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PUBLICATIONSTAFFPUBLISHER

Tom PobereznyVICE-PRESIDENT

MARKETING& COMMUNICAnONSDick Man

EDITORMark Phelps

ART DIRECTORMike DrucksADVERnSINGMary Jones

ASSOCIATEEDITORSNorman Petersen Dick Cavin

FEATUREWRITERSGeorg e A Hardie , Jr. Dennis Parks

EDITORIALASSISTANTIsabelle Wiske

STAFFPHOTOGRAPHERSJim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

Jeff Isom

EAAANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION,INC.

OFFICERSPresident Vice President

Esple "Butch " Joyce Arthur R Morgan604 Highway SI. 3744 North 51st Blvd.

Madison , NC 27025 Milwaukee, WI53216919/427 0216 4141442 3631

Secretary TreasurerGeorge S. York EE. "Buck " Hilbert

181 Sloboda Ave . P.O. Box424Mansfield. OH 44906 Union, IL60180

419/529 4378 815/923 4591

DIRECTORSRobert C. "Bob" Brauer John S. Copeland

9345 S. Hoyne 9 Joanne DriveChicago, IL60620 Westborough, MA 01581

312m9 2105 508/366 7245

Philip Coulson William A Eickhoff28415 Springbroak Dr. 41515th Ave N .E.

Lawton, MI49065 St. Petersburg, FL33704616/624 6490 813/823 2339

Charles Harris Stan Gomoll

3933 South Peoria 1042 90th Lane, NEP.O. Box904038 Minneopolis, MN 55434Tulsa, OK 74105 6121784-1172

9181742 7311Robert D. "Bob" Lumley

Dale A Gustafson 1265 South 124th St.7724 Shady HillDrive Broakfield, WI 53005

Indianapolis, IN46278 4141782 2633317 /293 4430

Steven C. NesseGene Morris 2009 Highland Ave.

115C Steve Court, R.R.2 Albert Lea, MN56007Roanoke, TX76262 507/373 1674

817/491 9110s.H. OWes" Schmid

Daniel Neuman 2359 Lefeber Avenue1521 Berne Circle W . Wauwat osa , WI53213

Minneopolis, MN 55421 414m1 1545612/571-0893

DIRECTOR EMERITUSs.J . Wlnman7200 S.E. 85th Lane

Ocala, FL 32672904/245 7768

ADVISORSJohn Berendt Gene Chase

7645 Echo Point Rd. 2159 Carlton Rd.Cannon Falls, MN 55009 Oshkosh, WI54903

507/263 2414 414/231 5002

George Daubner John A Fogerty2448 Lough Lane RR2, Box 70Hartford, WI 53027 Roberts, WI 54023

414/673 5885 715 /425 2455

JeonnleHl1iP.O. Box 328

Harvord. IL60033815 /943 7205

DECEMBER 1 9 8 9 Vol 17, No" 2

Copyright~

1989 by the EAA Antique lClassic Division , Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents

4 Antique Classic News /compiled by Mark Phelps

6 Aerograms

8 Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks

10 Members' Projectslb y Norm Petersen

14 Chapter Capsuleslby Bob Brauer

15 Pass It To Bucklby E. E. "Buck" Hilbert

16 Vintage Seaplaneslb y Norm Petersen

18 From Zero to 450lby Norm Petersen

24 Famous Grouse Rallylby Chris andMavis Parker

30 Welcome New Members

32 Vintage Trader

35 Mystery Planelb y George Hardie, Jr.Page 24

FRONT COVER Doug Kiel splashes color across the countryside inhis rip-snorting 450 Steorman . See Norm Petersen 's story on this remarkable young man on poge 18.

(Photo by Jeff Isom, Photo plane flown by Norm Petersen)

REAR COVER Skeeter Carlson's Curtiss IN-4 ' Canuck" in front of theRed Barn at EAA Oshkosh '89 . Skeete(s airplane is one of the sixJennies that flew at Oshkosh and are also feotured in a new videoavailable from EAA entitled , "Irs Gona Be A Jenny :

(Photo by Jim Koepnick)

Page 6

Page 18

The WOldsEM ULTRALIGHT.FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORT AVIATION. and !he logos 01 EXPERIMENTALAIRCRAFTASSOCIATIONINC., EM INTERNATIONALCONVENTION, EM ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISIONINC, INTERNATIONALAEROBATICCLUB INC., WARBIRDSOF AMERICAINC.. are registered1rOOemar1


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Compiled by Mark Phelps

1989 REFERENCE GUIDEJohn Bergeson ha s really changed

the 1989 Reference Guide for the EAAmagazines . It will be much easier touse as there is only one, covering allEAA magazines from 1953 through1989 . Further, the Reference Guide ismuch less expensive - for example,the cost to U . S . purchasers is only $15plus $1.50 UPS . For past purchasersliving in the U . S., the cost is only$7.50 plus $1.50 UPS . Canadian purchasers and purchasers from othercountries will receive equivalent savings.

The new Reference Guide will beavailable January, 1990. Order fromJohn B . Bergeson, 6438 W .Millbrook, Remus, MI 49340, 517 1561-2393. VISA /MASTERCARD accepted. Note: He has all magazines and

will make copies of any article(s) fromany issue at 5 cents per page ($3minimum).

John BoutellerThe aviation world and our aviation

community lost a leader, a skilled andexperienced pilot, a fine technician, aman of unusual and varied talents, butmost of all, we lost a friend in the deathof John Bouteller. John's flying careerspanned fifty years. From his smallWiley Post biplane of 1939 to his Falcons and Lears of the 1980s, there waslittle sky around the world that Johnhad not seen from behind the windscreen of his airborne chariot. t wouldbe safe to say that few if any aviatorshave ever experienced a more variedand rewarding career. From the daysof teaching military students in Stearmans at Cimmaron Field to the T-6s ofthe military, to the Twin Beeches andA-26s of Service Pipe Line, to the

Lockheeds and later the Falcons,Sabres and Lears of the corporateworld, John flew and commanded withconsummate skill and unparalleled de

dication to safety. He totally enjoyedhis long and distinguished flyingcareer; it was his passion. But justperhaps John 's most prized and happyyears had been these past years, theseyears earned after retirement from theburden of the corporate jet world , theselast years when he restored and flewhis precious open cockpit N3Ns. Itwas, if you will, as he came into hisaerial career so many years ago in thelittle Wiley Post biplane, only this timewith the experience, skill, judgmentand knowledge that could only comefrom a lifetime of flying . His Ns wereworks of art, as strong as bridges andas beautiful as the freshly scrubbedfaces of young maidens . His touch onthe controls was feather light, his heading always true. John was a giantamong us; his memory is a treasure to

us . When you are up there on perfectdays, look for him; he will be waitingfor you - as he flys forever in clearblue skies and soft smooth tailwindsGod speed, John . - Charlie Harris,A C Chapter 10, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

New High Tensile AircraftCovering Fabric

Ceconite, Inc. and Blue River Aircraft Supply announce the availabilityof a new, lightweight, high tensile fabric for aircraft use. "Ceconite" 104HTis the most recent "Ceconite" productdevelopment. It is a very lightweightfabric (1.9 oz. per sq. yd.). However ,due to the fact that it is produced witha high tenacity yarn, it offers tensilestrength equivalent to "Ceconite" 102and greater than grade A cotton fabric .

"Ceconite" 104HT and 7610HT willproduce a smoother surface finish anda lighter aircraft cover than any of the

other "Ceconite" products available.When used with the Ceconite 7600covering process, the fabric will belisted as 76104HT .

The Supplemental Type Certificatefor use with this new fabric isSA4503NM . This STC number may beused free of charge by purchasers ofthe "Ceconite" fabric. For full information on this new advanced product,contact: Blue River Aircraft Supply,223 N . Clay (P.O.Box 460), Harvard,NE 68944, 4021772 3651; FAX #4 21772 2039 .

Historic Jenny video availableEAA's award-winning video re

cently put the finishing touche s on afascinating look at the history of theCurtiss JN "Jenny" ... and the remarkable impact that venerableairplane had on aviation history.

This 30-minute video, entitled, It 'sGotta Be A Jenny" enables viewers to

understand whatit

feels like to fly oneof aviation's most recognized and significant airplanes. See rare footagefrom the Jenny s earliest days as a military trainer , its later role as th eairplane used most often by the daring"barnstormers," a comprehensive lookat Ken Hyde's beautiful restoration ofhis 1918 IN-4D and much, muchmore.

It 's Gotta Be A Jenny" is a lovinglook at a very special airplane . Thetape is now available for $24 .95 (plus$3 shipping and handling; Wi sco nsinresidents add five percent sales tax).To order, call EAA's toll free videohotline, 1-800-843-3612 .

VINTAGE AIRPLANEadds color pages

Starting with the January 1990issue, VINTAGE AIRPLANE will addfour pages of color to the magazine ona quarterly basis . The board of direc

tors, at its November meeting, votedto add the pages to amplify coverageof the expanding, colorful world of antique and classic aircraft.

4 DECEMBER 989


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HE KNOWS HOW TO TRE T A LADY

by Ray Hemman, Hutchinson News

Editor s note ... the following story ap-peared on the front page o the Sunday,October 1 editio n o the Hutchinson Newsin Hlll chin so n Kansas . Reporter H emmanand photographer Chris Ochsner spent theday with John McDonald and his Taylor-craft, flying, talking and taking piclllres.Thanks t o this newspaper s positive ap-proach to sport aviation, the citizens oHutchinson have a clearer view o whatpersonal flying is all about.

We aviators some times tak e people suchas John McDonald or granted. When astory such as this appears in the generalpress, we can beller appreciate what kindo people share our love for flyin g andclassic airplanes.

s John McDonald talks about his lady ,there is no doubt that she is not ordinary.

As he runs his hand across her back andlooks at her face-to-face , you can see thelove McDonald has. And for good reason.

I get about the same feeling flying thisplane that I did flying when I was 7 , the61-year-old from Windom said last weekas he talked about his lady, a red-and-black1946 Taylorcraft Scotsman .

McDonald, a product design consultantin the manufactured housing industry, methis Taylorcraft through an aviation tradepublication . He purchased the bird in 1977from Warren Long in Thomasville , Georgia. The plane was restored in 1975 to itsoriginal condition by the owner who hadsold it to Long .

Since McDonald purchased the plane, ithas won 37 awards as a classic aircraft incompetition. This summer, the plane received its third award at the Oshkosh, Wisconsin show, an internationally acclaimedfly-in that draws thousands of aircraft eachyear.

McDonald slept with his plane twoweeks during the show at Oshkosh , camping out under her wing . He often sleep swith the plane at air shows.

While the awards help justify the longhours McDonald must devote to the planeto keep it in peak condition, the awards arenot the reason he flies it. He flies it becauseof the feeling it gives him and the memorie s

it evokes.I had one of these in the '50s, he sa id.

You could buy one with 600 hour s on itfor $600. I was in college at the time . It(his original Taylorcaft) was red andblack .

Indeed, McDonald commuted from Little River to his job at the Cessna aircraftplant in Wichita one summer during the1950s for work. During the entire summer ,he had to drive only one day bec ause theweather was bad .

His original Taylorcraft had a third color- silver. The silver was from areas of baremetal where hailstones had knocked off thefinish.

It was parked out there with the newCessnas each day - red and black withspots of silver, he said.

A flight in the plane shows another feel,ing McDonald gets out of his Taylorcrafttoday - freedom . Unlike more modem

bird s that are connected with radio -waveumbilical cords to air traffic co ntrollers ,McDonald's only direct contact is betweenhimself and the plane - unle ss he has apassenger in the two-seat plane.

McDonald's type of flying - known assport flying - provides a solitude si milarto another outdoor sport in Kansa s.

I use flying like a lot of other guys usefishing, he said .

As he prepares the plan e for flight,McDonald pushes it out onto the apron .One person can maneuver the taildraggingplane on the ground without h e lp becauseit weighs only 724 pounds empty .

After blocking the front wheels,McDonald opens the door to the cabin, butdoes not get in . He instruct s those nearbyto get behind the aircraft - away from thepropeller. He asks one bystander to holdthe plane near the tail to keep it from moving when it starts.

This is the cheaper version of the planeand has only one door. Both pilot and passenger contort their way into the planethrough a door that is about half the sizeof a door on a subcompact car.

The pilot goes to the front of the plane,pulls on a pair of gloves and grasps thegleaming silver propeller. He manuallyturns the engine over twice by the propellerto prime it.

He walks back around the aircraft, flipsthe magneto switch inside the cockpit andreturns to his former position in front of theplane . Grasping the propeller once again,he pulls down once, twice, and the enginefires to life.

Freedom in the Taylorcraft comes withno battery or electrical system to start theairplane.

Freedom also comes with few instruments - an oil temperature gauge, oilpressure gauge, altimeter, compass, enginetachometer and airspeed indicator. Theairspeed indicator, by the way, measuresspeed in miles per hour ; today's planesmeasure speed in knots .

A fancy lawn mower has more gauges,he said.

And it does haye a deluxe fuel gauge forthe tank in the bird' s nose. The gauge is awire that sticks through the top of thegasoline cap. Attached to the bottom of thewire is a cork that floats on top of the fuel.

Hence , the longer the length of wireshowing, the more fuel the tank ha s.

Once McDonald ge ts into the air, relatively little engine noise is heard . The 65horsepower, four-cylinder, Continental engine is quiet compared to the roar of large rplanes .

The horizon on the early fall day is fairlyclear; Hutchinson can be seen by the timehe reaches 1,000 feet in altitude. The air iscool and calm; the flight takes on a dreamyquality as the plane drifts through the sky.

McDonald trim s the plane by rotating acrank on the cabin's ceiling. He momentar

ily takes his hands off the wheel as hemakes a notation in his black operationsnotebook .

McDonald's plane was manufactured inAlliance, Ohio, in October 1946 .

As McDonald banks the plane into itsfinal approach, his eyes take the place of atwo-way radio . He scans the skies for anyother planes that might be landing.

Well, I don't see my Lear, he said,referring to a jet that is based at the airport.

When McDonald lands the plane, itdrifts in smoothly, flares and then touchesdown. Keeping the bird on the ground,however, can be a challenge. Becau se ofits light weight, the plane easily become sairborne. Little puffs of wind upon landingbounce the plane back into the air.

McDonald won ' t name a price for hi splane. Typically, a two-seat Taylorcraftwould sell for $6,000 to $10,000. Becauseof the immaculate condition of his bird andthe attention to original detail, the plane isworth considerably more .

But it 's not for sale at any price.I had a man from England ask me about

the price at O shko sh, he sa id. I didn ' tgive him one, because was afraid he mighttake it.

I've had the plane for 2 years. haveno intention of changing it or selling it.

This lady is not for sale .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE


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V I , . . . . T ~ 3 ~~ 1 l 2 V L ~ , . . . . ~

A ~ l 2 )

Howaya?, howaya?

Dear friends,I am researching a book on the life

and times and activities of Arthur Godfrey. In addition to his broadca sting ,he was very active in other interest s:amateur radio, musical comedy, aviation , military service, horsemanship,jazz and other music, ecology, etc.

I'm certain that a number of yourreaders knew Mr. Godfrey , andworked with him. I'd like them to contact me.

Any assistance you can give me byspreading the word of my quest toreach colleagues of Mr. Godfrey will

be appreciated - no doubt a note oran article in your publication( s) willhelp .

I may be reached at (201)386-1920.Thank you for any ideas or reminis6 DECEMBER 989

cences you or others may be able toshare with me .Lee R Munsick20 Harriet DriveWhippany, New Jersey 07981-1906

Bonanza boutDear Sirs:

A couple weeks ago I received yourbrochure advertising Our Organizat ion" - I have been a member since1977 . When I unfolded the brochure Iwas pleased to see our silver with redtrim 35 Bonanza NC3869N. You havemislabeled it as a D Model, perhaps

because it resembles the show winnerearly Bonanza that has been in FirstPlace for many years at Oshkosh .

Our pictured Bonanza received theLindbergh Trophy in 1977 as an out

standing original 1947 Straight 35 . Itis Serial 1110, manufactured inNovember 1947.

Mrs. Coigny and I flew it to Oshkosh in 1977 and again in 1987 . Wehope to fly it to Oshkosh again in 1997.At that time I'll be 85 years old .

We flew in the Parade of Flight inboth 1977 and 1987, and hope to beasked again in 1997. The engine is still

performing excellently with I ,800hours' total. Total time on the airframeis also 1,800 hrs . The engine has hadno overhaul. Our Bonanza is rated bythe State of California as a "Show TypeClassic" airplane and is exempted fromproperty taxes .

I enjoy being a member of EAA andEAA's IC group. I look forward tothe magazines each month. I wouldlike to build a homebuilt but wouldhave to sell the Bonanza at a good price

to do so.Keep up all of the good - hope tosee you in 1997 - perhaps soonerBest wishes,Gerald B CoignyMiramonte, California

Seabee noteNorm:

Great, great picture on page 11 ofVINT GE IRPL NE (October '89)Kimberly and I flew the Seabee to

Geneseo, New York last weekend tovisit their museum and look at a Widgeon that is for sale. The Seabee-Widgeon combo really hit home.Bob & Kimberly RednerWest Bloomfield, Michigan

Seabird songDear Norm :

Congratulations on your fine article,"Sea Bird Sonata" (September). I foundit even more enjoyable since her designer, Jim Reddig, is a dear friend.Jim is a youthful 82-year-old who gothis degree in aeronautical engineeringfrom MIT circa 1930 . He is astorehouse of aviation lore and a mostdelightful person . The enclosed photoswere taken at Oshkosh in 1986, whenChanning Clark flew his Sea Bird therefrom California.

I have put almost 140 hours on myBellanca Champ (Members' ProjectsJuly, 1989) since I got her last February . For an old-timer like me she is

a real joy to fly .I talked with Jim (he is a bit hard ofhearing) as soon as I saw your article .Since he is not an IC member, justEAA, he had not seen it. With the en


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closed for postage I hope you can sendhim a copy.

Keep up the good workSincerely,Rowland L. HallNorthfield, IL

And so we didMy dear Mr. Petersen,

This acknowledges your favors andkind remarks of your date of 2 October89, with thanks . Since first going to

Oshkosh, I have been threatened withinterviews. But the threats proved unfounded until last year, '88, when I

was hog-tied on the lawn in frontof

the antique airplane cottage for something like three hours of taping and videotape. Now: see if you can't trackdown all that mess of tape. - If youthen have gaps or errors or questions,I'll do my best to fill in. This longrecording session covered Sea Birds,"and way back to little airplanes thatwent down, down, down in the sea insubmarines. With growing senility, myproblem is to shut up, once startedWe could have fun - we just need theopportunity.

My grateful thanks for the magsSincerely,Jim ReddigWebster, New York

Jim Reddig (left) and Rowland Hall.

OWN PIECE OF VI TION HISTORYSmithsonian aviation prints .. . with original fabric from each aircraft

Limited-edition printsfeature 7 historic aircraft incollectionof SmithsonianInstitution's National Air&Space Museum inWashington D.C.

Four square inches oforiginal fabric, removedfrom the aircraftduringrestoration by Smithsonian,is affIxed to each print. Each

piece of fabric unique anddifferent, textured by thepassage of time andweathered by the elements.

" .. a most interesting giftidea for the vintage airplanelover or just about anyonewho wants to brighten hisden airplane lover or not.The Saturday Evening Post

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cloth o history AviationRelic Prints has grne beyondmere paintings with its serieso duotone prints.

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WRIGHT EX "VIN FIZ"

1st transus flight, 1911FOKKffi T2

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ALBAlROSD.VAGerrmn WWl fighter

DE HAVILLANDDH4USbuilt WWl bomber

CURTISS NC4Ist transAt1antic flight, 1919

DOUGLAS WORLDCRUISER1st roundtheworldflight, 1924

A signed Certificate ofAuthenticity from theSmithsonianand a colorful2-page history, portrayingthe aircraft and its illustriouspast, is included with eachprint.

Special duotone printingprocess adds realism anddepth to the aircraft images,reproduced from Smithsonianarchival photos.

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VINT GE AIRPLANE 7


8/36

by ennis Val"ks

I Lib.-aO n :hives

UI.-ed().

JANE'S COVERAGE OF THE UAIRCRAFT INDUSTRY I 920s 1930s

One of the recent projects of theEAA Aviation Foundation's BoeingAeronautical Library has been to createa database of information about U aircraft manufacturers from JANE S ALLTHE WORLDS AIRCRAFT from1920 through 1939.

The rationalle has been two-fold.One, to provide an index to specifications of American aircraft between thewars that appeared in JANE S and second, to provide a listing of U manufacturers, where they were located,what aircraft they produced and whenthey appeared in JANE S .

Such information provides an easy

to-use directory of the domestic aircraft industry in two decades crucial tothe development of the aviation in theUnited States.

Having the information in a computer database provides a chance togenerate some interesting data , such aswhich states hosted the mo st companies in a particular year or decade,which in tum shows the shifting geographic patterns of aircraft production .

In this article such patterns and

trends will be examined using the

statistical capabilities of the database .

THE 1920s

First, a disclaimer on the figuresgiven . Our data lacks the entries forJANE S 1921, 1923 and 1924 . Volumes for those years are not in our collection. If anyone could help us out

with a donation of volumes for these

years, it would be most appreciated .Although civil and commercial air

craft production began in 1919, fewmachines were sold because there werefew practical uses for the planes. Newproduction also had to compete withwar-surplus Jennies and Standards .

New engine development was alsohampered by the availability of warsurplus OX5 and Liberty engines.More than 20,000 Libertys were builtand OX5 engines continued to be usedin

production aircraft until the endof

the decade.Despite the competItIOn from

surplus materials, the industry wasgrowing rapidly. In the introduction tothe 1920 volume, JANE S remarkedon the growth of the industry .

In fact, the new designs since theautumn of 1919 are so numerous thatin order to get them all into a book ofmanageable size it has been necessarythis year to pack the illustration s andspecifications of each aeroplane andengine much more tightly into thepages than has been customary in previous volumes . The 1920 JANE Slists 174 manufacturers of aircraft. Thefluid nature of the industry and itsfinancing are reflected in that these 174companies' headquarters were listed in

328 locations over the decade.Sikorsky was listed in four differentlocations, all within the state of NewYork .

Martin, among other companiesmade larger jumps than from city tocity, first being located in Cleveland(1920-28) and then moving to Baltimore in 1929.

It is also interesting to see wheresome centers of the aircraft indu strywere in the 1920s. For example, there

were six companies listedin

Buffalo

AIRPLANESM NUF CTURED BY DV CE IRCR FT COy TR.OY OHIO

8 DECEMBER 1989


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1920 1925 1929 1935 193911-NY 11-NY 19-NY 13-CA 14-CA3-0H 3-NJ 12-MI 8-NY 7-NY2-CA 2-0H 11-CA 6-PA 5-PA

Number of Aircraft Manufacturers by State.

OnlyStates

with more thanone comp ny

are listed.

during the decade and some beyond:Consolidated (1925-34), Eberhart(1927-28) , Elias (1922-29) , Fleet(1929-31), General (1922-30); Hall(1928-34) .

In fact, during the 1920s the Eastwas the center of US aviation manufacturing activity . New York state toppedthe list with 45 companies listed duringthe decade. Next most productive statewas Michigan with 29 corporationslisted . Ohio was third with 15 listed .

The expansion of the industry is alsoshown by the growth in the number ofstates producing aircraft. In 1920 threestates were listed as having more thanone aircraft company each. By 1925,five states had more than one companyand by 1929, 24 states were rep

resented in JANE S with 13 havingmore than one manufacturer . In factNew York , Michigan and Californiahad more than 1 with New York leading the list with 19 companies.

The accompanying chart lists thenumber of companies per state forselected periods from 192 to 1939.This figure shows the gradual migration of the center of the industry toCalifornia.

On its way to California the aviationindustry settled some of its membersin Wichita, Kansas including Swallow(1921), Travel Air (1926), Laird(1928) , Cessna (1928), and Stearman(1928) . (See The Swallow andWichita Aviation in the April 1988VINTAGE AIRPLANE .

There were also a wide variety ofaircraft produced during the decade.JANE'S identifies more than 400 models from the various manufacturers ,from the Acme Sportsman to theZenith Albatross .

The average aircraft of this timeperiod was an open-cockpit , steeltube-fuselage biplane. By the end ofthe decade there was a 50-50 split be

tween biplanes and monoplanes.During the course of the decade, the

US aviation industry produced nearly16,000 aircraft .

1930s

The post-Lindbergh era saw a greatincrease in the number of aircraft com

panies and the appearance of reliableengines. The trend in configurationwas towards the cabin monoplane witha radial engine. The end of the decadesaw a trend to all-metal monoplane

construction for commercial aircraft.By the 1930s a series of aeronauticaldevelopments from the 1920s becamecommon features . These includedstreamlining (See: Streamlining inthe July 1989 VINTAGE AIRPLANE ,variable-pitch propellers , wing flaps,and engine cowlings. These developments were reflected in such modernaircraft as the Boeing 247 and theDouglas DC-3. By the end of the decade such improvements even reachedthe light plane market with the development of the Luscombe Phantom.

JANE S lists more than 180 manufacturers for the decade in I 13 locations producing more than 600 different aircraft models. It can ~ seen bythe lower number of locations that theindustry seemed more stable than inthe 1920s. Though the number of manufacturers in the decade is not muchmore than the previous one , thenumber of new aircraft developed indicates that in spite of the poor economyof the nation, the aviation industry continued to grow.

In spite of, or maybe in response tothe Depression, names of aircraft using

derivations of the word sport werecommon with II companies using suchnames.

Variations included: Sport, LightSport, Senior Sportster, Sport Airsedan, Sport Mailwing, Sport Monoplane, Sport Pursuit, Sport Trainer,Sport V-8, Sports Single, Sportsman,Sportster, Sportwing, and SuperSport .

By 1935 California had become theleading state for aircraft companieswith 13 listed . New York dropped tosecond with eight companies listed.Among the companies that movedheadquarters to California from NewYork were North Am 'erican and Consolidated. Though the industry shiftedto California, over the course of the

decade New York was the city withthe most companies with 17. Wichitais next with 11 followed by Buffalowith 1 .

Despite the Depression and havingabout the same number of companiesas the previous decade the industry wasmore productive in the 1930s. Duringthe course of the decade the US aircraftindustry produced more than 25,000aircraft and in only one year - 1925- did mil itary production exceedcivil.

LONGEVITY

It is interesting to note that thoughthese were two turbulent decades in theindustry, six companies that were inbusiness in 1920 were still around in1939. They were Bellanca, Boeing,Curtiss, Lockheed (Loughhead in1920), Martin, and Vought. Of thesetwo , Boeing and Bellanca were stillheadquartered in the same cities as in

1920.Our nation was fortunate to have

these resources on the verge of WorldWar II

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9


10/36

MEMBERSPROJE fS

by orm Petersen

These two photos of a Champ & owner were sent in by lyle G. Wines (EAA300 157, N11904) of Cambria, California lyle, who is a young aO-year-old, taught aviation mechanicsin the 1940s before going to work with the California Dept. of Corrections. Retiring in 1971,he once again became involved in aviation when he purchased the Aeronca Champion, N1191E. SIN 7AC-4748, as a true basket case. The wings were completely demolishedfrom the ft struts outboard, necessitating complete fabrication of two new wings includ

ing ribs, spars, leading edges and fittings. The fuselage was intact and airworthy and thetail feathers had minor damage The rebuild included new Stits envelopes and finishing .lyle reports the rebuild took 22 months (not fulltime) and the Champ flew hands off onits first flight. The engine has been converted to 75hp and the prop was overhauled bya prop shop. lyle is busy flying the Champ while considering his next project - a Kilfox- which fascinated him at EAAOshkosh '89

10 DECEMBER 1989


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Undergoing a complete rebuild is Stinson 108-1, N8874K, S N 108-1874, owned by Peter Brucato EAA 224456) ofKensington, New Hampshire. Stits HS90X is being used nd from the pictures, the workmanship looks first class.Peter over haul ed the Franklin 150 engine including crankshaft repl cement the old one h d a bent flange).Hoping to be airborne by 1990, Peter nd his wife will then be re dy to rebuild their Piper PA-12, N7576H, S N12-447. Both dmit to a great experience in airc raft rebuilding nd h ve met many new friends nd helpersin the process.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11


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MEMBERS' PROJECTS

This pretty yellow with brown trim Stinson SM-8A NC416Y, S N 4251. is earning its keeptaking passengers for sight-seeing rides over the Red Rock country near Sedona. ArizonaOwned by Steve Bolan EM 58388) of Scottsdale, Arizona. the Stinson operates from ahard surfaced airporf over 4800 fl. above sea leveL Steve reporfs the combination ofmechanical brakes and a full swiveling tailwheel gives both the pilot and the tires agood workout NC416Y was formerly owned by Ted Beckwith, Jr. EM 217617, AlC 7929) ofLebanon. Tennessee.

Standing in front of their Luscombe 8A G-AKUK Ex-NC1166B), S N 5793, are owners Mike& Vicki Weatherly of 13A Clarence Rd , New Gardens, Richmond. Surrey, TW9 3NLEngland.Imported from the U .S in October , 1988, the Luscombe has been flown about 75 hoursto date, mostly around the south of England . The Luscombe is based at White WalthamAirfield. about 35 miles west of London. and is flown off three grass runways Stable matesinclude two other Luscombes, a Waco, Stearman. Porterfield. several Cubs and Vagabonds.

12 DECEMBER 1989


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Standing in the bright sunlight is Taylorcraft BC-12D, NC43392, N7051 which has beenowned since new (1946) by the gentleman standing at the propeller , Cecil Crayton EM611) of Everett , Washington Finished in a dark blue and cream colored paint scheme ,the T-Craft has less than 500 hours total time since new Note the Cessna 140 wheel pantswhich have been on the T-Craft since 1946

Presently undergoing a complete restoration is this 180hp Hisso powered Travel Air 3000 which Cecil Crayton ofEverett , Washington has owned since 1942 Cecil recently made a trip east to purchase "Buck " Hilbert 's 180 Hissoengine for the project. Cecil hopes to have the big biplane ready for flight in the summer of 1990 .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13


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CHAPTER CAPSULESby ob rauer

h e Minnesota Antique Flyers ICChapter 4, has been holding its quarterly meetings in President StanGomoll's hangar at Anoka County Airport (James Field), north of Minneapolis,since 1976 . This location is convenientto the membership which reside s in theTwin Cities and surrounding communities. Most of the 60 members,many of whom are retired airline

pilots, are active in chapter functionsand projects, including founders, JimHom , Ray Redmond , and StanGomoll.

Stan has been the chapter's presidentsi nce its founding and works closelyon a regular basis with members wanting a ss istance on their r es toration projects. However Stan has been prettybusy himself. His 1946 J-3 , which heflew to Oshkosh, earned the "Outstanding Cub" Award two years in arow.

Projects of Chapter 4 membersrange from custom building to restoring antique and classic aircraft. EldoKirchner, who currently flies a Corvairpowered Pietenpol, has restored a PA12 and an L2M Taylorcraft. Other restorations include Ray Swanson's rareOlympian 7KC and George Quast'sAeronca C2. George's project wasserialized in this year's Februarythrough June issues of VINTAGEAIRPLANE Not to be overlooked, of

course, is Bill Halverson's EAA O shkosh '89 Grand Champion AntiqueBeech Staggerwing G 17S. Bud Lindemer, also in the Beech family, restored a 1944 D17S .

Chapter members also find the timeto serve our division. John Fogarty, an

IC advisor, and Stan Gomoll, an ICdirector, provided the observation towers on the Oshkosh flight line and thecupola atop the Red Bam. Check theJanuary and July 1987 issues of VIN-TAGE IRPL NE for details on theirefforts. Since then, Chapter 4 hasadded a weather vane to top the cupola .

Activities that get the best turnoutare those in which all members can14 DECEMBER 1989

Stan is performingfinal adjustments onthe Red Bam weath-er vane providedby Antique/ClassicChapter 4. re youabsolutely sure aboutthe orientation?

Chapter 4 memberBill Halverson s Osh-kosh 89 Antique GrandChampion BeechG17S (1947).

partIcIpate . Among the favorites arepicnic fly-outs held two or three timeseach year . Everyone who attendsbrings a picnic food which is shared by

all. However, the annual Christmasparty held at Stan's hangar is thebiggest social event of the year. Stansays, Our social events are low-keyedand are made as family oriented as possible. That way the wives of our members will let the boys fly whenever theywant to. Stan added that since all theirsocial events became family centered,the wives attend the meetings .

Stan explained that over the yearstheir chapter has stayed on friendlyterms with the local General AviationDistrict Office and the state's Department of Aeronautics. These two offices serve as a vast library of information as well as an excellent source of

speakers for meetings. Stan considersthese contacts a great way of keepingthe line of communications open between themselves and government regulators. "Communication is the bigthing," he commented . For instance ,it is our goal to read as many otherchapter newsletters as possible and toget out newsletters of our own to otherchapters." This aim is accomplishedthrough the efforts of NewsletterEditor, Noel Allard .

In the near future Stan will also beable to devote more time to this goalbecause he is now planning his retirement, effective October 28, 1989 .Now that he is no longer faced withthe obligation of regular employment,the division hopes to see much moreof him and his wife, Irene. It is ourgain.


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eASS IIIQ- - l S

n informat ion exchange column with input from readers

Dear Mr. Hilbert,I agree 1 percent with your prac

tice of pulling the prop through allcompression strokes on a cold start.Having been pushed by a 215-hpFranklin for over 300 hours in a Republic Seabee I always pull the propthrough six compression strokes onevery cold start, even if it means putting on the hip boots. It allows me tof l and list n to the machinery under

the cowl. I get suspicious when something sounds or feels different.Keep up the great column.

Bob RednerWest Bloomfield, Michigan

Open replies to:Dario L Toffenetti, EI Paso, Texas

Dario: Thanks for the circular finallytelling of the tethered picket balloons.These balloons, or "aerostats" as theyare called, are drug interdictiontethered vehicles about the size of a747 fuselage. I see there are now fourof them tethered along the TexasMexico border and I know of a couplemore in Arizona.

by Buck HilbertEAA 21, Ale 5)

P.O . Box 424Union, IL 60180

The idea of them is great. Theyhouse electronic gear capable of spotting drug running attempts via aircraftflying at low level. The glitch is theywere cloaked in secrecy for a whileand, in the main, were unlighted. Imade inquires of the FAA and haveyet to receive an answer as to why theyweren't strobed or at least shown onthe sectionals, etc.

The circular says they are lighted,

except for the tether cable which canbe as high as 15,000 feet. This meansthey have a latitude of several miles atthe top of the box and this cable couldbe anywhere below the balloon and offto the side of center. This could posea real problem to the uninitiated VFRguy running along looking at the scenery who comes face to face with oneof these cables.

Thanks for the info, Dario. Keep theAmigo Airshow going

Another call, Don Toeppen of St.Charles, Illinois. He s worried aboutthe drug testing program and the factthat all commercial pilots, mechanics,flight attendants, in fact anyone whomakes or earns a wage at commercial

aviation must have a drug testing program set up so that if and when theFAA or anybody demands a drug test,you're ready. I m worried, too, Don.I talked with the Great Lakes region ofthe FAA and also the CAP and thereis some confusion as to how this willbe administered and enforced. TheCAP doesn't even have a plan at thistime. More on this later.

Here's a good one A cassette tape

from Father John Mac Gillvrary up inAntigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. Hereminisced about the early Rockforddays and the fact that his Moth andMiles Hawk were such fun to fly to theConvention each year. He would liketo see them fly, better yet he d like tofly them again. For those of you whowant to see them, they are in thePioneer Airport hangars in back of theMuseum.

I've had all kinds of calls this pastmonth. Some really good ones frompeople who really needed to knowsomething. Some with sad tidings butmost of them left me with good feelings. Keep em comin' guys gals.

Over to you VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15


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VINTAGE SEAPLANESy orm Petersen

These two photos show the results of two months of repair work on the tail surfaces and hull of Grumman G-44 Widgeon, N54VT S N12n Owned by Bill Latham EM 337242) of Manassas, Virginia, the Widgeon susfained damage while taking off across some swellsduring EM Oshkosh '89 . Bill was able to beach the airplane before the water got too deep inside Repairs were made to the stabilizer,elevator, fin and rudder along with a rebuild of the rear step area, jusf ahead of the tailwheel . Bill Brennand of Neenah, WI was incharge of the rebuild with help from Jack Wojahn, George Rotter and others. The completed and painted Widgeon was lifted backinto the water on October 10th and flown east on October 11th by its owner , Bill Latham . This is a McKinnon conversion of the Widgeonusing Lycoming GO-480 engines.

Photos by Carl Schuppel & Norm Petersen

16 DECEMBER 1989


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Climbing out of the water with authority is Stinson SR -10F NC21111 , which was delivered to Paci fic Alaska Airways in 1938. Poweredwith a 420-hp P & W 'Wasp egine , the SR-10F was a great performer on Edo 59-5250 floats . Note oil cooler below engine andseaplane ventral fin below the toil.

From the mi d -1930s comes the Northrop Gamma mounted on Edo JO -7080 floats. This aircraft , NR 12269, S/ was used byLincoln Ellsworth on his Antarctic Flight. Although most Gammas were powered with a 710 -hp Wright Cyclon e, this particular oneused a 500-hp P & W Wasp engi ne. This was one of the very first all-metal , monocoque designs by John Northrop .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17


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y orm PetersenPhotos y Jeff Isom

8 DECEMBER 989


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An Iowa trucker gets his introductionto aviation in a 4 5 Stearman.

e w pilots will argue with the factthat a 450-hp Stearman is a handful ofairplane. Even a 220 Steannan willkeep you on your toes. However, theaddition of a P W R-985 "Wasp"will hold the pilot's attention throughout takeoffs and landings With all thebleatin' and blattin' going on up frontalong with the torque of a Ham Stan

dard keeping your feet active on therudder pedals, the sound of a throbbingnine-cylinder engin 'e is augmented bythe snarl of the prop tips going super

sonic. For airshow work, the standardof the industry is a 450 Stearman withall its smoke and noise.

How many pilots do you knowwhose very first airplane was a 450Stearman? And to top it off, it waspurchased with absolutely zero time inthe pilot 's logbook Unusual, yes, butimpossible? No

Our hero in this story is a 35-yearold truck driver from Iowa. Doug Kielis an enterprising person in the habitof making logical choices - at least in

his own judgment. Others may differ,but eventually, Doug ends up with thecorrect call. Perhaps this is why we allhave a certain admiration for such aperson.

Douglas Kiel (EAA 329603, lC13638) grew up on a farm near Fayette,Iowa, near the Wisconsin border. fnecessity, he became quite mechani

cally minded and able to fix 'most anything that needed repair. When he wasa young lad of nine, he had his firstairplane ride at Prairie Du Chien, Wis


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consin in - you guessed it - a StearmanPerhaps this 1962 experience set thestage for an unusual course of eventssome 26 year s later.

Motorcycles held Doug Kiel's interest as he matured into a young man .He presently owns five of them, including a rather wild 1976 KawasakiKZ -1185 turbo-charged drag bike that

can only b e described as a "crotch rocket. " Perhap s e xcitement is a commoningredient in all this young man ' s activities. Dou g has made some 25parachute jumps to date. Eventually,the call of the open road reached Dougand he found himself in the truckingbusines s, over the road , from coast tocoast. He enjoyed the challenges of thejob, however , he felt the correct choicewould be to own his own truck. Approaching hi s banker with the idea of

buying a new $150 ,000 truck causedthe banker to suspect Doug had slippeda few notche s in his timing belt EvenDoug ' s father wondered if all his efforts at bringing up a smart young sonhad somehow failed. The truck wouldcost more than hi s father's entire farmAgain , per sistence paid off when Dougbought the big Peterbilt and reefer

trailer and struck out on his own . nfour and a half years of hard work andtenacity, the truck was paid for - in full

During this time , Doug has acquireda traveling companion, a miniatureDachshund named Chuck , who nowhas over 600,000 miles on his tenderbody (Perhaps this explains why hislegs are so short ) Chuck rules the roostin the big Peterbilt cab, earning hiskeep when Doug leaves the truck forany reason. Several would-be intrudershave been met at the door by the mostferocious set of teeth and snarls youcan possibly imagine. None have succeeded and some have left a trail ofblood to show for their efforts .

Some time ago, Doug discoveredthat a can of soup or stew fits perfectlybetween the oil cooler and the engineof the Peterbilt. Exactly 45 miles later,

the soup is just the right temperatureAlong with a built-in refrigerator filledwith fresh fruit, etc., Doug lives likea king as he travels the highways . Hisclothes are neatly hung in custom builtcabinets in the sleeper , a sure sign ofa fastidious owner-operator. As Dougsays, Most people characterize a truckdriver in cowboy boots, a log chain

billfold, a Harley T-Shirt, going 2-3weeks without a bath and standing infront of a video game " And he adds,

Not all of us are like that." One niceimprovement on his Peterbilt truck isa Doug Kiel designed hydraulicallyoperated fifth wheel that can be movedforward and back to allow the truck toride better, depending on the load in

the trailer. This neat system work swhile the truck is underway or stationary.

Last November, Doug read an adabout a Stearman for sale in Wisconsin. Curious, he stopped in to seeChuck Andreas at Neenah , WI, whoseshop has produced some very notableaircraft including Stinson Trimotor ,NC I I 170 , often seen at Oshkosh hauling passengers and another Navy N2S3 Stearman, N1066N , owned by BillJohnson of Oak Brook , Illinois that ha s

garnered awards at Oshkosh for threeconsecutive years . Chuck was buildingup a 450 Stearman two-holer thatwould have everything Starting witha bare airframe (from Roy Reabe' sstable of airplanes in Waupun, WI) andadding untold hours of craftsmanshipand materials , the Stearman was takingshape and would be ready for delivery

2 DECEMBER 1989


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DICKHILL:STEARMAN INSTRUCW hen you are discarded by the airlines for being "too old," it's easy to startfeeling sorry for yourself and quit flying. However, some folks are just theopposite . They have more fun flying

than they ever did working for the airlinesSuch is the situation with Dick Hill

(EAA 56626, lC 629) of Harvard,J IIinois, affectionately known as Mr.Jeannie Hill, due to his lovely wifebeing an active pilot and a member ofthe Advisory Board ofEAA s AntiqueClassic Division. Dick began his airline career with North Central Airlines,which begat Republic Airlines, whichbegat Northwest Airlines, from whichDick retired after 3 years of airlinework. He was Captain on a Boeing 757at retirement with over 30,000 hoursin his logbook.

Back in the winter of 1944, DickHill made his solo flight in a J-3 Cubon skis at the Streator, Illinois airport.He was 6 years old . By 1945, he hadlogged some 30 hours and had joinedthe U.S. Marines , who promptly puthim to work as a Link Trainer Instructor and a control tower operator.

Following service duty, Dick flew

Stearman sprayers at Streator as wellas towed banners and earned his CFIrating, instructing in Stearmans andvarious other aircraft. This well-variedbackground led him into airline work,

A smiling InstructOr o the right, Dick Hili,with his new Steannan student, Doug K1e1

but most importantly, set the stage forlater years when instructors in Stearmans and aircraft of similar staturewould be sorely needed.

When Doug Kiel and Chuck Andreas contacted Dick about starting astudent from scratch in a 450 Stearman,

Dick was ready and willing. After all,he had nearly 40 years experience as aCFI and Stearmans were built likeairplanes are supposed to be builtwith two sets of wings and a couple


22/36

in the spring of '89. Naturally thechrome plated valve covers caughtDoug's eye along with the polishedstainless steel BT -13 "dishpan" just behind the engine. Of course, the streamlined headrest, all the way to the fin,and the professional covering job inStits Aerothane, registered on his fastworking brain. f he could talk Chuck

into a set of wheel pants for the big BT 3 wheels and brakes - perhaps, justmaybe, a deal could be struck

Our hero, Doug, had obviously beensmitten with Stearmanitis, a mostoften, incurable disease. After drooling for several weeks and talking hisfavorite banker into lending a hand(and a foot, arm, thigh and hip), Dougcalled Chuck and bought the Stearman- complete with custom wheelpants.Now he faced the job of learning to flyan airplane

In between trips, Doug managed totake five hours of dual instruction fromCFI Vic Ahlquist in a Piper Super Cubat Brennand's Airport near Neenah,during the month of December. Thiswas a start . Next, he enrolled in a classfor private pilot ground school to bringhimself up to speed for the written

exam. By May, Doug had passed theprivate written exam and the 450 Stearman was down to the finishing touchesand nearly ready to fly. Chuck Andreashad done himself proud with a brightred overall paint scheme using a blackand silver grey accent stripe. Chucklikes to call the color, "Ferrari Red".

Now the fun began. They had to find

an instructor who was current in 450Stearmans and had enough gumptionto start a neophyte who had never soloed an airplane A quick scan of available people soon narrowed the search.Chuck Andreas felt there was only oneperson who had sufficient intestinalfortitude (spelled G-U-T-S) for such atask - Dick Hill (EAA 56626, IC 629of Harvard, Illinois . Dick is a retiredairline pilot with way over 30,000hours of flight time, however, hestarted out as a spray pilot, which gavehim the feel for a big biplane at verylow altitudes . In addition, Dick hasbeen an active instructor for nearly 40years.

On June 4, 1989, Dick Hill crankedup the R-985 on Doug's Stearman andflew it from Neenah, Wisconsin to hishome strip at Harvard, Illinois. In short

order, Doug showed up and the lessonsbegan. Dick carefully taught him howto land on a short strip (1,200 feet) andhow to take off with enough compensation for the torque of the big 450growling away out front. Around andaround they went, filling in new bitsof information on each circuit. Dougproved to be a good student, absorbing

both knowledge of flight and the allimportant "feel" of a 450 Stearman.He was making progress. We mademany landings at different airports inthe area to sharpen his skills," saysDick . Perhaps the mechanical aptitudewas part of it. Perhaps the years ofwrestling a huge truck over the roadhelped. Or perhaps the yearning to flya Stearman from age nine was Doug'smotivation. In any event, he took tothe big biplane like a duck to water.On the morning of June 24th, Dougmade his first solo flight in StearmanN7034Y - his own 450 P W poweredmachine Nobody, but nobody, washappier than Doug Kiel and his instructor, Dick Hill

Besides flying the Stearman, Dickgave Doug some hours in a Tripacerfor cross-country training and radio

Cruising along at an easy 105 Doug and his passenger in the front cockpit, Joe Rohde, make a pretty scene against the patchworkquilt of a rural Wisconsin countryside.

22 DECEMBER 1989


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When you spend most of your time on the road, you h ve to love th e work. Both Doug nd his sidekick, "Chuck" enjoy being "on theroad," however, when the t rip is over, it's fun to go flying. Note spa re tire with ch lk marks on it Doug has never h d one stolen

navigation . This was in preparation forthe private flight exam which Dougflew to Peoria, Illinois to take on August 17th. He passed with flying colors(pun intended). Meanwhile, Dougfound a hangar for the Stearman complete with cement floor and bi-folddoor for $25 a month at the Oelwein,Iowa airport. The airport features anice grass runway plus a 4,000 foothard surface strip, just perfect for anew Stearman pilot. And to top it off,it s just a short flight from Doug sfather's farm, which has a grass landing strip on it. Doug s father flies aCessna 175 Skylark, which he has hadfor quite a number of years.

By the time September rolled aroundand Doug brought the Stearman toOshkosh for the photo session (wherethese pictures were taken), he had logged some 1 \0 hours on the beautifulbird and had nary a scratch to show onthe bottom of the wingtips (Every time

he would land, some of his so-calledfriends would run out and scrutinizethe underside of the wings , looking forscrapes.) I was privileged to fly thephoto plane (90 hp J-3 on floats) for

the air-to-air photos and I can honestlysay that Doug handled the Stearmanlike an old pro . He would tuck the bigred bird into position and hold itthroughout the filming seq uence . Thesound of the R-985, just 50 feet away,was much like a hibernating bear (anold one ) with its low-pitched rumble.When Jeff Isom , the EAA photographer, would signal for a move withhis hand , Doug would calmly adjusthis position and lock on to the newspot. In all the photo mi ss ions I havebeen on, I have never seen a 110 hourpilot with such a steady hand on thecontrols as Doug Kiel. Either he learnswell or Dick Hill did a masterful jobof teaching Doug how to fly a 450Stearman. Probably both.

Now the big question - Why did hedo it? "When you drive a big rig allweek, you don t look forward to dodging traffic on the weekends," saysDoug . He would much rather crank up

the Stearman and go flying among therich farm country, waving to the farmers as he flies past. One day he landedin a hayfield behind a truck stop nearMauston, Wisconsin to check on a

busines s trip to the West Coast. Whenhe returned to the airplane, a crowd ofsome 5 to 30 people had gathered tolook at the big red biplane Doug readily admit s it draws a crowd whereverhe goes. He ha s given any number ofrides to friends and neighbors and haseven taken hi s father for a ride. Hisdad enjoyed the flight, except whenDoug did some hammerhead stallsAfter the third one, enough wasenough

So far, Dou g has not taken his littleDachshund for a ride in the Stearman,however , he is lookin g for a body harness that would hold the little guy inthe cockpit Chuck s ears are so largethat Doug i s afraid they would flap inthe slipstream and beat the poor dogabout the head If, per chance, youshould see a big red 450 Stearman taxiup one day with a smiling pilot withbugs on his teeth in the rear cockpitand a funny looking pilot in the front

cockpit with a rather long , brown noseand a small helmet holding hi s earsdown, you wiIJ have the fun of meetingtwo of aviation's finest - Doug Kieland his sidekick, Chuck .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23


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The deHavilland Moth Club of England s~


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Strathallan Mu seum airstrip in Scotland .For 1989 , the Moth Club' s tireless

founder (ex-editor of Popular Flying,Stuart McKay) had arranged a combination of both events - running overthree days and including a new FamousGrouse Rally , again spo nso red byMatthew Gloag, and ending at WoburnAbbey for the traditional annual meeting.

Your correspondents, having been

"Moth less" at the time of the '79Grouse were determined not to missout this time, and completed and submitted their entry for the '89 gatheringas soon as details were publi shed.

Friday 18th August saw us touchingdown at the home of the ShuttleworthCollection at Old Warden in our faithful 'ZF to join the growing number ofde Havilland aeroplanes gatheringthere in preparation for the rally startthe following day. Regi stration ofcompeting crews and scrutineering ofthe aircraft took place throughout theday, and ensured that everything wasin place for the early start of the competition the following morning.

All competing crews were accommodated in the Stevenage Novotel,from whence travelling the short distance to Knebworth House for the eveof-rally dinner was easily accomplished. Said dinner, together withthe appropriate speeches, took a littlelonger than planned as the se occasions

are very apt to do.The rally briefingwhich followed thedinner thus didnot get underwayuntil somewhatafter midnightthe prospect ofthe first takeoff at09:00 local (to

gether with theresults of liberalapplications of theFamous Grouse itself) were alreadybeginning to makesome of the crewsa little queazy!

Mavis Parker with her Tiger Moth G BJZF proudly displaying thefamous rouse Rally em lem on the rudder.

Breakfast anddetail briefing got underway from asomewhat unearthly 06:30 on Saturdaymorning , and it is a tribute to thestrength of the human constitution thatthe first aircraft away, Brian Woodford ' sRapide G-ACZE piloted by Peter Harrison rolled across the Old Warden turfunder the power of her Gipsy Queensprecisely on the stroke of 09:00 .

The departure sequence was bydrawn position within the groups oflike machines in descending order ofspeed. Yours truly's, being the firstaway in the 52-strong Tiger Mothgroup, thus left the grid upon the dropof the starter's flag at 09 : 8 via Run-

The de avilland Moth lub of EnglandThe accompanying article was origi

nally written for publication in the housejournal of the UK Popular Flying Association. Some of the references maynot be familiar to non-UK readers, andthese brief notes will help clarify somepoints.

The UK based de Havilland MothClub was founded by Stuart McKay in1975 and now has some 2,000 members worldwide. The club holds regularflying events in the UK, the bestknown of which is the series of annualmeetings in the grounds of WoburnAbbey in Bedfordshire.

Woburn Abbey is the ancestralhome of the Dukes of Bedford , situated45 miles north of London, and must beone of the most beautiful settings for aflying event anywhere in the world.The house itself dates from the 17th

century and is surrounded by an extensive deer park with medieval forest andornamental lakes .

Old Warden is the home airfield of

26 DECEMBER 1989

the Shuttleworth Collection, and issome 5 miles northeast of Woburn .Hucknall airfield is between the townsof Nottingham and Derby, and is approximately 140 miles north of London. Hucknall was for many yearsflight test airfield for Rolls Royce, andis now operated by the appropriatelynamed Merlin Flying Club.

Duxford is famous as the location ofthe Imperial War Museum's aircraftcollection, and is an airfield originallycommissioned during World War I.During World War II Duxford was thebase of Douglas Bader's big wing" ofHurricane fighters with their crucialrole in the Battle of Britain in 1940 .

The "Famous Grouse" Moth Rallywas sponsored by Matthew Gloag andSon, the Perthshire, Scotland baseddistillers. Matthew Gloag and Son was

founded in 1800, and their "FamousGrouse" Scotch Whisky is well-knownthroughout the world.

way 22 and then onto the first leg of asouthwesterly heading .

At this point it is appropriate to ex

plain the natureof

the Rally itself. Theday's flying was divided into two maincompetitive stages. The first, via eightlegs, from Old Warden to Hucknall ,and the second, also with eight leg s,from Hucknall to the Imperial WarMuseum airfield at Duxford. Eachstage was timed and each leg was covered by a number of questions whichcould be correctly answered by observing ground features close to the tracksto be flown . The questions for the firststage were only handed to the crews asthey lined up for the takeoff, and tho sefor the second stage were availablearound half an hour before the afternoon departure.

Picture the scene then as your reporters climbed out on the first leg ofStage One, attempting to establish anaccurate heading and track , and unfoldthe four-page question sheet in the 60knot slipstream! As is usually the case,once the initial panic had subsided agrip was established on the problem

and a routine established. Most questions made sense and answers were recorded, although a couple at least werenot tied up to definite ground features.Two hours of bumpy flying and constand head swivelling made the appearance of Hucknall-on-the-nose a verywelcome sight - the eagerly awaitedcold drinks after landing barely touching the sides!

For the next hour and a half or soHucknall was a melee of arrivingMoths and various PF A types wingingin to the coincident strut Fly-in. Thelocal PFAers are to be complimentedon feeding and watering the resultanthordes so effecti vel y .


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On the stroke of 13:00 hrs . local thes pecial visitor" which had been mys

teriously listed on the day s programme materalised in the Hucknall circuit in the form of British Aerospace'spreserved DH98 Mosquito , whichgave a spirited and widely appreciateddisplay.

The lunch time respite was over alltoo soon and the crews were to be seenhunched over their maps flight planning Stage Two from the detail s whichwere released at 13:30 . Again, precisely at allotted time, on the dot of

4 :00, the Rapide rolled overHucknall's grass - the show was backon the road Whereas the morning'sdeparture had been at one-minute intervals, 30 second gaps now applied.'ZF's throttle thus went forward at

4 :07.00 and course set shortly afterwards to the east, the Fenlands, thence

Dux(ord and teaThe eight leg s of Stage 2, again ac

complished by numerous questionsseemed a little less taxing than themorning's efforts (probably a matter offamiliarity with the task) although theturbulence had worsened with someparticularly strong thermal bumps giving a ride somewhat similar to the bigdipper.

For some strange reason the skiesseemed to resemble the oft read accounts of World War I dogfightingfull of aeroplanes one minute andempty the next. This odd phenomenon

led u s to questionour track keeping- however theground and mapseemed to coincide at all timesso we judged allto be well.

The majority ofclues were againidentified andshortly after 15:30Duxford's broadacres hove intoview. FamousGrouse " hospital The Rally s largest entrant, Brian Woodford s imm cul te DH89Aity was soon well Dragon Rapide G ACZE.underway withcrews and invited guests taking a substantial tea in the warm afternoon sunshine. Entertainment (apart from thecontinuing arrivals in the fresh cross

wind ) was provided firstly by a flypast by four USAF A-lOs, then de HMoth Club's own Diamond Nine TigerMoth formation display team led byCharles Shea-Simmonss. To the basicDiamond formation had been added,for '89, a "feathered arrow" and aspectacular finale b reak" beforeflypast and stream landing. The teamreceived well deserved applause.

The final flight of the day - in deliciou s calm air and with nothing to doexcept admire the late summer countryside of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire roll by was across to R .A .F .

Henlow for the night-stop .Within a space of 45 minutes or so

the entire fleet of 70-plus aircraft weredown and neatly parked in front of

Henlow 's westerly hangar s, with thesmoke from the barbeque already drifting skywards.

After the rigours of the day, nothingcould have been more pleasant on aperfect warm summer evening than toenjoy the barbeque , a little liquid refreshment, the strains of a jazz bandand the firework display as darknes sfell.

Thoughts of a Sunday morning lie - inhad already been dispelled by the programme which announced another06 :3 0 start for breakfast and briefing,followed by a dash up the A I highway

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in two double-decker buses filled withassorted Mothists.

Henlow takeoffs commenced from09:00 and the task ahead included adirect flight to overhead Woburn followed by a short four-leg additionalnavigation exercise around Wing, Little Horwood , Milton Keynes, and backto Woburn for landing. The objectivewas to find some special ground markers and plot their positions on copiesof the appropriate O S map .

Apart from an initial marker on the

Woburn strip, your intrepid scribescould find nothing specific at all onany of the tracks flown (we were notalone in this deficiency).

The Woburn circuit by this time wasalive with aircraft and after three goarounds to avoid conflicting traffic wewere eventually safely on the groundand marshalled to our parking space .

The Woburn scene has to be experienced to be appreciated, but the combination of blue skies and cumulusclouds (a feature of the Summer of89), bright sunshine, rolling parkland

with sparkling lakes, the Woburnhouse itself and, of course, more than80 vintage aeroplanes caused a fewneckprickles in all but the most unsentimental of aviation buffs .

A splendid lunch was enjoyed, againcourtesy of that famous game-bird, andthe afternoon's flying entertainmentcommenced. This started with anotherexcellent show by the Diamond Niners, although they spectacularlyopened with another seven friends toprovide a memorable Diamond 16pass; (imagine if you will the rumbleof 16 Gipsy Majors - ah de Havilland, deH, deH , deH . )28 DECEMBER 1989

Two overseas entrants for the Rally DH60 Gypsy Moth VH AFN from the USA vi Hollandnd Tiger Moth F 8GCS from France

Moths g lore decor te the Woburn Parkland on a glorious Englishsummer Sunday


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Rally contestants assemble t Duxford t the end of the m in competitive stages The David Jackson and Len Jeffrie saerobatic co mpetition s followed withan over subscribed entry list this year.Standard s were very high .

Next on the agenda was a GipsyMoth race - the rule s for whichwere totally unclear - both to competitors and audience.

A deH Cavalcade followed with ase quential fly past by deH 60 Cirru sMoth, 6 G and 60M Gip sy Moths 80Pu ss Moth 82 Tiger Moth 83 FoxMoth 85 Leopard Moth 87 Hornet

Moth 89 Rapide and 90 Dragonflyfollowed by the metal DHC I Chipmunk DHC2 Beaver and the perfectlytimed non-landing DH 104 Dove .

The final event was a massparachute drop from five Tigers - allthe jumpers landing on or close to th emark - a commendable effort n thestiff southwesterly breez e by thenblowing .

The Woburn finale as ever s theprize-giving which was in the hand s ofStuart McKay, the Marque ss of Tavistock's so n Lord Howland andMatthew Gload himself of the said Famous Grouse distillers.

A little sadly at the end of threedays of great fun in the companionshipof friendly aviators we climbed 'ZFclear of Woburn and pointed her northwest for SyweJI.

Our thanks and those of the manymany Moth Club members and friendswho enjoyed three marvellous days goto Stuart and Miranda McKay for mak

ing t all happen and of course toMatthew GJoag and the Tavistock family of Woburn for their substantial contribution and ongoing support .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29


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WEL OME NEW MEMBERShe following is a partial listing o new members who have joined the EAA Antique /Classic Division (through May 3 1989 .

We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members common interest is vintage aircraft. Succeedingissues o THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listings o new members.

Paul M. JablonskiGreenwood, Indiana

Kenneth w JerolamanBernardsville, New Jersey

Cliff W. JohnstonHawkes Bay, New Zealand

F. Ben JonesKaty, Texas

Philip J KempPortland, Maine

George W. KennedyDecatur, Georgia

Harold J KillianAppleton, Wisconsin

Martin S. KiripolskyOrlando, Florida

Dennis H. KirkwoodFenton, Michigan

William S. KloepferFort Bidwell, California

Douglas J KnabHouston, Texas

Rodney P. KroenleinMoweaqua, Illinois

Robret F. LanghamMadison Height s, Michigan

J Rodney LawrenceFort Worth, Texas

Charles F. LewisMeridianville, Alabama

James LinkGreenville, North Carolina

James A LinnTuscon, Arizona30 DECEMBER 1989

John W. LinseFairbanks, Alaska

Robert G. LockhartChester, Illinoi s

C. F. McCall, JrFort Worth , Texas

Robert E. McKayIselin , New Jer sey

Leslie D. MeggersTarpon Springs, Florida

Glendon L. MerrittCumberland, Maryland

H. R. MetzlerPincher Creek, Alberta, Canada

Alfred E. MeyerPanacea, Florida

Herbert G. MillerRidgeley , We st Virginia

Billy K. MillsBay Minette, Alabama

Mark MinorChesapeake, Virginia

James E. MitchellSafford, Arizona

Andrew C. MoffatGrand Junction, Colorado

Francisco Corra l MonsalveValparaiso, Chile

Robin A MooreBrun swic k , Maine

Quentin W. MorganLehigh Acres, Florida

Gail S. NeedhamKnoxville, Tennessee

Carlene A NeeleyHuntsville, Alabama

Ferreira Pinto NetoSao Paulo , Brazil

Don NewquistWe st Des Moines, Iowa

Frank NovotnyGarfield Height s, Ohio

Leo NunninkSt. Marys, Georgia

Jeffery ObergLansing, Michigan

Martin OberkirchUlster Park , New York

Robert E. OsborneCoxs Creek , Kentucky

Allan B PaigeWeston, Ontario , Canada

Randall E. PattersonPalm Coast, Florida

Clyde T. PeerLa Habra, California

Robert F. PfaffJohns Island, South Carolina

David PlataGaithersburg, Maryland

Barbara P. PobukGardner, Mas sac husett s

Jack PollackScottsdale, Arizona

David W. PowersInverness, Florida

Jeffrey Lee PulverGreat Neck, New York


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MEMBERSHIPELCOME NEW MEMBERSINFORM TION

Gary R. PurcellEldersburg, Maryland

Charles A. QuitSouth Huntington , New York

Lindsay RaleyWinter Haven , Florida

Ron L. RandelAlbuquerque , New Mexico

Philip Edward RasmussenFond du Lac, Wisconsin

Horace L. Riggs,J r

Mulberry , Florida

Paul G. RitchieContoocook , New Hampshire

Raphael RoethleDenmark, Wiscon s in

Thomas RowlandCombermer , Ontario, Canad a

David M. SakersGoldsboro, Maryland

James K. SchaeferWest Palm Beach , Florida

Earl W. SchraerPevely , Missoui

William P. SelbyLittle Rock , Arkan sas

Robert C. Sellers

Penndel , Pennsylvania

Jack SingletaryAurora, Missouri

George T. Smith, Sr.Visalia, California

Ronald C. SmithSolon , Ohio

Peter StearsHigh Wycombe, Buckinghamshire ,England

Doug SteenBethesda , Maryland

Vernon B StewartMiami, Florida

Craig J StoneRenton, Washington

Bob L. StroupYuma , Arizona

Gary ThomasAPO , New York, New York

Gary D. ThomsonBeoley , W orcester shire, England

Ernest TidlundShutesbury, Massachusett s

Michael F. VaiseyHempstead , Herts , England

M. D. WaldingerRandolph, New Jer sey

Jeffrey C. WarrenTaylors, South Carolina

Charles E. WebbFort Worth , Texas

Elmer WeemerUrbana, Illinois

Dwight WeissGrass Valley, California

Jack R. WestBeggs, Oklahoma

Richard A WhiteVero Beach, Florida

John David WhitenerHickory , North Carolina

Jeffrey H. WhitesellDes Moines , Washington

Jonathan Fred WilliamsJacksonville, Alabama

David E. WireyFindlay , Illinois

Maurice A YarterSan Antonio, Texas

EAAMembership in the ExperimentalAircraft Association , Inc. is $30.00for one year , including 12 issues ofSport A viation. Junior Membership(under 19 years of age) is availableat $18 .00 annually. Family Membership is available for an additional$10 .00 annually.

ANTIQUE/CLASSICSEAA Member - $18 .00 . Includesone year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12 monthlyissues of The Vintage Airplane andmembership card . Applicant mustbe a current EAA member and mustgive EAA membership number .

Non-EAA Member - $28 .00 . Includes one year membership in theEAA Antique-Classic Division, 12monthly issues of The Vintage Air-plane , one year membership in theEAA and separate membershipcards . Sport Aviation not included .

lACMembership in the InternationalAerobatic Club, Inc. is $25 .00 annually which includes 12 issues ofSport Aerobatics. All lAC membersare required to be members of EAA.

WARBIRDSMembership in the Warbirds ofAmer ica , Inc. is $25.00 per year ,which inc ludes a subscription toWarbirds. Warbird members arerequired to be members of EAA

EAA EXPERIMENTEREAA membership and EAA EXPERIMENTER magazine is available for$28 .00 per year (Sport Aviation notincluded) . Current EAA membersmay receive EAA EXPERIMENTERfor $18 .00 per year .

FOREIGNMEMBERSHIPS

Please submit your remittance witha check or draft drawn on a UnitedStates bank payable in UnitedStates dollars .

Make checks payable to EAA or thedivision in which membership isdesired. Address all letters to EAAor the particular division at the fol-lowing address:

EAA AVIATION CENTEROSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086PHONE 414) 426-4800

OFFICE HOURS:8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31


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A N INVITATIONTO PARTICIPATE WITH

T H E S A N TA MONICA

M U S E U M OF F L VING

IN

T H E WORLD'S LARGEST

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call John Hanley

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Facsimile No. 213-452-1933

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...5 per word , 5.00 minimum charge. Send your ad to

The Vintage Trader , EAA Aviation CenterOshkosh , WI 54903-2591.

AIRCRAFT:Replica 213 scale Jenny - 2 place , 4130. Outperforms the original. Inexpensive and fast to build

flown to Oshkosh twice. Plans - $75 .00 , video$25 .00 , info - $1.00 . Wiley , P.O . Box 6366 ,Longmont, CO 80502 . (12-3)

Rearwin - 1940 Skyranger. Good original condition, ferryable but needs annual. $6,500 OBO , 319/679-2324. (12-2)

(2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 .Package includes extra engine and spares . Fuselage, wing spars and extra props . Museum quality!$30 ,000 firm! No tire kickers, collect calls or penpals , please! E .E. "Buck " ~ e r t P .O. Box 424 ,Union , IL 60180-0424 .

MISCELLANEOUS:Super Cub PA18 fuselages repaired or rebuilt- in precision master fixtures. All makes of tubeassemblies or fuselages repaired or fabricatednew. J . E. Soares Inc ., 7093 Dry Creek Road , Belgrade , Montana 59714, 406 /388-6069 , Repair Station 065-21 . (C/12-89)

1910-1950 Original aviation items for sale - instruments, wood propellers , helmets , goggles ,manuals, 44-page catalog airmailed, $5.00. Jon Aldrich , Box 706, Airport, Groveland , CA 95321 , 209 /962-6121 . (c-2190)

Will Share my treasure of aircraft parts! - 24year collection with continuous addit ions . . andstill buying for all types 1 aircraft . Tell me whatyou need! Air Salvage of Arkansas , Rt. 1, Box8020 , Mena , Arkansas 71953 , phone 501 /3941022 any1ime. (c-3 /90)

Monocoupe, Rearwin , Culver - Gee Bee 's , Hall ,Chester, etc . Catalog /News - $3 .00 . Refundable."Meticulous model PLANS " by Vern Clements , 308Palo Alto, Caldwell , 1083605 . (12-3)

JN4-D Memorabilia - "Jenny Mail" collectorcachets, actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh ,along with T-shirts, pins , posters , etc . Send SASEfor catalog/pricing. Virginia Aviation Co ., R.D. 5,Box 294 , Warrenton , VA 22186 . (c-5/90)

Gipsy Major Tiger Moth - parts, aircraft and airboat builders supplies . Pusher propellers, informational brochure, $5.40 postpaid. Provairco, HoneyHarbour , Ontario, Canada POE 1EO, 7051756 -

2664. (1 /1-90)

PLANS:POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol- unlimitedin low-cost pleasure flying . Big, roomy cockpit forthe over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard tobeat 3 V gph at cruise setting . 15 large instructionsheets . Plans - $60.00 . Info Pack - $5.00 . Sendcheck or money order to : ACRO SPORT, INC .,Box 462 , Hales Corners , WI 53130. 414 / 529 2609 .

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable ofunlimited aerobatics . 23 sheets of clear , easy tofollow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings, photos and exploded views . Complete partsand materials list. Full size wing drawings . Plansplus 139 page Builder 'S Manua l - $60.00 . InfoPack - $5 .00. Super Aero Sport Wing Drawing $15 .00 . The Technique of Aircraft Building$12.00 plus $2.50 postage . Send check or moneyorder to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, HalesCorners , WI 53130. 414 / 529 2609 .

32 DECEMBER 1989


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34/36

KEEPYOUR PROP

SHININGwith a

prop coverKeep your propeller freefrom fingerprints , dust, andcondensation as your planesits in your hangar withbeaut iful sleeves printed withHam ilton Standard logo .81/2 x 48 . Send $37 .50 toKCP Enterprises.

ENTERPRISES7533 JULER AVEC INCINNATI, OHIO45243

ly high with aquality Classic interiorComplete interior assemblies for do- ityour s elf nstallat ion .

Custom quality at economical prices. Cushion upholstery sets

Wall panel sets Headliners

Carpet sets Baggage compartm ent sets

Firewall covers Seat slings

Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line .

Fabric Selection Guide showing a ctual sample colors andstyles of materials : $3 .00 .

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TANK PAINIINb AND REPAIIING

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by George Hard ie Jr.

n the long history of airplane design, many neat little biplanes have appeared . This one was considered byboth th e military and civilian markets

but was passed over. The photois

fromthe EAA archives, date and locationnot given. Answers will be publishedin the March 1990 issue of VINTAGEAIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue isJanuary 1 , 1990.

Jack McRae of Huntington Station ,New York had the answer to the Mystery Plane for September, 1989. Hewrites:

The September Mystery Plane isthe Mercury S-I White Racer, registration X-13223, designed by HarveyMummert in 1931 and built by Mercury Aicraft, Inc . in Hammondsport,New York.

It was powered by a superchargedCirrus engine of 110 hp and was flownby Mummert in the 1932 Chicago AirRaces and in numerous local air showsin the 1930s . The airplane was unusualfor its all-steel-tube geodetic construction and fully retractable landing gear.

In about 1956 it was sold to GeorgeTatich of Endicott, New York who re

coveredit

and installed a Cessna landing gear. It was cracked up as the resultof a ground loop , and a few years later

showed up in Mt. Clemens , Michigan.Recently it has been reported that itwill be returned to Hammondsport tobe on exhibit in the Glenn CUI1iss

Museum there.-'Chairman of the Board of MercuryAircraft, J.F. Meade, Jr. writes:

'The September Mystery Plane isthe Mercury S-\ built and owned byMercury Aircraft in the 1934-1935 era.The plane was designed and flown byHarvey Mummert in races at Chicago ,Detroit and Cleveland. The plane hasrecently been returned to Ham

mondsport from Detroit, is in mintcondition and will be on exhibit at theGlenn H. Curtiss Aircraft Museum inHammondsport starting next spring.We sold this plane in 1949 and, ofcourse, are very pleased to have it returned after almost 40 years. The enclosed photo was taken in September1989. Other answers were receivedfrom Charley Hayes,Park Forest , IL ;W. E. Doherty, Director, Glenn Curtiss Museum, Hammondsport; Ed

Tice, Bedford, TX; Emil Strasser,Hawthorne, CA; and Herbert deBruyn ,Bellevue, WA .

Mercury 5 1

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35


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vintage airplane - dec 1989

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