped by short lengths of bamboo Set upright in ground receptacles they would be 20 feet tall which would later be reshyduced to 12 feet and 20 feet apart Small orange canvas triangles with wire hitch pins would hold aloft a loop of 38-inch diameter nylon rope attached to the delivery conshytainer situated on the ground between the poles

The 28-inch tall delivery containshyers remained unchanged To protect the contents each had a thick fiber dome and a vulcanized rubber skirt as well as an internal canvas bag with a closure strap

Patent records credit Stuart Plumshymer as the inventor of this radically changed system which enabled pishylots to approach pickup stations with greater accuracy and higher speeds With the incoming delivery trailing above and behind the extended hook the pilot would release the rope with bag about 200 feet before reaching the upright poles Once the boom contacted the nylon transfer rope causing it to pull free the rope would slide down the boom to disenshygage the hook Under the strain of lifting and accelerating the outgoing load the nylon ropes stretched conshycurrently rope briefly played out from the reel while an automatic brake smoothly stopped the unwind Once the flight mechanic assured there was no fouling an electric moshytor was activated to draw the

container close the last short disshytance to bring the bag through the hatch was by hand Using nylon rope in this process was critical since under stress of pickup the nylon elongated somewhat without rapid recoil That rope stretch reel unshywind and smooth braking so effectively dissipated energy and strain that capturing a load was barely felt by the flight crew

Within months all the Stinsons were fitted with the new equipment Then because of higher allowable pickup speeds schedules terminalshyto-terminal were shortened The allowable total weight of regular and express mail to be placed in the bag was increased to SO pounds Flight crews as well as station attendants found this new system to be a vast improvement

CAB PROPOSES WEATHER RESTRICTIONS

Once under CAB administration of the contract some flight rules were imposed A minimum ceiling of 500 feet and 1 mile of visibility as viewed from the cockpit was to be observed En route if atmospheric conditions became worse and pilots had to pull up on instruments to reshyturn to base that action had to be justified with a letter of explanation By liberall interpretation of obshyserved weather pilots found it unnecessary to write many letters Decades later Captain Lloyd Santshymyer reflected If we had followed those rules we would have been bankrupt in one yearI In plying their routes there were countless inshystances when crews pushed the limits of contact flying to get their jobs done

DR LYTLE S ADAMS DEPARTS During its first year All American

had notable success in fulfilling its

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

As shown in these two pictures the new pickup system with a retractable boom made of ash and a single hook underwent development testing at Wilmington Delaware during the summer of 1940 As the Stinson approached the pickup point the arriving load was released

With the messenger standing by near his car the Stinson was caught by the photographer just as the hook began to pull the nylon rope free of the poles And in a fraction of a second the 28-inch tall delivery container was pulled off the ground and reeled into the cabin us Airways photos via Earl Stahl

primary mission of hauling mail But there was increasing tension beshytween the two top officials Visionary inventor and promoter Dr Lytle Adams and pragmatic wealthy Richard duPont were inshycreasingly at odds Adams was terribly offended for example when he was excluded from participation during two upgrades of pickup appashyratus DuPont excluded him because he felt Adams would not be open to ideas for major changes to the equipshyment and methods he had evolved over many years To allay further difshyficulties a financial settlement was agreed upon so Adams would fade

10 APRil 2001

from the aerial delivshyery-pickup scene

When one looks back it is obvishyous that expansion of the system was at a most favorable time The Great Depression was slowly fading while World War II was ignited in Europe Soon we would be involved Prodshyucts from th e region being served were in escalating demand With time some routes had sufficient volshyumes of regular and express mail to make two round trips a day necesshysary One manufacturer of aircraft parts at the small town of Cory Pennsylvania had such quantity of urgently required product going out

that multiple pickups were necesshysary On one occasion pilot Dave Patterson and flight mechanic Ralph Monaco had to make 33 successive pickups to get the whole load on board before they could wing on to the next station

Observing the success of this feeder service other regions became interested All American considered creating another network for the Northeast In fact Richard duPonts vision was to carry passengers along with the regular and express mail A competitor wanted to establish seven

routes in the Midwest using AAAshytype equipment When the United States entered the war in December 1941 all considerations for such exshypansions were put on hold

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS Our involvement in World War II

had a mounting impact on All Amershyican Aviation Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to highshyranking Air Corps personnel using AAAs Stinson SR-10F Wasp-powered research and development craft Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the milshyitary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-carshyrying gliders Before long duPont resigned as All Amerishycan president to head the Air Corps expanding glider proshygram Unfortunately within five months he would lose his life along with five others in the crash of a new cargo glider

Upon duPonts departure Halsey R Bazley former vice preSident became acting presishydent A seasoned pilot he was also an effective administrator His elevation to the top posishytion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground pershysonnel alike

With the militarys vorashycious demands for personnel equipment and supplies most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainteshynance and equipment replacement problems With its fleet of as many as 16 Stinshysons operating over rough terrain often in foul turbulent weather few if any carriers had greater requirements for

The redesigned ground station equipshyment A pair of 20-foot aluminum bamboo poles held upright by a pair of ground receptacles was soon shortened to 12 feet The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

superior maintenance achievement Planes were aging parts were becomshying scarce At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop there were more than 50 technicians about 20 AampE mechanics an equal number of apshyprentices and the rest inspectors and supervisors Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15 60 120 and 450 hours major overshyhauls were scheduled at 4500 hours

Of necessity most maintenance was done at night starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours Queried decades later pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews

For several of the early years an impediment to most efficient operashytions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations So appropriate ra-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

As shown in these two pictures the new pickup system with a retractable boom made of ash and a single hook underwent development testing at Wilmington Delaware during the summer of 1940 As the Stinson approached the pickup point the arriving load was released

With the messenger standing by near his car the Stinson was caught by the photographer just as the hook began to pull the nylon rope free of the poles And in a fraction of a second the 28-inch tall delivery container was pulled off the ground and reeled into the cabin us Airways photos via Earl Stahl

primary mission of hauling mail But there was increasing tension beshytween the two top officials Visionary inventor and promoter Dr Lytle Adams and pragmatic wealthy Richard duPont were inshycreasingly at odds Adams was terribly offended for example when he was excluded from participation during two upgrades of pickup appashyratus DuPont excluded him because he felt Adams would not be open to ideas for major changes to the equipshyment and methods he had evolved over many years To allay further difshyficulties a financial settlement was agreed upon so Adams would fade

10 APRil 2001

from the aerial delivshyery-pickup scene

When one looks back it is obvishyous that expansion of the system was at a most favorable time The Great Depression was slowly fading while World War II was ignited in Europe Soon we would be involved Prodshyucts from th e region being served were in escalating demand With time some routes had sufficient volshyumes of regular and express mail to make two round trips a day necesshysary One manufacturer of aircraft parts at the small town of Cory Pennsylvania had such quantity of urgently required product going out

that multiple pickups were necesshysary On one occasion pilot Dave Patterson and flight mechanic Ralph Monaco had to make 33 successive pickups to get the whole load on board before they could wing on to the next station

Observing the success of this feeder service other regions became interested All American considered creating another network for the Northeast In fact Richard duPonts vision was to carry passengers along with the regular and express mail A competitor wanted to establish seven

routes in the Midwest using AAAshytype equipment When the United States entered the war in December 1941 all considerations for such exshypansions were put on hold

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS Our involvement in World War II

had a mounting impact on All Amershyican Aviation Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to highshyranking Air Corps personnel using AAAs Stinson SR-10F Wasp-powered research and development craft Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the milshyitary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-carshyrying gliders Before long duPont resigned as All Amerishycan president to head the Air Corps expanding glider proshygram Unfortunately within five months he would lose his life along with five others in the crash of a new cargo glider

Upon duPonts departure Halsey R Bazley former vice preSident became acting presishydent A seasoned pilot he was also an effective administrator His elevation to the top posishytion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground pershysonnel alike

With the militarys vorashycious demands for personnel equipment and supplies most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainteshynance and equipment replacement problems With its fleet of as many as 16 Stinshysons operating over rough terrain often in foul turbulent weather few if any carriers had greater requirements for

The redesigned ground station equipshyment A pair of 20-foot aluminum bamboo poles held upright by a pair of ground receptacles was soon shortened to 12 feet The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

superior maintenance achievement Planes were aging parts were becomshying scarce At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop there were more than 50 technicians about 20 AampE mechanics an equal number of apshyprentices and the rest inspectors and supervisors Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15 60 120 and 450 hours major overshyhauls were scheduled at 4500 hours

Of necessity most maintenance was done at night starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours Queried decades later pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews

For several of the early years an impediment to most efficient operashytions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations So appropriate ra-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

routes in the Midwest using AAAshytype equipment When the United States entered the war in December 1941 all considerations for such exshypansions were put on hold

PRESIDENT duPONT RESIGNS Our involvement in World War II

had a mounting impact on All Amershyican Aviation Early on duPont demonstrated glider pickups to highshyranking Air Corps personnel using AAAs Stinson SR-10F Wasp-powered research and development craft Chief pilot Norm Rintoul and other AAA personnel soon joined the milshyitary to help develop the capability to pick up humans as well as troop- and cargo-carshyrying gliders Before long duPont resigned as All Amerishycan president to head the Air Corps expanding glider proshygram Unfortunately within five months he would lose his life along with five others in the crash of a new cargo glider

Upon duPonts departure Halsey R Bazley former vice preSident became acting presishydent A seasoned pilot he was also an effective administrator His elevation to the top posishytion was favorably viewed by flight crews and ground pershysonnel alike

With the militarys vorashycious demands for personnel equipment and supplies most private industries encountered tightened staffing and mainteshynance and equipment replacement problems With its fleet of as many as 16 Stinshysons operating over rough terrain often in foul turbulent weather few if any carriers had greater requirements for

The redesigned ground station equipshyment A pair of 20-foot aluminum bamboo poles held upright by a pair of ground receptacles was soon shortened to 12 feet The nylon rope was held at pickup height by wire clips on orange-colored canvas flags us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

superior maintenance achievement Planes were aging parts were becomshying scarce At the Pittsburgh maintenance shop there were more than 50 technicians about 20 AampE mechanics an equal number of apshyprentices and the rest inspectors and supervisors Different levels of maintenance were carried out at 15 60 120 and 450 hours major overshyhauls were scheduled at 4500 hours

Of necessity most maintenance was done at night starting as soon as planes completed the late-day tours Queried decades later pilots had only words of praise and admiration for the maintenance crews

For several of the early years an impediment to most efficient operashytions was an inability to communicate with messengers at pickup stations So appropriate ra-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

(Top) The new pickup apparatus was also mounted next to a hatch in the floor of the Stinson The un it was made with a frame a reel (including 40 feet of nylon rope) a brake to decelerate the ropes unwinding and a motor to drive the winch to reel the mai lbag up to the hatch us Airways photo via Earl Stahl

(Left) The business end of the 1S-12-foot long ash boom was tipped with this beautifully machined hook The shaft and tip were displaced to the side to enable the hook to slide in a track in the back of the boom Photo by AI Cleave

dio receivers were installed in messhysengers cars This enabled the base radio station to relay information about schedule deviations or sometimes to request a note be placed in the outgoing bag when the planes radio reception was inshyadequate The radios also enabled pilots to call stations about multishyple deliveries or rare overflights when local weather was un flyable

Throughout the war years there was a steady growth of AAAs onshythe-fly delivery services During fiscal year 1945 1370826 miles were flown almost a million pounds of mail carried and 75787 pickups made A comparison of miles scheduled as opposed to miles actually flown showed 958 percent completion in that year (At the outset of the venture the Post Office Department hoped for 70 percent completion)

ACCIDENTS OCCUR With the frequently marginal

weather and possibly because newly employed flight crews had lesser experience than the first hires some accidents were likely to occur On a February day in near zero-zero conditions with sleet and

~A-IR~PI-~-U-P-W-IT-H~EN-E-R-~~A-B-W-R-B-IN-G~R-O-~--R-EE-L~(I-9-41--4-9-)~~~~~~~~~~~~~ snowQP~inFo~erThomasa~

STINSON SR-IOC tempted to return to the Williamsport terminal but he had to put down at a nearer field where the wheels broke through crust-coated deep snow causing the Stinson to flip on its back

Months later captain Thomas Bryan attempted to cross the 2100-foot South Mountain He climbed into the overcast sky and reached the far side of the range but unexpectedly strong head winds slowed ground speed Still in the clouds he let down hitting scrub trees brush and rocks He and his flight mechanic were painfully injured Wandershying down the mountain in fog and rain after eight hours they

12 APRIL 2001

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

AIR PICKUP WITH PASSENGER FACILITIES (1946-47)

BEECHCRAFT DI8Cr (CAAAIAGE OF PAYING PASSENGEAS NEVEA APPAOVED)

e -4

~--PICKUP SPEEDS

ENAOUTE - 140-155 mph

DEMONSTRATED - 200+ mph

GRAPHIC 5

came upon a hunters cabin Next day a rescue team found them Some time later the same mechanic Victor Gasbarro was on another trip his pilot was following a small river toshyward the next station They collided with wires strung across the narrow valley luckily the plane was not grounded so they were able to reshyturn to base

A more serious event occurred in the summer of 1944 Flying down the Ohio River Valley the Stinson approached a station serving three nearby communities After exchangshying incoming and outgoing bags captain Lindemuth pulled up into fog only to clip the tops of trees along a hillside In the crash the planes structures were mangled and commenced to burn The pilot was briefly trapped amongst the wreckshyage but despite a broken leg and fractured ankles he was able to pull free Flight mechanic Ralph Monaco was thrown clear receiving a badly injured hip Both recovered

Then after having completed over three-and-one-half million

miles of flight All American had its first fatal accident At State College Pennsylvania the rope on the outshygoing container broke leaving the bag on the ground With the severed rope trailing on the pickup hook it was reeled in Knowing it was needed for a second try the pilot circled to drop the rope In a tightening left turn the flight mechanic observed the airspeed decay from 85 to SO mph The plane nosed down and cras hed among trees Pilot Wilson Scott lost his life crewman Robert Taylor was hurt but recovered

Soon after that tragedy a recently hired pilot snagged the outgoing rope and bag on the Stinsons landshyin g gear where it hung In a steep turn preparing to land for removal of the burden the plane stalled and nosed in Pilot Albert Holstrum pershyished flight mechanic Cecil Linger was painfully injured but survived

PEACE ON HORIZON Looking toward the end of the

war acting president Hal Bazley reshyvived the idea of carrying paying

passengers on pickup routes Seeking to reach that goal an order for sevshyeral of the well-proven twin-engine Beechcraft D18s was placed Instead of the 4S0-hp PampW Wasps installed on most of the previously produced Beech Twins two Wright-Continenshytal R9A S2S-hp engines would power the AAAs Pickup equipment would be situated in the forward cabin and accommodations for four passengers would be at the back (Graphic 5) Although CAB had still not approved carrying paying passhysengers the feeling within All American was that taking along inshyvited non-paying passengers could conclusively prove the viability of the concept

Around the same time a remanushyfactured military surplus Noorduyn UC-64A was ordered Originally deshysigned for far north bush flying that larger faster rugged 4S0-hp Waspshypowered plane was viewed as a possible ideal replacement for the aging weary Stinson fleet

To be concluded in the May Issue of Vintage Airplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

Its fun to walk around Oshkosh testing Jour knowledge There are alwaJs bound to be some airplanes Jouve never

seen before The Kreutzer Tri-motor and Fokker Universal fell into that (ategory for most people But then Joud exped

that However lots of old-time observers were mught unshyaware when Di(k Roe and his four-pla(e TaJloruafl15A

taxied in The most universal (omment made bJ those who stumbled a(ross the airplane was uTaJloruafl didnt make

afour-pla(e airplane-did theJ

by Budd Davisson aerial photography by Mark Schaible ground photos by Reiley NuH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

The obvious answer was apparshyently they did because there it sat

Dick Roe calls himself the Taylorshycraft clubs four-place guru which as he points out isnt hard because so few of the airplanes were made and so few still exist

Roe came to own his airplane as part of a long-delayed entry into avishyation Roe recently retired after 32 years with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the last 20 or so in manageshyment For 12 years I was a practicing marine biologist in Mississippi supershyvising fisheries That was fun Being in management wasnt fun

At the end of his long governshyment stint he was manager of Marine Fisheries

He started flying in 1991 but I should have started back in 1952 when the bug first bit me Its one of those things Ive always regretted not doing so one day I looked around and said If I dont do it soon its not going to get done

Born in Hackettstown New Jershysey he explains that he discovered girls and cars and they diverted him from getting into flying when he should have When he finally did get started it was in a Tomahawk at Beverly Municipal Airport outside of Boston

From the very beginning I wanted to fly taildragger airplanes but couldnt do it until after I had my license because no one gave prishymary instruction in them So I went over to Hampton New Hampshire where I checked out in a Cub Thats when I knew Id really started flyshying

Dick said he knew he wanted to fly a particular type of aircraft specifshyically a classic-those almostshyantique airplanes He wanted to do as much traveling as he could which ruled out the more serious antiques and pointed him at the classics which combine old age with modern utility He also knew he had to have a four-place airplane if nothing else

for the baggage room I was actually looking for a 108

Stinson he says I looked quite a while but was having a terrible time finding a good one Everyone I looked at had something I didnt like

He had been working with a local mechanic in looking for an airplane and one day the mechanic said Why dont you think about a fourshyplace Taylorcraft

Roes reaction was typical of most Taylorcraft Taylorcraft didnt make any four-place airplanes

The mechanic then proceeded to take him down to a hangar and on opening the door said something like Surprise And there sat the first Taylorcraft 15A Dick Roe had ever seen To make things more inshyteresting his mechanic knew of another one in Ohio that had just been rebuilt and might be for sale

I went out to Ohio to look at the airplane and eventually bought it It had been rebuilt by Bob Cash who

16 APRIL 2001

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

The engine-turned instrument panel inset contains the engine gauges and the leathershywrapped control wheels add to the comfort of a long cross-country trip

Dick Roe

had bought it from someone who had found it in Alaska It wasnt an Oshkosh award-winning restoration but it was a solid airplane and thats all I was looking fOLI

According to Roe the four-place series (Taylorcraft built two types of four-place airplanes more on that in a minute) was designed in 1943shy1944 and supposedly old eG himself had a hand in it The protoshytype dubbed the TOllrist flew in 1945 in preparation for the big aviashytion boom that fi zz led That prototype was powered with a 125shyhp 0-290 Lycoming which wasnt up to the task of hauling the big airshyplane around

The Taylorcraft company found itself in deep trouble (along with the rest of the industry) and was sold to Ben Morrow who got the prototype 15A as part of the deal He moved the factory and sometime around 1950 or 1951 had a 150-hp Franklin put in the prototype That proved to be a tremendolls boost to its perforshymance and that engine is what is listed on the airplanes original type certificate At the same time he reshyportedly had eG come in and make improvements on the airplane

The factory began to think serishyously about producing the airplane but then they had some concerns about Franklins viability as a manu-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

facturing com pany and decided to change the engine again This time they went with a 145-hp Continenshytal C-145-2 (NOT 0-300 Roe points out)

Roe says one of the more frustratshying things about researching the airplane is that the factory never did keep very good records and what records there were have for the most part disappeared However someshytime around 1954 the factory did a marketing research survey in which they toured the country visiting dealers with the 15A They received a strong positive response so in 1953 they committed to producing the airplane

Its hard to tell for sure but they were only building the airplanes one at a time and its possible they were building them to order Roe says

They built a total of 24 15As and of that total Dick says 14 are still listed on the registry with four that fly and six that could fly He says

18 APRIL 2001

there are two listed in Brazil and one in New Zealand

In 1954 Taylorcraft started anshyother series of four-place airplanes that was obviously based on the 15A but moved well ahead into serious airplane territory These planes were designated F-20s Taylorcraft reshyplaced the engine of the 15A with an early 0-470 of 205- to 215-hp and hung a constant-speed prop on the front The tail was subtly revised and the landing gear was changed from bungees to a hydraulic shock system The big change however came in the covering Rather than using fabric rigid fiberglass shells were constructed for the fuselage and the wings were sheeted with thick layers of pre-laid-up fiberglass The fuselage and vertical tail were covered with a two-piece shell that was split model airplane style at the top and bottom where it was joined with a line of rivets Since fiberglass was in its infancy the shells were

(top) The aft fuselage lines of the Taylorcraft lSA might remind you of a much larger airplane the Howard DGA or perhaps the Fleet Canuck

(bottom) The six-cylinder 14S-hp Continental C-14S-2 resides under the cowl of the Taylorcraft giving it a lOS mph cruise speed A pair of Consolidair hydro-formed aluminum wheel pants dresses up the landshying gear The four-place Taylorcraft also feashytures three doors one each for the pilot and co-pilot and the third for the passengers seated in the aft cabin

thick and heavy and the perforshymance of the airplane suffered accordingly Roe says there wer e more F-20s built than F-15As and most have had the fiberglass reshymoved and replaced with the conventional fabric covering

Roes F-15A has slotted flaps that move down in lO-degree increments to 30 degrees but they arent used for takeoff He says his airplane lifts off at 55 to 60 mph and the climb is pathetic Maybe 300 to 400 fpm

Itll cruise at 105 mph at 8-12 gallons per hour and 2350 rpm Since Im in no hurry thats plenty fast enough

He says its an easy airplane to land I generally get one notch of flaps out on base and another on fishynal then decide at the last minute whether to use the last one I fly short final at 70 mph and it settles on at about 60 mph It actually stalls at around 38 mph so if I want I can put it on really slowly but its such a pussycat its not necessary If theres much crosswind it handles a lot like a Stinson in that it really could use more rudder

Having flown the airplane quite a bit he says he likes it but one of the most enjoyable aspects is standing around the airplane at a fly-in Peoshyple are constantly looking at the Taylorcraft logo on the tail Then they notice the back door and they walk up and peek in Then they say Taylorcraft didnt make a four-place All I do is point at the airplane and grin

In a world full of experts who think theyve seen everything it must be fun to show up with someshything that gets their attention

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

I t so happens acute pangs of withdrawal and frustration have me drowning my sorshy

rows in liquid refreshment these days-my D is grounded a few weeks for its annual inspection

My wife hates my being around at these times I appear listless and

seemingly without purpose I)

A treatise on takeoffprocedures for the Beech Staggerwing and other retractable-gear aircraft

by Steve Johnson VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

One of my time-killing exershycises during this hiatus though is to play the game

of What if-pondering various scenarios one could inadvertently find oneself in with the airplane sceshynarios that call for some immediate action to save all aboard andor the airplane It can be a sobering process and its one I recommend for the armchair not just when taking the runway when a quick review of inshyflight immediate action items is always called for

If you land your Staggerwing with the gear anywhere but fully extended or fully retracted you are going to tear the guts out of the gear system as well as adjacent major composhynents Were talking here of parts and components for which there are few or no spares-you break em you make em

Once you move the gear handle from down to up and it begins its funny dance as cog teeth ratchet by a pawl you cannot arbitrarily move the gear handle back down until the gear has fully cycled up To do so is to guarantee at best stripping either the cog

Steve Johnsons Staggerwing by HG Frautschy

Some old airplanes become a part of the famshyily like a comfortable house or even a loyal pet SteveJohnsons 1943 Beech Staggerwi ng is a lot likethat Hes had it for over 15 years and enjoys it more and more each time he fliesit

Steves Beech started out itsflying career in the Navy Based in Corpus Christi Texas it spent the war years performing courier dutyin the Panama

20 APRIL 2001

teeth on the main gear crossbar spindle or the lock pawl that holds the gear up and down or at worst jamming the entire mechanism so it will neither retract further nor exshytend electrically or mechanically

These operating mistakes are abshysolutely to be avoided unless you have very deep pockets and even deeper patience with the fresh mashyjor rebuild that would necessarily fo llow

With these inherent system faults in mind I think you can see that the criterion for when to retract the gear must be based on TIMEshytime to get the gear fully retracted for a belly landing or even more deshysirable time to fully retract and then fully extend the gear for a landing you hope on the airport grounds The retract mechanism on my 0 takes 14 seconds to go from full down to full up and 12 seconds to fully extend again So from the moshyment I move the gear handle out of thedown position after liftoff I need a minimum of 26 seconds of flight prior to contacting the ground

again to be fully protected from any subsequent

Canal Zone Surshy

piused out of the military at wars end it waspart of the family for seven previshyous pilots before Steve bought it in 1984 from Doug Koeppen of Sanger Texas Doug had owned the Staggerwing since 1973 and he had flown most of the time put on the airplane since 1943 Sti ll when first purchased by Steve it had less than 1500 hours total time on the airplane

Nostranger to restorations (he had done six other restorations in the past including acouple of

(Opening photo) The large wheel wells of the Beech Staggerwing contribute a great amount of drag to the airframe when the gear is extended You can see the landing light installation t ucked up in the rear of the wheel well

bending of the airplane Twenty-six seconds is a long time

Of course just 14 seconds would alshyIowa belly landing but there are inherent heartbreaking conseshyquences of that the worst of which is to belly onto concrete or asphalt and scrape off the sump drains from the lower wing and belly tanks which with the inevitable shower of sparks amidst now free-Bowing fuel subsequently fries you andor your precious airplane So to make any plan that calls just for a belly landing is not an option for me Nor can I simply opt to leave the gear alone for 26 seconds into the flight for the obshyvious reason that with the engine dead my rate of de-

Cubs an Aeronca Champ and a Stinson SRshy

10 Gullwingl Steve knewhe was buying a project It hadnt flown in the previous two years so he spent three months getting it airworthy figurshying hed fly it for ayear until the next annual came due Then it would be ripe for a complete restorashytion That year stretched into fou r with an annual each year putting the airworthy but not quite-soshypretty Beech back in the air

Finally Steve faced facts and kept the airplane on the ground for a complete teardown inspection and restoration Staggerwings have been knownto occasionally humble even the most prolificrestorshyers because of both their size and complexity but he was not intimidated by the project Still there

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

scent is going to be a great deal higher than my initial climb rate For one thing the exposed gear well proshyduces an incredible amount of drag and with no power and already at an airspeed slower than the best powershyoff glide speed for the airplane the inevitable brick descent results

If my power-off descent with the gear out averages 1500 fpm and I need 26 seconds to fully cycle the gear plus a few seconds of pucker power (ie the time it takes to recshyognize the problem and initiate action) that means I cannot safely retract the gear until Im at least 750 feet AGL (30 seconds at 1500 fpm descent rate) Not only are 26 secshyonds a long time but 750 feet AGL is a long way up to keep the gear exshytended and a little silly looking

Ah dear friends take heart There is another way to retract the gear at an earlier time and still keep all your

(Left) Steve was pleasantly surprised by a visit during Sun n Fun 98 by former owner Doug Koeppen who joined him during the flight for our photos Doug flew NC1785 for a number of years after purchasing the airshyplane in 1973 He sold it to Steve in 1984

wos 0 lot to occomplish ond ofter doing neorly 011 of the teordown ond some of the restorotion work he reolized thot if he wonted the oirplone done beshyfore he retired os 0 pilot for Americon Airlines hed need some help

Steve turned to Mike Stonko of Gemco Aviotion Services in Youngstown Ohio Mike ond his crock group of mechonics hove done 0 number of owordshywinning restorotions of vor ious models of Beechcrofts beoutiful biplone so Steve felt he put the completion of the project in good honds The completion of this oirplone would be Gemcos sevshyenth Stoggerwing rebuild

The toto I time on the project wos nine yeors but Mike certoinly didnt use up 011 of thot The first post-restorotion flight of the oirplone took ploce in 1997 ond Steve promptly flewit to the EM Conshyvention thot following summer os well os the Sun n Fun EAA fly-In during the spring of 1998 Thot tripto Sun n Fun wos one thot hod no return to

Steve Johnson Staggerwing owner

eggs safely in a basket On our circuit breaker panels we all have a circuit breaker labeled landing gear moshytor Pulling this circuit breaker disables the gears electric motor and the gear stops retracting In fact on my airplane there is a built-in dyshynamic brake so that with power loss to the motor it stops very quickly With the motor stopped I can then move the gear handle opposite to where it is without consequence and

work pressures ossocioted withit Steve hod retired from Americon just two weeksbefore

Steves long been blessed with 0 wife who not only likes oviotion but olso enjoysflying on 0 regshyulor bosis with her husbond Ruth ond Steve expected they would be using the restored Stoggershywing to go ploces during their retirement yeors Thot drove their desire to include 0 modern instrushyment ponel with 011 the omenities in the Stoggershywing s cockpit The stondord duol communications rodios ore ougmented by 0 ponel-

Standing proud ly on the f light line the Beechcraft Staggerwing has elicited admiring glances f rom pi lots on the ramp since the first model was first introshyduced in 1932

mounted Bendix-King GPS ond 0 Ryon TCAD system coupled with 0 Stormscope An HIS ond modern otshytitude gyro help round out the Johnsons IFR ponel

Bosed out of the Monroe County field in Bloomshyington Indio no the Johnsons ore en joying the benefitsof the time they ond Mike Stonkos Gemco Aviotion Servicesput into moking certoin thot one more Beechuoft Stoggerwing stoys in the oir bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

(Top) Little touches like this recessed fuel filler cap help keep the Beechcraft a sleek machine once the gear is tucked up in the wheel wells

(Left) Another view of the wheel well shows the ingenious retractable landing gear of the Staggerwing one of the first commercial producshytion airplanes so equipped

22 APRIL 2001

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

Interior details such as the hinged storage box mounted in the door were painstakingly crafted

reinstate the circuit breaker and now the gear is extending without the need to first fully retract it Thus the absolute maximum time I need on any takeoff to get a retracting gear fully where I want it (ie down) is 12 seconds At an average descent rate power off of 1500 fpm that allows me to start retracting the gear at something lower than 300 feet AGL (remember I need 12 seconds to exshytend a fully retracted gear any less-required travel of the gear in its extend cycle takes less time and less

altitude) Since I doubt my having complete presence of mind to acshycomplish everything unpuckered with an engine failure at very low alshytitude I simply choose to begin the retraction on every takeoff at 300 feet AGL or above

I have painted that circuit breaker red on my airplane and additionshyally on every takeoff before moving the gear handle up I purposely sight it so Im ready to go for it should that be necessary But whats more comforting I have a plan thought out and reviewed beforehand to avoid a situation that otherwise brings on only swear words and a sinking feeling (literally) that Im up a creek without a paddle Now I have a timely idea of what to do except wait for some kind of controlled imshypact Whether or not you agree to accept the idea of fooling with a cirshycuit breaker in a low-altitude emergency I at least hope this artishycle stimulates your own armchair thoughts as to what you would do in this and any number of other sudden safety-threatening events that could occur while flying our beloved Staggerwings [or any other retractable-gear airplane-Ed] We need to share our procedures and techniques as ownerspilots if toshygether we are to protect and preserve every example of this marshyvelous airplane

After doing much of the disassembly and beginning the restoration Steve realized that he wouldnt get the project done in time for his retirement so he enlisted the talents of Gemco Aviation Services to help him complete the airplane Gemco did much of the work including the Ceconite covering which is finished off with a fine metal-flake Sherwin-Williams paint

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

by HG Frautschy

This months Mystery Plane is a rare one from the collection of airshyplane photos supplied by Ralph Nortel Its a Lloyd Phillips photo

Send your answer to EAA Vinshytage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh VVIS4903-3086 Your anshyswer needs to be in no later than May 5 for inclusion in the July issue of Vintage Airplane Beca use of changes in the Vintage Airplane proshyduction schedule we have to move the due date back a bit over the next couple of months

You can also send your response via e-mail Send your answer to vintageeaaorg

Be sure to include both your name and address (especially your city and state) in the body of your note and put (Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line

Its always nice to hear from a new person added to the ranks of Mystery Plane participants This

24 APRIL 2001

month we welcome Dave McIlvaine of VVadsworth Ohio who sent us this response regarding the January Mystery Plane

The January MystelY Plane featured in Vintage Airplane is the Starwing Phil Goembel at the Massillon Aero Corporation in Massillon Ohio built it in 192728

It was first flown Ju ly 22 1928 by

Phil Goembel It had a 70-hp LeBlond radial engine (serial number 1) Specifishycations are

Overall length 23 feet wingspan 29 feet height 6 feet 6-34 inches weight 749 pounds cruising speed 95 mph high speed 105 mph landing speed 35 mph

The picture was taken at Noble Field in Massillon Ohio around 1928 The wooden prop from the original airplane is at the Mass illon Museum in Massilshylon Ohio

The origina l airp lane crashed in 1929 in Buffalo New York The pieces were shipped back to Ohio and another plane was made When the Aero Corposhyration co llapsed Goembel took possession of the Starwing in lieu of wages owed him He flew it to his farm near Creston Ohio What happened to it after that is somewhat ofa mystery It is known that he flew it back and forth between Creston and Chippewa Lake many times for severa l years Sometime later he crashed the second Starwing somewhere in Northwestern Ohio

It is known that Goembel donated the 218-pound LeB lond engine to a high school or university in the Medina Ohio area The above information was taken from the publication They Walked On Wings A History ofEarly Stark County Aviation by Robert L Burshywell published by Saracen Publications 1988

Other correct answers were reshyceived from Ralph Norteli Spokane VVashington and Marty Eisenmann Alta Lorna California

Massillon Aero Corporation Starwing

PASS IT TO BUC K by EE Buck Hilbert

EAA 21 VAA 5 PO Box 424 Union IL 60180

Preheaters oil temps and see and avoid

Lets start off with a couple more notes on oil temperature and preshyheaters

Dear Buck I must compliment you on your fine

articles regarding preheaters and oil opershyating temperatures I am planning to use your articles to convince the Feds that us Stinson owners who have installed Niashygra oil coolers as replacements for the original Harrisons need to have some method of regulating oil temperature In case you are not aware of the problem Harrison quit manufacturing oil coolers for the Franklin engine many years ago Over time the coolers have deteriorated to the point that they are no longer reshypairable The original Harrison coolers had an external thermostat that mixed the hot engine oil with cooled bypass oil to maintain an oil temperature of180degF This arrangement meant that during the winter months the oil cooler acted like a dead spot in the line and a collector of acid water and sludge The replacement Niagra cooler has the same cooling cashypacity but is a full-flaw-through cooler without a regulator valve The fact that the cooler is full-flaw-through solves the sludge and water buildup problem howshyever when the OA T gets below around 30degF the engine oil temperature does not exceed 100degF which is not good I have talked to owners who have told me of chipping ice out ofthe oil drain hole durshying the winter The original STC should have included a temperature-regulating feature but somehow it was overlooked by the engineering office and the designshyers

I have just invested about $12000 to zero time my engine and there is no way that I am going to run my engine at the

temperatures that I have talked about I have invented a cockpit adjustable gate which works on an air-mass-flow princishypal that allows me to dial in the precise oil temperature that I want The interestshying feature of this device is that it has one moving part has no mechanisms in the oil system (ie it is passive) and is self-regulating once the ratio of power output from the engine to mass flow of air through the cooler is established so that very little adjustment is required during the course ofa day

I have tested this device on homebuilt airplanes through their altitude range from 1000 feetAGL and at speeds from 100 knots to 160 knots and through the temperature range of -1SOF to 106 degF with the [oil] temperature never exceedshying 190degF on the hottest days I want to install this device on my Stinson but 1 feel that 1 have about as good a chance as a snowball in hell to get the Feds to buy into it My ultimate goal would be to publish the drawings and materials list so that other Stinson owners could use it

I would like to approach the Feds with your two articles and some test data and see if they might agree to a test program or whatever and ultimately an STC

Thank you and keep up the good writshying

LF Wojdac Richland Washington

Dear Buck If1 remember correctly you had an

article on pan heaters and rusted engines a few issues back in Vintage Airplane At the time 1 tried looking for a short note I wrote to a atstomer Well I couldshynt find it at the time Today my wife was cleaning up my files and 10 and beshy

hold what should appear Well seeing you wanted some input

here it is for what it is worth All the enshygines mentioned were well maintained and flown regularly (at leas t once a week) 1 must state here that I have not found this condition on an engine with a Tanis heater where the cylinders and case are heated In my opinion the pan heater if turned on two or three hours before flight would probably cause no problem If you want to leave it on all winter you had better fly every day and get the engine up to temperature or make a call to your friendly engine builder

Ron Unertl

Note The engine discussed below was a first-run factory engine A cylinshyder was pulled beca use of compression loss The cam damage and rust was found on inspection The engine was still running fine and gave no indication of its dangerous condition

Jim Your engine was disassembled at apshy

proximately 700 hours because of cylinder compression loss and worn-out cam lobes The cylinder was found to have a broken ring This may have been caused by rings that did not have the proper gap One other cylinder showed signs ofhigh heat buildup as you could count the fins by the heat marks on the inside of the cylinder bore This cylin-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

ders top compression ring was checked in the clean part of the bore and found to have less gap than factory minimum The camshaft was beyond grinding minishymums and all the lifter bodies except three were badly galled and pitted

There was a lot ofrust in the engine The crankshaft was pitted and the gear would not pass inspection because ofrust pits on three teeth Other gears had rust but cleaned up okay The rocker covers could not be reused as the interior plating on the top side had corroded and the bare steel was rusting and flaking The cam and lifters more than likely went out beshycause of moisture and acid buildup on the cam which caused rust pits

[ have found this rusting condition in the last three Lycoming engines I have reshybuilt All three were equipped with oil tank heaters It is my opinion that these heaters were left on for more than the normal three hours or so that it takes to warm the oil before flight Thus the heated oil caused moisture to form on the cold metal parts where it builds up The engine block and working parts get warm enough to evaporate the moisture so it clings to the parts where the acidic water can Ifdo its thing This would probably account for the three pitted teeth on the crank gear They were probably in the up position when the heater was left on for a considerable time The cylinders were also heavily pitted on the top ofthe bores The crank was pitted and had to be ground

In winter flying the engine may not come up to 180degF which is about the temperature that the oil will boil offabshysorbed moisture so the engine actually builds up more moisture in the oil in winshyter fIying If you warm up a pan of water and place a cool cover on it the cover will pick up the moisture I think the same thing happens in these engines over an extended time ofheating with the pad This is the only scenario [ can come up with for the amount ofrust and con-osion found in your otherwise well-maintained clean lOa-hour Lycoming 0-320

Ron Unertl AampP Mechanic

I think weve certainly given a lot of thought on keeping the oil warm Keeping it warm is important but

26 APRIL 2001

equal attention needs to be paid to keeping moisture out of the mix

On to my thoughts this month I just finished looking at an accishy

dent report An F-16 creamed a Cessna 172 This was back in November down near Sarasota Florida Both aircraft were destroyed You can imagine what the C-l72 must have looked like a bug on the windshield comes to mind The F-16 pilot survived with minor injuries by ejecting

Typically the Air Force identified two causes for the accident Failure of see and be seen and ATC did NOT notify the Cessna of the traffic conshyflict My comment at first reading was something like how can a wingman fIying formation off his leader be exshypected to see and avoid His entire attention is on his leader He keeps his position by visual reference to stay in the slot Theres no other way

The report goes on to state that a critical combination of avionic anomshyalies procedural errors and individual mistakes were the cause How right they are It was a real snafu caused by complete reliance on avionics that must have been programmed erroshyneously to begin with The F-16s were 11 miles out of their bOX-intruding on both the Tampa Class B airspace and then the Sarasota Class C airshyspace There was no communication with either controlling facility Their data was wrong wrong WRONG

The Cessna never had a chance By the time the controllers saw the imshypending conflict it was too late It was all over So what can we do about all this Unfortunately nothing will help that poor Cessna pilot his worries are over Its us that Im worried about

Whenever I venture near a MOA or a Military Warning or a Restricted Area I feel like Im starting to cross a busy street I may be in a properly marked crosswalk and the sign over there on the post says something like The pedestrian in the crosswalk has the right of way but Im still the leeriest walker you ever saw

I m the same way around these MOAs Take a look at your sectional

They are clearly defined with pretty blue and magenta lines and in the margin are explanations as to their depth and width Some of them are effective from 150 feet above ground level up to 15000 or 16000 feet Now I ask where do they begin Is that wall portrayed on the map from the lowest altitude to the highest How does the operator get into his airspace Does he come in from the top down Does he enter at the botshytom When the exercise is over where does he exit

My point is as I started out to say I may be in the crosswalk but if that guy doesnt see me or I dont see him then we have all the makings of a pershysonal catastrophe If hes under radar surveillance and taking directions from a military controller he is on a frequency I cannot receive and thereshyfore unknown to me He doesnt exist at all if Im in my Fleet or Champ with no electric and no radio

This is what we can do about itWed better be right there with our noses up looking in all directions at once and staying well clear of the operations area If we have a passenshyger or passengers they better be looking too And we sure should look at the NOTAMs and ask FSS about the area before we ever departshyask them if it is HOT and to notify the controlling facility that our route of flight is somewhere near

Pay close attention to the special notifications too In Central Wisconshysin we have an Army National Guard summer camp and this year they are conducting night-vision low-altitude cross-country maneuvers I won t go into great detail about it but wearing those night-vision goggles results in tunnel vision Here we are at night and this guy can only see through a tunnel If your light happens to be at the end of that tunnel you might be okay but if youre just outside his peshyripheral scope watch out

Like our President Butch Joyce says Together we re better Lets take every precaution to stay that way

Over to you t( ~t(ck ~

NEW MEMBERS Yang Kuo-Shan

Toayuan City Taiwan

Hans-joerg Berg Buende Gennany

David W Friday

Riyadh Saudia Arabia

Luke Bowman

Picton Ontario Canada

Ian McQueen

Ailsa Craig Ontario Canada

Emanuele Sironi

Nova Milanese Italy

Michael Lee Fairbanks AK

Billy 1 Singleton Thorsby AL

Ivan Mc Laws Payson AZ

Perry S Neal Phoenix AZ

Stephen Thompson Scottsdale AZ

Pauline Atilano Ontario CA

Michael K Brasier

Palm Springs CA

Paul Clary San Rafael CA

Leslie Day La Mesa CA

Dick Hersman Riverside CA

Charlie Miller Morgan Hill CA

JeffPearson Anaheim Hills CA

James Sands yucca Valley CA

Ronald M Wilcox Lancaster CA

Gerald L Vincent Cortez CO

Richard R LaQuerre Enfield CT

Joseph K Larrimore Milton DE

Bryce Bock

New Smyrna Beach FL

William De Vries

Boynton Beach FL

Paul Gearen Jacksonville FL

Fabio Labrada Palm City FL

A William McGraw

Fernadina Beach FL

Paul 1 Schiebler Arcadia FL

Byron C Starr Edgewater FL

Earl Webb Saint Augustine FL

Ken Taylor Stone Mountain GA

Donn Sensor Clinton IA

Holbrook Maslen Boise ID

Edward C McKeown

Barrington IL

Michael T Gray Indianapolis IN

David Jones Terre Haute IN

Ronald Scott Blum Goddard KS

David Mueller Verona KY

W Jeff York Lexingon KY

Gary Spiller

Baton Rouge LA

William S Hunt

Winchendon MA

Charles Lohrniller Sharon MA

Buck Carlton California MD

Russell Guibord Bristol ME

William Appleberry Warren MI

James C Russell Pontica MI

Stanley N Kittelson

Litchfield MN

Kenneth L Aigiere Columbia MO

Floyd E Shewmake Granby MO

Paul S Cash Morganton NC

Harold Norton Bladendoro NC

Larry Peoples Louisburg NC

Douglas Reid Thomasville NC

Shawn Johnson Omaha NE

Keri-Ann Price Portsmouth NH

Frank Mazza Bridgeton NJ

Keith Allen Courson

Las Vegas NY

William 1 Holland Bergen NY

Kenneth R BalL Sidney OH

Chris Hollinger Fairfield OH

Mark A Mastrangelo

Mentor OH

Mark Homp Ponca City OK

David C Kelly Redmond OR

Jack Cutler Wyomissing PA

Barton Glass Reading PA

Thomas H Sullivan

Little River SC

Robert Burr Franklin TN

Mike E Hale Georgetown TX

Nick Leonard Pipe Creek TX

James Lindsey Amarillo TX

Mark Payne Lewisville TX

Gordon B Richardson

Caldwell TX

P A Smith Dallas TX

Kenneth G Sorenson

Houston TX

Danny S Sorensen Bountiful UT

Jack Chapman Great Falls VA

Ted Klapka Fairfax Station VA

Nelson G Purinton Bristol VT

Frederick Lundeen Olympia WA

Neil Whittlesey Kent WA

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

Fly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation only and does not constitute approval sponsorship involvement control or direction ofany event (fly-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA All Vintage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Information should be receivedfour months prior to the event date

MA Y4-5 - Beallort NC - Annual Spring EAA Fly-In sponsored by VAA Ch 3 Awards Friday seafood cookollt and early bird gathering Info 919225shy0713

MAY 4-6 - Shelbyville IL - Mayday Antique Fly-In She~y County Airport BreaAfast Sat amp Sun mornshyings Lunch available Pig roast Sat night Two grass rUlways One asphalt runway for training wheel equipped airplanes Info 217774-41 11

MA Y 5 - Wiscasset ME - Katahdin Wings 99s host Maine Poker Rull Info Ann at 207-882-5475

MA Y 6- Santa Paula CA - Piper Cub Fly-In in conshyjunction with Santa Paula Airport First Sunday of the Month Fly-In Info 805525-7081

MA Y 6- Rockford IL - EAA Ch 22 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast Greater Rockford Ailport Courtesy Airshycraft Hangar Info 815397-4995

MA Y 6- Dayton OH - EAA Ch 48 38th Annual Funshyday Sunday Fly-In Breakfast Moraine Air Park Fly market awards lunch vendors and milch more Sal night free camping with things to see and do Many antiques on the field Info 93729 1-1225 or 937859-8967

MA Y 12 - Rock Hill SC - Wings amp Wheels Day FlyshyInDrive-In Lunch available Info 803329-4454

MA Y 12 - Kennewick W A - EAA Ch 391 Fly-In Breakfast at Vista Field Info 509735-1664

May I2-I3-Green Sea SC-Green Sea Aiport and Myrtle Beach EAA Chapter 1167 Fly-In Air Festishyval 843756-1497 shirshawSccoastnet

MAY 18-20 - Coillmbia CA - 25th Annual Gathering ofLuscombes 2001 Aircraftjudging spot landing andjour bombing competitions and the 9th Anshynual Great Luscombe Clock Race Info 360893-5303 or 253630-1086

MAY 19-20 - Winerester VA - EAA Ch 186 Spring Fly-In Winchester Regional Airport (OK V) from 8 am- 5pm Pancake breakfastS-II am Stalic disshyplay ofaircraft airplane and helicopter rides demos aircraft judging children s play area and more COlcessions souvenirs goodfood Info Ms Tangy Mooney 7031780-6329 or EAA 186netscapenet

MA Y 19-20 - Hampton NH - Hampton Ailfield FlyshyMarket Info 603964-6749

MAY 20 - Niles MI - VAA Ch 35 Hog Roast Lunshycheon Niles Ailport (3 TR) Info 616683-9642 or bobjacksontritonnet

MAY 20 - Wanvick NY - EAA Ch 501 Annual Fly-In

Warwick Aerodrome (N72) 1000 am- 400 pm Unicom advisOly Fequency 1230 Food available trophies will be awarded Registration for judging closes at 200 pm Info Michael 212-620-0398

MA Y 20 - RomeolmiddotiIIe IL (L0 7) - EAA Ch 15 Fly-In Breakfast 7am- Noon Lewis Romeoville Airport IlIfo Frank 815436-6153

MA Y 25-27 - Watsonville CA - EAA Ch 119 s 37th Annual Fly-In amp Air Show Info 83763-5600

MAY 25-26 - Atchison KS - 35th Allllual Greater Kansas City Area Fly-In Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Friday night potluck dinner for registered guests Saturday catered Awards Banquet Accomshymodations avail ill town camping on the field Sat concessions avail Info Stephen 816223-2799 9m03ponyexpressnet or leffjsullenskcrr com

MA Y 26 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-I 8 am-2 pm (Rain date May 27) Lunch items airplane rides after II am Info 720454-0003

JUNE 1-2 - Merced CA - 44th Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Airport Info Virginia or Ed 209383-4632

JUNE 3 - DeKalb IL (DKB) - 37th Annual EAA Ch 241 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast 7am -Noon Info Ed 815895-3888

JUNE 3 - St Ignace MI Airport - EAA Ch 560 Anshynual Fly-lnDrive In Steak Out Noon- 4 pm Public welcome Info 23627-6409 or 231-238-0914

JUNE 3 - Russell KS - Prairiesta Fly-In Russell Mushynicipal Airport Chuckwagon Breakfast Military Static Displays Walker Air Base Reunion Antique Cars and Tractors Ralliesnake Show EAA Ch 1214 Fuel 100LL available on field RSL 1634 4402 x 75 nmway paved Unicom 1227 Info Russhysell 785483-6008

JUNE 8-9 - Akron Oll - Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc 2nd Ever Reunion and Fly- In Akron-Fulton Airshyport Info 302674-5350

JUNE 8-1 0 - Gaill esville TX Municipal Airport (GLE) - Texas Ch Antique Airplane Assoc 40th Annual Fly-In Info Jim 87 429-5385 Don 817636-0966 or Janet 81 7421-7702

JUNE 9 - Elba Mllllicipal Airport AL (141) - Ch 351 hosts Fly-In 8 am - 4pm Fly marketfood early arrivals wecome Fee transportation to local moshytels under wing camping permitted restroom available in terminal Young Eagles No raill date GPS Coordillates 31-24-59N 86-05-33W Info Mike 3341897-1137

JUNE 9-Salisbury NC - Rowan Co Airport (RUQ) shyBoys amp Toys All Day Airport Fun Day Breakfast at 730 Young Eaglesjigius aircraji car camper boat motorcycle static displays Goodfood all day New Cessna 2001 display Fun for all ages Info 336752-2574 or lebrowninfoavenet

JUNE 9-10 - Petersburg-Dill widdie VA - Virginia State EAA Fly-In

JUNE 10 - Sugar Grove IL (KARR) - 17th Annual Aurora AirExpo sponsored by Fox Valley Sport Aviation Assoc- EAA Ch 579 and Aurora Municishypal Airport Antique Classic Homebuilt and Warbird aircraft static displayljlight demos Panshycake breakfast 7 am-noon Lunch served Noon-3 pm Free breakfast for pilots jying in with a full airplane Fuel discount forjight demo pilots Free parking and admission Info Alan 630466-4579

JUNE 16 - LaGrange OH - EAA Ch 255s 7th AIlshyIlual Fly-InDrive-In Pancake Breakfast 8 am-I pm Harlan Airfield (92D) Info Dale 440355shy64911

JUNE 21-25 - Terrell TX - 2000 Ercoupe National Convention Everyone welcome Info 972524shy1601

JUNE 23-24 - Longmont CO - Rocky Mountain EAA Fly-In

J UNE 23-24 - Walworth WI - 5th Annual Bigfoot (7V3) Fly- In Breakfast (0700-1300) Aerobatic demojy-by rides Info 815385-5645

JUNE 23 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-In 8 am-2 pm (Rain date June 24) Lunch items and airplane rides ajier II am Info DOll 740454shy0003

JULY 7-8 - Hampton NH - 5th Annual Hampton Airshyfield Biplane Fly-In Info 603964-6749

JULY 11-15 -Arlingol WA - Northwest EAA Fly-ln

J UL Y 17-20 - Keokuk IA - Joint Liaison amp Light Trainer Formation Coalition Annual Formation Clinic at Keokuk Municipal Airport Ground School starts at 830 am withjight training tofollow All Liaison-type aircraft and Primary Train ers welshycome Anythingfrom an L-Ithru OV-I PT-3 timt whatever ILPA Fly-In immediatelyfollowing clinic Info 715369-9769

JULY 21- Wausau WI - Wausau Downtown Airshyports 3rd Annual SwingDingDinner and Dance Info 715848-6000 or website wwwjlywausallcom or e-mail jyacubdwavenet

JULY 22 - ZanesliIle OH (parr Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Pre-Oshkosh Fly-InDrive-In Pancake

ders top compression ring was checked in the clean part of the bore and found to have less gap than factory minimum The camshaft was beyond grinding minishymums and all the lifter bodies except three were badly galled and pitted

There was a lot ofrust in the engine The crankshaft was pitted and the gear would not pass inspection because ofrust pits on three teeth Other gears had rust but cleaned up okay The rocker covers could not be reused as the interior plating on the top side had corroded and the bare steel was rusting and flaking The cam and lifters more than likely went out beshycause of moisture and acid buildup on the cam which caused rust pits

[ have found this rusting condition in the last three Lycoming engines I have reshybuilt All three were equipped with oil tank heaters It is my opinion that these heaters were left on for more than the normal three hours or so that it takes to warm the oil before flight Thus the heated oil caused moisture to form on the cold metal parts where it builds up The engine block and working parts get warm enough to evaporate the moisture so it clings to the parts where the acidic water can Ifdo its thing This would probably account for the three pitted teeth on the crank gear They were probably in the up position when the heater was left on for a considerable time The cylinders were also heavily pitted on the top ofthe bores The crank was pitted and had to be ground

In winter flying the engine may not come up to 180degF which is about the temperature that the oil will boil offabshysorbed moisture so the engine actually builds up more moisture in the oil in winshyter fIying If you warm up a pan of water and place a cool cover on it the cover will pick up the moisture I think the same thing happens in these engines over an extended time ofheating with the pad This is the only scenario [ can come up with for the amount ofrust and con-osion found in your otherwise well-maintained clean lOa-hour Lycoming 0-320

Ron Unertl AampP Mechanic

I think weve certainly given a lot of thought on keeping the oil warm Keeping it warm is important but

26 APRIL 2001

equal attention needs to be paid to keeping moisture out of the mix

On to my thoughts this month I just finished looking at an accishy

dent report An F-16 creamed a Cessna 172 This was back in November down near Sarasota Florida Both aircraft were destroyed You can imagine what the C-l72 must have looked like a bug on the windshield comes to mind The F-16 pilot survived with minor injuries by ejecting

Typically the Air Force identified two causes for the accident Failure of see and be seen and ATC did NOT notify the Cessna of the traffic conshyflict My comment at first reading was something like how can a wingman fIying formation off his leader be exshypected to see and avoid His entire attention is on his leader He keeps his position by visual reference to stay in the slot Theres no other way

The report goes on to state that a critical combination of avionic anomshyalies procedural errors and individual mistakes were the cause How right they are It was a real snafu caused by complete reliance on avionics that must have been programmed erroshyneously to begin with The F-16s were 11 miles out of their bOX-intruding on both the Tampa Class B airspace and then the Sarasota Class C airshyspace There was no communication with either controlling facility Their data was wrong wrong WRONG

The Cessna never had a chance By the time the controllers saw the imshypending conflict it was too late It was all over So what can we do about all this Unfortunately nothing will help that poor Cessna pilot his worries are over Its us that Im worried about

Whenever I venture near a MOA or a Military Warning or a Restricted Area I feel like Im starting to cross a busy street I may be in a properly marked crosswalk and the sign over there on the post says something like The pedestrian in the crosswalk has the right of way but Im still the leeriest walker you ever saw

I m the same way around these MOAs Take a look at your sectional

They are clearly defined with pretty blue and magenta lines and in the margin are explanations as to their depth and width Some of them are effective from 150 feet above ground level up to 15000 or 16000 feet Now I ask where do they begin Is that wall portrayed on the map from the lowest altitude to the highest How does the operator get into his airspace Does he come in from the top down Does he enter at the botshytom When the exercise is over where does he exit

My point is as I started out to say I may be in the crosswalk but if that guy doesnt see me or I dont see him then we have all the makings of a pershysonal catastrophe If hes under radar surveillance and taking directions from a military controller he is on a frequency I cannot receive and thereshyfore unknown to me He doesnt exist at all if Im in my Fleet or Champ with no electric and no radio

This is what we can do about itWed better be right there with our noses up looking in all directions at once and staying well clear of the operations area If we have a passenshyger or passengers they better be looking too And we sure should look at the NOTAMs and ask FSS about the area before we ever departshyask them if it is HOT and to notify the controlling facility that our route of flight is somewhere near

Pay close attention to the special notifications too In Central Wisconshysin we have an Army National Guard summer camp and this year they are conducting night-vision low-altitude cross-country maneuvers I won t go into great detail about it but wearing those night-vision goggles results in tunnel vision Here we are at night and this guy can only see through a tunnel If your light happens to be at the end of that tunnel you might be okay but if youre just outside his peshyripheral scope watch out

Like our President Butch Joyce says Together we re better Lets take every precaution to stay that way

Over to you t( ~t(ck ~

NEW MEMBERS Yang Kuo-Shan

Toayuan City Taiwan

Hans-joerg Berg Buende Gennany

David W Friday

Riyadh Saudia Arabia

Luke Bowman

Picton Ontario Canada

Ian McQueen

Ailsa Craig Ontario Canada

Emanuele Sironi

Nova Milanese Italy

Michael Lee Fairbanks AK

Billy 1 Singleton Thorsby AL

Ivan Mc Laws Payson AZ

Perry S Neal Phoenix AZ

Stephen Thompson Scottsdale AZ

Pauline Atilano Ontario CA

Michael K Brasier

Palm Springs CA

Paul Clary San Rafael CA

Leslie Day La Mesa CA

Dick Hersman Riverside CA

Charlie Miller Morgan Hill CA

JeffPearson Anaheim Hills CA

James Sands yucca Valley CA

Ronald M Wilcox Lancaster CA

Gerald L Vincent Cortez CO

Richard R LaQuerre Enfield CT

Joseph K Larrimore Milton DE

Bryce Bock

New Smyrna Beach FL

William De Vries

Boynton Beach FL

Paul Gearen Jacksonville FL

Fabio Labrada Palm City FL

A William McGraw

Fernadina Beach FL

Paul 1 Schiebler Arcadia FL

Byron C Starr Edgewater FL

Earl Webb Saint Augustine FL

Ken Taylor Stone Mountain GA

Donn Sensor Clinton IA

Holbrook Maslen Boise ID

Edward C McKeown

Barrington IL

Michael T Gray Indianapolis IN

David Jones Terre Haute IN

Ronald Scott Blum Goddard KS

David Mueller Verona KY

W Jeff York Lexingon KY

Gary Spiller

Baton Rouge LA

William S Hunt

Winchendon MA

Charles Lohrniller Sharon MA

Buck Carlton California MD

Russell Guibord Bristol ME

William Appleberry Warren MI

James C Russell Pontica MI

Stanley N Kittelson

Litchfield MN

Kenneth L Aigiere Columbia MO

Floyd E Shewmake Granby MO

Paul S Cash Morganton NC

Harold Norton Bladendoro NC

Larry Peoples Louisburg NC

Douglas Reid Thomasville NC

Shawn Johnson Omaha NE

Keri-Ann Price Portsmouth NH

Frank Mazza Bridgeton NJ

Keith Allen Courson

Las Vegas NY

William 1 Holland Bergen NY

Kenneth R BalL Sidney OH

Chris Hollinger Fairfield OH

Mark A Mastrangelo

Mentor OH

Mark Homp Ponca City OK

David C Kelly Redmond OR

Jack Cutler Wyomissing PA

Barton Glass Reading PA

Thomas H Sullivan

Little River SC

Robert Burr Franklin TN

Mike E Hale Georgetown TX

Nick Leonard Pipe Creek TX

James Lindsey Amarillo TX

Mark Payne Lewisville TX

Gordon B Richardson

Caldwell TX

P A Smith Dallas TX

Kenneth G Sorenson

Houston TX

Danny S Sorensen Bountiful UT

Jack Chapman Great Falls VA

Ted Klapka Fairfax Station VA

Nelson G Purinton Bristol VT

Frederick Lundeen Olympia WA

Neil Whittlesey Kent WA

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

Fly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation only and does not constitute approval sponsorship involvement control or direction ofany event (fly-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA All Vintage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Information should be receivedfour months prior to the event date

MA Y4-5 - Beallort NC - Annual Spring EAA Fly-In sponsored by VAA Ch 3 Awards Friday seafood cookollt and early bird gathering Info 919225shy0713

MAY 4-6 - Shelbyville IL - Mayday Antique Fly-In She~y County Airport BreaAfast Sat amp Sun mornshyings Lunch available Pig roast Sat night Two grass rUlways One asphalt runway for training wheel equipped airplanes Info 217774-41 11

MA Y 5 - Wiscasset ME - Katahdin Wings 99s host Maine Poker Rull Info Ann at 207-882-5475

MA Y 6- Santa Paula CA - Piper Cub Fly-In in conshyjunction with Santa Paula Airport First Sunday of the Month Fly-In Info 805525-7081

MA Y 6- Rockford IL - EAA Ch 22 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast Greater Rockford Ailport Courtesy Airshycraft Hangar Info 815397-4995

MA Y 6- Dayton OH - EAA Ch 48 38th Annual Funshyday Sunday Fly-In Breakfast Moraine Air Park Fly market awards lunch vendors and milch more Sal night free camping with things to see and do Many antiques on the field Info 93729 1-1225 or 937859-8967

MA Y 12 - Rock Hill SC - Wings amp Wheels Day FlyshyInDrive-In Lunch available Info 803329-4454

MA Y 12 - Kennewick W A - EAA Ch 391 Fly-In Breakfast at Vista Field Info 509735-1664

May I2-I3-Green Sea SC-Green Sea Aiport and Myrtle Beach EAA Chapter 1167 Fly-In Air Festishyval 843756-1497 shirshawSccoastnet

MAY 18-20 - Coillmbia CA - 25th Annual Gathering ofLuscombes 2001 Aircraftjudging spot landing andjour bombing competitions and the 9th Anshynual Great Luscombe Clock Race Info 360893-5303 or 253630-1086

MAY 19-20 - Winerester VA - EAA Ch 186 Spring Fly-In Winchester Regional Airport (OK V) from 8 am- 5pm Pancake breakfastS-II am Stalic disshyplay ofaircraft airplane and helicopter rides demos aircraft judging children s play area and more COlcessions souvenirs goodfood Info Ms Tangy Mooney 7031780-6329 or EAA 186netscapenet

MA Y 19-20 - Hampton NH - Hampton Ailfield FlyshyMarket Info 603964-6749

MAY 20 - Niles MI - VAA Ch 35 Hog Roast Lunshycheon Niles Ailport (3 TR) Info 616683-9642 or bobjacksontritonnet

MAY 20 - Wanvick NY - EAA Ch 501 Annual Fly-In

Warwick Aerodrome (N72) 1000 am- 400 pm Unicom advisOly Fequency 1230 Food available trophies will be awarded Registration for judging closes at 200 pm Info Michael 212-620-0398

MA Y 20 - RomeolmiddotiIIe IL (L0 7) - EAA Ch 15 Fly-In Breakfast 7am- Noon Lewis Romeoville Airport IlIfo Frank 815436-6153

MA Y 25-27 - Watsonville CA - EAA Ch 119 s 37th Annual Fly-In amp Air Show Info 83763-5600

MAY 25-26 - Atchison KS - 35th Allllual Greater Kansas City Area Fly-In Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Friday night potluck dinner for registered guests Saturday catered Awards Banquet Accomshymodations avail ill town camping on the field Sat concessions avail Info Stephen 816223-2799 9m03ponyexpressnet or leffjsullenskcrr com

MA Y 26 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-I 8 am-2 pm (Rain date May 27) Lunch items airplane rides after II am Info 720454-0003

JUNE 1-2 - Merced CA - 44th Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Airport Info Virginia or Ed 209383-4632

JUNE 3 - DeKalb IL (DKB) - 37th Annual EAA Ch 241 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast 7am -Noon Info Ed 815895-3888

JUNE 3 - St Ignace MI Airport - EAA Ch 560 Anshynual Fly-lnDrive In Steak Out Noon- 4 pm Public welcome Info 23627-6409 or 231-238-0914

JUNE 3 - Russell KS - Prairiesta Fly-In Russell Mushynicipal Airport Chuckwagon Breakfast Military Static Displays Walker Air Base Reunion Antique Cars and Tractors Ralliesnake Show EAA Ch 1214 Fuel 100LL available on field RSL 1634 4402 x 75 nmway paved Unicom 1227 Info Russhysell 785483-6008

JUNE 8-9 - Akron Oll - Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc 2nd Ever Reunion and Fly- In Akron-Fulton Airshyport Info 302674-5350

JUNE 8-1 0 - Gaill esville TX Municipal Airport (GLE) - Texas Ch Antique Airplane Assoc 40th Annual Fly-In Info Jim 87 429-5385 Don 817636-0966 or Janet 81 7421-7702

JUNE 9 - Elba Mllllicipal Airport AL (141) - Ch 351 hosts Fly-In 8 am - 4pm Fly marketfood early arrivals wecome Fee transportation to local moshytels under wing camping permitted restroom available in terminal Young Eagles No raill date GPS Coordillates 31-24-59N 86-05-33W Info Mike 3341897-1137

JUNE 9-Salisbury NC - Rowan Co Airport (RUQ) shyBoys amp Toys All Day Airport Fun Day Breakfast at 730 Young Eaglesjigius aircraji car camper boat motorcycle static displays Goodfood all day New Cessna 2001 display Fun for all ages Info 336752-2574 or lebrowninfoavenet

JUNE 9-10 - Petersburg-Dill widdie VA - Virginia State EAA Fly-In

JUNE 10 - Sugar Grove IL (KARR) - 17th Annual Aurora AirExpo sponsored by Fox Valley Sport Aviation Assoc- EAA Ch 579 and Aurora Municishypal Airport Antique Classic Homebuilt and Warbird aircraft static displayljlight demos Panshycake breakfast 7 am-noon Lunch served Noon-3 pm Free breakfast for pilots jying in with a full airplane Fuel discount forjight demo pilots Free parking and admission Info Alan 630466-4579

JUNE 16 - LaGrange OH - EAA Ch 255s 7th AIlshyIlual Fly-InDrive-In Pancake Breakfast 8 am-I pm Harlan Airfield (92D) Info Dale 440355shy64911

JUNE 21-25 - Terrell TX - 2000 Ercoupe National Convention Everyone welcome Info 972524shy1601

JUNE 23-24 - Longmont CO - Rocky Mountain EAA Fly-In

J UNE 23-24 - Walworth WI - 5th Annual Bigfoot (7V3) Fly- In Breakfast (0700-1300) Aerobatic demojy-by rides Info 815385-5645

JUNE 23 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-In 8 am-2 pm (Rain date June 24) Lunch items and airplane rides ajier II am Info DOll 740454shy0003

JULY 7-8 - Hampton NH - 5th Annual Hampton Airshyfield Biplane Fly-In Info 603964-6749

JULY 11-15 -Arlingol WA - Northwest EAA Fly-ln

J UL Y 17-20 - Keokuk IA - Joint Liaison amp Light Trainer Formation Coalition Annual Formation Clinic at Keokuk Municipal Airport Ground School starts at 830 am withjight training tofollow All Liaison-type aircraft and Primary Train ers welshycome Anythingfrom an L-Ithru OV-I PT-3 timt whatever ILPA Fly-In immediatelyfollowing clinic Info 715369-9769

JULY 21- Wausau WI - Wausau Downtown Airshyports 3rd Annual SwingDingDinner and Dance Info 715848-6000 or website wwwjlywausallcom or e-mail jyacubdwavenet

JULY 22 - ZanesliIle OH (parr Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Pre-Oshkosh Fly-InDrive-In Pancake

NEW MEMBERS Yang Kuo-Shan

Toayuan City Taiwan

Hans-joerg Berg Buende Gennany

David W Friday

Riyadh Saudia Arabia

Luke Bowman

Picton Ontario Canada

Ian McQueen

Ailsa Craig Ontario Canada

Emanuele Sironi

Nova Milanese Italy

Michael Lee Fairbanks AK

Billy 1 Singleton Thorsby AL

Ivan Mc Laws Payson AZ

Perry S Neal Phoenix AZ

Stephen Thompson Scottsdale AZ

Pauline Atilano Ontario CA

Michael K Brasier

Palm Springs CA

Paul Clary San Rafael CA

Leslie Day La Mesa CA

Dick Hersman Riverside CA

Charlie Miller Morgan Hill CA

JeffPearson Anaheim Hills CA

James Sands yucca Valley CA

Ronald M Wilcox Lancaster CA

Gerald L Vincent Cortez CO

Richard R LaQuerre Enfield CT

Joseph K Larrimore Milton DE

Bryce Bock

New Smyrna Beach FL

William De Vries

Boynton Beach FL

Paul Gearen Jacksonville FL

Fabio Labrada Palm City FL

A William McGraw

Fernadina Beach FL

Paul 1 Schiebler Arcadia FL

Byron C Starr Edgewater FL

Earl Webb Saint Augustine FL

Ken Taylor Stone Mountain GA

Donn Sensor Clinton IA

Holbrook Maslen Boise ID

Edward C McKeown

Barrington IL

Michael T Gray Indianapolis IN

David Jones Terre Haute IN

Ronald Scott Blum Goddard KS

David Mueller Verona KY

W Jeff York Lexingon KY

Gary Spiller

Baton Rouge LA

William S Hunt

Winchendon MA

Charles Lohrniller Sharon MA

Buck Carlton California MD

Russell Guibord Bristol ME

William Appleberry Warren MI

James C Russell Pontica MI

Stanley N Kittelson

Litchfield MN

Kenneth L Aigiere Columbia MO

Floyd E Shewmake Granby MO

Paul S Cash Morganton NC

Harold Norton Bladendoro NC

Larry Peoples Louisburg NC

Douglas Reid Thomasville NC

Shawn Johnson Omaha NE

Keri-Ann Price Portsmouth NH

Frank Mazza Bridgeton NJ

Keith Allen Courson

Las Vegas NY

William 1 Holland Bergen NY

Kenneth R BalL Sidney OH

Chris Hollinger Fairfield OH

Mark A Mastrangelo

Mentor OH

Mark Homp Ponca City OK

David C Kelly Redmond OR

Jack Cutler Wyomissing PA

Barton Glass Reading PA

Thomas H Sullivan

Little River SC

Robert Burr Franklin TN

Mike E Hale Georgetown TX

Nick Leonard Pipe Creek TX

James Lindsey Amarillo TX

Mark Payne Lewisville TX

Gordon B Richardson

Caldwell TX

P A Smith Dallas TX

Kenneth G Sorenson

Houston TX

Danny S Sorensen Bountiful UT

Jack Chapman Great Falls VA

Ted Klapka Fairfax Station VA

Nelson G Purinton Bristol VT

Frederick Lundeen Olympia WA

Neil Whittlesey Kent WA

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

Fly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation only and does not constitute approval sponsorship involvement control or direction ofany event (fly-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA All Vintage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Information should be receivedfour months prior to the event date

MA Y4-5 - Beallort NC - Annual Spring EAA Fly-In sponsored by VAA Ch 3 Awards Friday seafood cookollt and early bird gathering Info 919225shy0713

MAY 4-6 - Shelbyville IL - Mayday Antique Fly-In She~y County Airport BreaAfast Sat amp Sun mornshyings Lunch available Pig roast Sat night Two grass rUlways One asphalt runway for training wheel equipped airplanes Info 217774-41 11

MA Y 5 - Wiscasset ME - Katahdin Wings 99s host Maine Poker Rull Info Ann at 207-882-5475

MA Y 6- Santa Paula CA - Piper Cub Fly-In in conshyjunction with Santa Paula Airport First Sunday of the Month Fly-In Info 805525-7081

MA Y 6- Rockford IL - EAA Ch 22 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast Greater Rockford Ailport Courtesy Airshycraft Hangar Info 815397-4995

MA Y 6- Dayton OH - EAA Ch 48 38th Annual Funshyday Sunday Fly-In Breakfast Moraine Air Park Fly market awards lunch vendors and milch more Sal night free camping with things to see and do Many antiques on the field Info 93729 1-1225 or 937859-8967

MA Y 12 - Rock Hill SC - Wings amp Wheels Day FlyshyInDrive-In Lunch available Info 803329-4454

MA Y 12 - Kennewick W A - EAA Ch 391 Fly-In Breakfast at Vista Field Info 509735-1664

May I2-I3-Green Sea SC-Green Sea Aiport and Myrtle Beach EAA Chapter 1167 Fly-In Air Festishyval 843756-1497 shirshawSccoastnet

MAY 18-20 - Coillmbia CA - 25th Annual Gathering ofLuscombes 2001 Aircraftjudging spot landing andjour bombing competitions and the 9th Anshynual Great Luscombe Clock Race Info 360893-5303 or 253630-1086

MAY 19-20 - Winerester VA - EAA Ch 186 Spring Fly-In Winchester Regional Airport (OK V) from 8 am- 5pm Pancake breakfastS-II am Stalic disshyplay ofaircraft airplane and helicopter rides demos aircraft judging children s play area and more COlcessions souvenirs goodfood Info Ms Tangy Mooney 7031780-6329 or EAA 186netscapenet

MA Y 19-20 - Hampton NH - Hampton Ailfield FlyshyMarket Info 603964-6749

MAY 20 - Niles MI - VAA Ch 35 Hog Roast Lunshycheon Niles Ailport (3 TR) Info 616683-9642 or bobjacksontritonnet

MAY 20 - Wanvick NY - EAA Ch 501 Annual Fly-In

Warwick Aerodrome (N72) 1000 am- 400 pm Unicom advisOly Fequency 1230 Food available trophies will be awarded Registration for judging closes at 200 pm Info Michael 212-620-0398

MA Y 20 - RomeolmiddotiIIe IL (L0 7) - EAA Ch 15 Fly-In Breakfast 7am- Noon Lewis Romeoville Airport IlIfo Frank 815436-6153

MA Y 25-27 - Watsonville CA - EAA Ch 119 s 37th Annual Fly-In amp Air Show Info 83763-5600

MAY 25-26 - Atchison KS - 35th Allllual Greater Kansas City Area Fly-In Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Friday night potluck dinner for registered guests Saturday catered Awards Banquet Accomshymodations avail ill town camping on the field Sat concessions avail Info Stephen 816223-2799 9m03ponyexpressnet or leffjsullenskcrr com

MA Y 26 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-I 8 am-2 pm (Rain date May 27) Lunch items airplane rides after II am Info 720454-0003

JUNE 1-2 - Merced CA - 44th Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Airport Info Virginia or Ed 209383-4632

JUNE 3 - DeKalb IL (DKB) - 37th Annual EAA Ch 241 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast 7am -Noon Info Ed 815895-3888

JUNE 3 - St Ignace MI Airport - EAA Ch 560 Anshynual Fly-lnDrive In Steak Out Noon- 4 pm Public welcome Info 23627-6409 or 231-238-0914

JUNE 3 - Russell KS - Prairiesta Fly-In Russell Mushynicipal Airport Chuckwagon Breakfast Military Static Displays Walker Air Base Reunion Antique Cars and Tractors Ralliesnake Show EAA Ch 1214 Fuel 100LL available on field RSL 1634 4402 x 75 nmway paved Unicom 1227 Info Russhysell 785483-6008

JUNE 8-9 - Akron Oll - Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc 2nd Ever Reunion and Fly- In Akron-Fulton Airshyport Info 302674-5350

JUNE 8-1 0 - Gaill esville TX Municipal Airport (GLE) - Texas Ch Antique Airplane Assoc 40th Annual Fly-In Info Jim 87 429-5385 Don 817636-0966 or Janet 81 7421-7702

JUNE 9 - Elba Mllllicipal Airport AL (141) - Ch 351 hosts Fly-In 8 am - 4pm Fly marketfood early arrivals wecome Fee transportation to local moshytels under wing camping permitted restroom available in terminal Young Eagles No raill date GPS Coordillates 31-24-59N 86-05-33W Info Mike 3341897-1137

JUNE 9-Salisbury NC - Rowan Co Airport (RUQ) shyBoys amp Toys All Day Airport Fun Day Breakfast at 730 Young Eaglesjigius aircraji car camper boat motorcycle static displays Goodfood all day New Cessna 2001 display Fun for all ages Info 336752-2574 or lebrowninfoavenet

JUNE 9-10 - Petersburg-Dill widdie VA - Virginia State EAA Fly-In

JUNE 10 - Sugar Grove IL (KARR) - 17th Annual Aurora AirExpo sponsored by Fox Valley Sport Aviation Assoc- EAA Ch 579 and Aurora Municishypal Airport Antique Classic Homebuilt and Warbird aircraft static displayljlight demos Panshycake breakfast 7 am-noon Lunch served Noon-3 pm Free breakfast for pilots jying in with a full airplane Fuel discount forjight demo pilots Free parking and admission Info Alan 630466-4579

JUNE 16 - LaGrange OH - EAA Ch 255s 7th AIlshyIlual Fly-InDrive-In Pancake Breakfast 8 am-I pm Harlan Airfield (92D) Info Dale 440355shy64911

JUNE 21-25 - Terrell TX - 2000 Ercoupe National Convention Everyone welcome Info 972524shy1601

JUNE 23-24 - Longmont CO - Rocky Mountain EAA Fly-In

J UNE 23-24 - Walworth WI - 5th Annual Bigfoot (7V3) Fly- In Breakfast (0700-1300) Aerobatic demojy-by rides Info 815385-5645

JUNE 23 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-In 8 am-2 pm (Rain date June 24) Lunch items and airplane rides ajier II am Info DOll 740454shy0003

JULY 7-8 - Hampton NH - 5th Annual Hampton Airshyfield Biplane Fly-In Info 603964-6749

JULY 11-15 -Arlingol WA - Northwest EAA Fly-ln

J UL Y 17-20 - Keokuk IA - Joint Liaison amp Light Trainer Formation Coalition Annual Formation Clinic at Keokuk Municipal Airport Ground School starts at 830 am withjight training tofollow All Liaison-type aircraft and Primary Train ers welshycome Anythingfrom an L-Ithru OV-I PT-3 timt whatever ILPA Fly-In immediatelyfollowing clinic Info 715369-9769

JULY 21- Wausau WI - Wausau Downtown Airshyports 3rd Annual SwingDingDinner and Dance Info 715848-6000 or website wwwjlywausallcom or e-mail jyacubdwavenet

JULY 22 - ZanesliIle OH (parr Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Pre-Oshkosh Fly-InDrive-In Pancake

Fly-In Calendar The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a matter ofinformation only and does not constitute approval sponsorship involvement control or direction ofany event (fly-in seminars fly market etc) listed Please send the information to EAA All Vintage Airplane PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Information should be receivedfour months prior to the event date

MA Y4-5 - Beallort NC - Annual Spring EAA Fly-In sponsored by VAA Ch 3 Awards Friday seafood cookollt and early bird gathering Info 919225shy0713

MAY 4-6 - Shelbyville IL - Mayday Antique Fly-In She~y County Airport BreaAfast Sat amp Sun mornshyings Lunch available Pig roast Sat night Two grass rUlways One asphalt runway for training wheel equipped airplanes Info 217774-41 11

MA Y 5 - Wiscasset ME - Katahdin Wings 99s host Maine Poker Rull Info Ann at 207-882-5475

MA Y 6- Santa Paula CA - Piper Cub Fly-In in conshyjunction with Santa Paula Airport First Sunday of the Month Fly-In Info 805525-7081

MA Y 6- Rockford IL - EAA Ch 22 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast Greater Rockford Ailport Courtesy Airshycraft Hangar Info 815397-4995

MA Y 6- Dayton OH - EAA Ch 48 38th Annual Funshyday Sunday Fly-In Breakfast Moraine Air Park Fly market awards lunch vendors and milch more Sal night free camping with things to see and do Many antiques on the field Info 93729 1-1225 or 937859-8967

MA Y 12 - Rock Hill SC - Wings amp Wheels Day FlyshyInDrive-In Lunch available Info 803329-4454

MA Y 12 - Kennewick W A - EAA Ch 391 Fly-In Breakfast at Vista Field Info 509735-1664

May I2-I3-Green Sea SC-Green Sea Aiport and Myrtle Beach EAA Chapter 1167 Fly-In Air Festishyval 843756-1497 shirshawSccoastnet

MAY 18-20 - Coillmbia CA - 25th Annual Gathering ofLuscombes 2001 Aircraftjudging spot landing andjour bombing competitions and the 9th Anshynual Great Luscombe Clock Race Info 360893-5303 or 253630-1086

MAY 19-20 - Winerester VA - EAA Ch 186 Spring Fly-In Winchester Regional Airport (OK V) from 8 am- 5pm Pancake breakfastS-II am Stalic disshyplay ofaircraft airplane and helicopter rides demos aircraft judging children s play area and more COlcessions souvenirs goodfood Info Ms Tangy Mooney 7031780-6329 or EAA 186netscapenet

MA Y 19-20 - Hampton NH - Hampton Ailfield FlyshyMarket Info 603964-6749

MAY 20 - Niles MI - VAA Ch 35 Hog Roast Lunshycheon Niles Ailport (3 TR) Info 616683-9642 or bobjacksontritonnet

MAY 20 - Wanvick NY - EAA Ch 501 Annual Fly-In

Warwick Aerodrome (N72) 1000 am- 400 pm Unicom advisOly Fequency 1230 Food available trophies will be awarded Registration for judging closes at 200 pm Info Michael 212-620-0398

MA Y 20 - RomeolmiddotiIIe IL (L0 7) - EAA Ch 15 Fly-In Breakfast 7am- Noon Lewis Romeoville Airport IlIfo Frank 815436-6153

MA Y 25-27 - Watsonville CA - EAA Ch 119 s 37th Annual Fly-In amp Air Show Info 83763-5600

MAY 25-26 - Atchison KS - 35th Allllual Greater Kansas City Area Fly-In Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Friday night potluck dinner for registered guests Saturday catered Awards Banquet Accomshymodations avail ill town camping on the field Sat concessions avail Info Stephen 816223-2799 9m03ponyexpressnet or leffjsullenskcrr com

MA Y 26 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-I 8 am-2 pm (Rain date May 27) Lunch items airplane rides after II am Info 720454-0003

JUNE 1-2 - Merced CA - 44th Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Airport Info Virginia or Ed 209383-4632

JUNE 3 - DeKalb IL (DKB) - 37th Annual EAA Ch 241 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast 7am -Noon Info Ed 815895-3888

JUNE 3 - St Ignace MI Airport - EAA Ch 560 Anshynual Fly-lnDrive In Steak Out Noon- 4 pm Public welcome Info 23627-6409 or 231-238-0914

JUNE 3 - Russell KS - Prairiesta Fly-In Russell Mushynicipal Airport Chuckwagon Breakfast Military Static Displays Walker Air Base Reunion Antique Cars and Tractors Ralliesnake Show EAA Ch 1214 Fuel 100LL available on field RSL 1634 4402 x 75 nmway paved Unicom 1227 Info Russhysell 785483-6008

JUNE 8-9 - Akron Oll - Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc 2nd Ever Reunion and Fly- In Akron-Fulton Airshyport Info 302674-5350

JUNE 8-1 0 - Gaill esville TX Municipal Airport (GLE) - Texas Ch Antique Airplane Assoc 40th Annual Fly-In Info Jim 87 429-5385 Don 817636-0966 or Janet 81 7421-7702

JUNE 9 - Elba Mllllicipal Airport AL (141) - Ch 351 hosts Fly-In 8 am - 4pm Fly marketfood early arrivals wecome Fee transportation to local moshytels under wing camping permitted restroom available in terminal Young Eagles No raill date GPS Coordillates 31-24-59N 86-05-33W Info Mike 3341897-1137

JUNE 9-Salisbury NC - Rowan Co Airport (RUQ) shyBoys amp Toys All Day Airport Fun Day Breakfast at 730 Young Eaglesjigius aircraji car camper boat motorcycle static displays Goodfood all day New Cessna 2001 display Fun for all ages Info 336752-2574 or lebrowninfoavenet

JUNE 9-10 - Petersburg-Dill widdie VA - Virginia State EAA Fly-In

JUNE 10 - Sugar Grove IL (KARR) - 17th Annual Aurora AirExpo sponsored by Fox Valley Sport Aviation Assoc- EAA Ch 579 and Aurora Municishypal Airport Antique Classic Homebuilt and Warbird aircraft static displayljlight demos Panshycake breakfast 7 am-noon Lunch served Noon-3 pm Free breakfast for pilots jying in with a full airplane Fuel discount forjight demo pilots Free parking and admission Info Alan 630466-4579

JUNE 16 - LaGrange OH - EAA Ch 255s 7th AIlshyIlual Fly-InDrive-In Pancake Breakfast 8 am-I pm Harlan Airfield (92D) Info Dale 440355shy64911

JUNE 21-25 - Terrell TX - 2000 Ercoupe National Convention Everyone welcome Info 972524shy1601

JUNE 23-24 - Longmont CO - Rocky Mountain EAA Fly-In

J UNE 23-24 - Walworth WI - 5th Annual Bigfoot (7V3) Fly- In Breakfast (0700-1300) Aerobatic demojy-by rides Info 815385-5645

JUNE 23 - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Pancake Breakfast Fly-InDrive-In 8 am-2 pm (Rain date June 24) Lunch items and airplane rides ajier II am Info DOll 740454shy0003

JULY 7-8 - Hampton NH - 5th Annual Hampton Airshyfield Biplane Fly-In Info 603964-6749

JULY 11-15 -Arlingol WA - Northwest EAA Fly-ln

J UL Y 17-20 - Keokuk IA - Joint Liaison amp Light Trainer Formation Coalition Annual Formation Clinic at Keokuk Municipal Airport Ground School starts at 830 am withjight training tofollow All Liaison-type aircraft and Primary Train ers welshycome Anythingfrom an L-Ithru OV-I PT-3 timt whatever ILPA Fly-In immediatelyfollowing clinic Info 715369-9769

JULY 21- Wausau WI - Wausau Downtown Airshyports 3rd Annual SwingDingDinner and Dance Info 715848-6000 or website wwwjlywausallcom or e-mail jyacubdwavenet

JULY 22 - ZanesliIle OH (parr Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Pre-Oshkosh Fly-InDrive-In Pancake

Breakfast 8 am- 2 pm Lunch items and airplane rides after 11 am Info Don 740454-0003

JULY 22 - Burlington WI - 9th Annual Group Ershycoupe Flight Into AirVenture Wheels up at 1200 noon Everyone welcome to join Info 715842shy7814

JULY 24-30 - Oshkosh WI - AirVellture Oshkosh 2001 Wittman Airport IlIfo 9201426-4800 wwwairventureorg

JULY 27 - Oshkosh W - Stinson Lunch Oshkosh 1130 am meet at the Vintage Red Bam for afree short bus ride to Golf Celltral Restaurant Pay on your own at the restaurant Sign up in Type Tent or call 630904-6964

JUNE 30-Prosser WA - EAA Ch 391 Fly-In Breakshyfast Info 509735-1664

AUGUST 5 - Queen City MO - 14th Annual Watershymelon Fly-In Applegate Airport Info 660-766-2644

AUGUST 10-12-Snohomish WA - 19th Annual West Coast Travel Air Reunion Harvey Field (S43) Largest Travel Air gathering for 2001 Local air tOllr memorabilia auction and more Info Larson 425334-24 I3 or Rezich 805467-3669

AUGUST 11- Cadillac MI - EAA Ch 678 FlyshyInDrive-In Breakfast Wexford County Airport (CAD) 730 am- 1100 am Info 213779-81 I3

AUGUST 19-Daytoll OH - EAA Ch 48 Pancake

Breakfast Moraine Airpark Info 937291-1225 or 937859-8967

AUGUST 24-26 - Coffeyville KS - Flink Aircraft Owners Assoc 24th Annual Reunion and Fly-In Coffeyville Municipal Airport Info Gerald 302674-5250

AUGUST 31- SEPTEMBER 2 - Prosser WA - EAA Ch 391 s 18th Annual Labor Day Weekend Prosser Fly-ln Info 509735-1664

SEPTEMBER - Zanesville OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA Ch 425 Annual Labor Day Weekend FlyshyInDrive-In 8 am-2pm Lunch items and aiplane rides after 11 am Info Don 740454-0003

SEPTEMBER - Marioll IN (MZZ) - 11th Annual Fly-In Cruise-In Marion Municipal Aiport Panshycake Breakfast All types ofaircraft plus antique classic and custom vehicles Info 765664-2588 or rayjohnsonbpsinetcom

SEPTEMBER 2 - Mondovi WI - 15th Annual Fly-In Log Cabin Airport Info 715287-4205

SEPTEMBER 7-9 -Sacramellto CA shyGolden West EAA Fly-In

SEPTEMBER 7-9 - Marion OH - MidshyEastern EAA Fly-In

SEPTEMBER 14-6 - Watertown WI (R YV) - 17th Annual Byron Smith Memorial Midwest Stinson Reunion

Info Nick or Suzette 630904-6964

SEPTEMBER 21-22 - Abilene TX - Southwest EAA Fly-In

SEPTEMBER 2-22 - Bartlesville OK - Frank Phillips Field 45th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In Vinshytage warbirds ultralights experimentals Info Charlie Harris 918622-8400 or wwwtlllmjlyincom

SEPTEMBER 21-22 - Bartlesville OK - Frank Phillips Field 15th Annual Biplane Expo Worlds largest gathering ofbiplanes in conjunction with Tulsa Reshygional Fly-In this year only Info Charlie Harris 918622-8400 or wwwbiplaneexpocom

OCTOBER 5-7 - Evergreen AL - 11th Annual SOllth East Regional EAA Fly-In On field campground showersJoodjlying ampfim Info wwwserfiorg

TN GLY ~nR WAYTG GR~ YGUR

Of course if you plan to fl~ it the easiest way is stiD Poly-Ylber ~hy Poly~Flber Because for 30 years builders have followed our easy steps and achieved safe truly superlative long-lasting results And poly~nber products are painstakingly manufactured and proven over time Our reader-friendly manual is almost like having an instructor right there with you and ifyou d like some coaching try one ofour hands~n worlltshops Theres also a step-by-step video a kit for practicing with Poly-Fiber plus a web site full of information

WE NAVE ZT OVERED 800-362-3490 ~polypoundibercom

e-mail iniopol)iibercom

Aircraft Coatings

Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies ready for installation

Custom quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

Qir~RODUCTS INC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115 website wwwairtexinteriorscom Fax 800394-1247

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

VINTAGE TRADER

Something to buy sell or trade

Classified Word Ads $550 per 10 words 180

words maximum wilh boldface lead-in on first line Classified Display Ads One column wide (2167 inches) by I 2 or 3 inches high at $20 per inch

Black and while only and no frequency discounts

Advertising Closing Dates 10th ofsecond month

prior to desired issue date (ie JanuQy 10 is the

closing date for the March issue) V AA reserves the right to reject any advertising in conflict with its

policies Rates cover one insertion per issue

Classified ads are not accepted via phone Payment

must accompany order Word ads may be sent via

fox (920426-4828) or e-mail (elassadseaaorg)

using credit card payment (VISA or MasterCard)

[nelude name on card complete address type of

card card number and expiration date Make

checks payable to EAA Address advertising correshy

spondence 10 EAA Publications Classified Ad Manager PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WT 54903-3086

MISCELLANEOUS BABBITT BEARING SERVICE - rod bearings main bearings camshaft bearings master rods valves Call us Toll Free 1800233-6934 e-mail ramremfgaolcom Web site wwwramenginecom VINTAGE ENGINE MACHINE WORKS N 604 FREYA ST SPOKANE WA 99202

WANTED - 1950s era McCulloch radial two-cycle engines (aircraft) also known as Umbaugh autogyshyro engines Radial design with even number of cylinders Complete engines or crankcase and misc parts Send info or picture if possible to Joe Hicks P O Box 159 Fisherville KY 40023 502-649-5833

WANTED - Aviation magazines from 1920s 30s amp 405 Air News or similar types single magazines or sets Mail info or call J D Hicks PO Box 159 Fisherville KY 40023 502-649-5833

Airplane T-Shirts 150 Different Airplanes Available

WE PROBABLY HAVE YOUR AIRPLANE wwwairplanetshirtscom

1-800-645-7739

Private cabin water sports fishing Bakers Valley Airfield Canada wwwihorizonsnetrbaker

Wanted 3 cylinder radial Lenape Szekely Jacobs etc Also HSGA blade 11 C1 (4350) 360shy457-0377 evenings 360-452-3096

THERES JUST NOTHING LIKE IT ON THE WEB

wwwaviation-giftshopcom A Web Site With The Pilot In Mind

(and those who love airplanes)

VIIiTAGE AERO fAPgtRICJ LTD ~ C))11f I I ( 101 ~

Dont compromise yourrestoration with modern coverings finish the iob correctlywith authentic fabrics

Certificated Grade A(allan Early aircraft (allan

Imported aircraft Linen (beige and tan) German WW1 Lozenge print fabric

Fabri( tapes straight pinked and early Ameri(an pinked Waxed linen lacing (ord

Vintage Aero Fobrics Ltd 18 Journeys End Mendon VT 05701 tel 802middot773middot0686 lox 802middot786-2129 websitewwwovdoth(om

Aircraft Exhaust Systems Jumping Branch WV 25969

800-227-5951

30 different engines for fitting

Antiques Warbirds General Aviation 304-466-1724 Fax 304-466-0802

World of Flig The Best in Aviation Photography

To Order Cal l

1-800-843-3612

EAAs 2002 Calendar Features the Best In Aviation Photography with

bull 13 flight inspiring months to schedule appointments and important events

bull 12 x 24 format you can proudly display in your home and office

bull Full-color images ideal for framing

bull Dates and web sites to assist in planning your trip to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and the many EAA Regional Fly-Ins throughout the US

(Outside US amp Canada 920-426-5912)

Send your order by mail to EAA Mail Orders

PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Major credit cards accepted WI residen ts add 5 sales

tax Shipping and handling not included

The Leader In Recreational AlIiation

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10 12

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27 VJ 21

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS President VlcemiddotPresldent

Espie Butch Joyce George Doubner PO Box 35584 2448 Lough Lane

Greensboro NC 27425 Hartford WI 53027 336393-0344 262673-5885

windsockaolcom antlque2aolcom

TreasurerSecretary Chanes W HornsSteve Nesse 7215 East 46th SI2009 Highland Ave Tulsa OK 74147Albert Lea MN 5IJJJ7

918622-8400507373middot1674 cwhhv5ucom

DIRECTORS David Benne Jeannie Hili PO 80x 1188 PO80x328

Roseville CA 95678 Harvard IL 60033 530268-1585 815943-7205

antiquerinreachcom dinghaoowcnet

Steve Krog 9345 S Hoyne

Robert C Bob Brauer 1002 Heather Ln

Chicago IL 60620 Hartford WI 53027 773779-2105 262966-7627

photopilotaolcom sskragaolconn

Robert D Bob Lumley 7645 Echo Point Rd

John Berendt 1265 South 124th SI

Cannon Falls MN 55009 Brookfield WI 53005

507263-2414 262782-2633 fchldrconneclcom lumperexecpccom

Gene Morris John S Copeland 5936 Steve Court 1 A Deacon Street Roanoke TX 76262

Northborough MA 01532 817491-9110508393-4775 n03captflashnet

copelondljunocom Dean Richardson

Phil Coulson 1429 Kings Lynn Rd 28415 Springbrook Dr Stoughton WI 53589

Lawlon M149065 608877-8485 616624-6490 darapriloirecom

rCQuIsonS16cscom Geoff Robison

RagerGamoll 1521 E MacGregor Dr 321-12 S Broadway 3 New Haven IN 46774 Rochester MN 55904 219493-4724

chief7025aolconn507288-2810 rgomallhotmailcom

SH Wes Schmid Dale A Gustafson 2359 Lefeber Avenue 7724 Shady Hills Dr Wauwatosa WI 53213

Indianapolis IN 46278 414771-1545 317293-4430 shschmidgdlnetcam

DIRECTORS EMERITUS

Gene Chase EE Buck Hilbert 2159 Canton Rd PO Box 424

Oshkosh WI 54904 Union IL 60180 920231-5002 815923-4591

buck7acmcnet

ADVISOR Alan Shackleton

PO80x656 Sugar Grove IL 60554-D656

630466-4193 1033461772compuseV9com

Membershi~ Services Directoy_ Enjoy the many benefits ofBAA and the BAA Vintage Aircraft Association ~

EAA Aviation Center PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Site httpwwweaaorgand httpwwwairventureorg E-Mail vintage eaaorg

EAA and Division Membership Services 800-843-3612 bull bullbullbullbull bull bull bull bullbull bull bull bull FAX 920-426-6761 (800 AM -700 PM Monday-Friday CST) bull New renew memberships EAA Divisions

(Vintage Aircraft Association lAC Warbi rdsl National Associa tion of Flight Instructors (NAFl)

bull Address changes bull Merchandise sales bull Gift memberships

Programs and Activities EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory 732-885-6711

Auto Fuel STCs 920-426-4843 Build restore information 920-426-4821 Chapters locatingorganizing 920-426-4876 Education 920-426-6815

bull EAA Air Academy bull EAA Scholarships

Flight Advisors in formation 920-426-6522 Fligh t Instructor information 920-426-6801 Flying Start Program bullbullbullbull 920-426-6847 Library Services Research 920-426-4848 Medical Questions 920-426-4821 Technical Counselors 920-426-4821 Young Eagles 920-426-4831

Benefits Aircraft Financing (Textron) 800-851-1367

AVA 800-727 -3823 AVEM CO 800-638-8440 Term Life and Accidental 800-241-6103 Death Insurance (Harvey Watt ampCompany)

Editorial Submitting articlephoto advertising information 920-426-4825 bull bullbullbull bull FAX 920-426-4828

EAA Aviation Foundation Artifact Donations 920-426-4877 Financial Support 800-236-1025

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION EAA

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $40 for one year including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION Family membership is available for an addishytional $10 annually Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $23 annually All major credit cards accepted for membership (Add $16 for Foreign Postage)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Associaton and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE magashyzine for an additional $36 per year EM Membership VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EM Vintage Airshycraft Assoc iation is avai lable for $46 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included) (Add $7 for Foreign Postage)

lAC Current EM members may join the International Aerobatic Club Inc Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $40 per year EAA Membership SPORT AEROBATICS magazine and one year membership in the lAC Division is

available for $50 per year (SPORT AVIATION magshyazine not included) (Add $10 for Foreign Postage)

WARBIRDS Current EAA members may join the EAA Warbirds of America Division and receive WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $35 per year EM Membership WARBIRDS magazine and one year membership in the Warbirds Divis ion is available for $45 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included) (Add $7 for Foreign Postage)

EAA EXPERIMENTER Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER magazine for an additional $20 per year EAA Membership and EAA EXPERIMENTER magshyaz ine is avai lable for $30 per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not included)(Add $8 for Forshyeign Postage)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in Un ited States dollars Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions

Copyright copy2001 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association All rights reserved

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IPM 1482602 is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM Aviation Center 3000 Poberezny Rd PO Box 3086 Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices POSTMASTER Send address changes to EM Vinlage Aircraft Association PO 80x 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to toreign and APO addresses via surtace mail ADVERTISING - Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken EDITORIAl POLICY Readers are encouraged to subm stories and photographs Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely lhose of the authors Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor No renumeration ~ made Material should be sent to Edilor VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone 920426-4800

The words EAA ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATION FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING and the logos of EAA EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INTERNAshyTIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are reg registered Irademarks THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos ot the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION and EAA AirVeture are tradeshymarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31

Douglas Conciatu has owned his 1950 Aeronca TEC Chomp since 1991 The plane was one of the last light airplanes to come off the Middletown Ohio assembly line

Douglas Conciatu

Sterling Heights MI

Master CFI-IAG

Aviation Safety

Counselor

Flying for over 32 years

First 5010 flight in 1969

at the age of 16

AUAis

approved

To become a

member of the

Vintage Aircraft

Association call

800-843-3612

I went from one company to another

looking for one that would meet my

insurance needs at a competitive price

I finally found this and more with AUA

and have been with them ever since

- Douglas Conciatu

look forAUA at Sun N fun - Booth B57

The best is affordable

Give AUA a call - its FREE

800-727-3823 Fly with the pros f1y with AUA Inc

AUAs Exclusive EAA Vintage Aircraft Assoc Insurance Program

Lower liability and hull premiums

Medical payments included

Fleet discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

No hand-propping exclusion

No age penalty

No component parts endorsements

Discounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

Remember Were Better Togetherl

AVIATION UNLlMlnO AGENCY