(Photo by Ted Koston)

THE PRESIDENTS

PAGE

By E E Buck Hilbert President Antique-Classic Division

Great News The Door Is Opened

At the last EAA Board of Directors meeting the decision was made to allow membership in the Antique-Classic Division without mandatory EAA membership Now how about that This will open the door for the guy who cant really shell out that extra money and itll also ease the mind of a few people who feel that the mandatory membership is against their prinshyciples

This move the deletion of mandatory EAA membership was for our benefit to give greater freedom to the Division and give a lot more guys the opportunity to participate This will break down some walls for sure and allow for people to participate without the feeling of taint In talking to people over the past couple of years I was often beleaguered for a reason why the prospective member had to join EAA in order to join the Division The resultant attempt to explain all that EAA is and is doing was more than some could understand I see the opportunity now for one to join the Division and then take time to learn more about EAA and then make up his mind as to whether or not he wants to join

I had mixed emotions about this because in my everyday dealings with EAA Headquarters I see how important EAA is to the survival of sport aviation as we know it today I see the rapport that has been built up over the years with other organizations both private and federal I see the effort to sell aviation softly or hard as the occasion demands the meetshyings at Headquarters to enable all interested parties to discuss and discourse their mutual problems and work out equitable solutions Putting together all these things that EAA is doing everyday for you and for me for aviation makes me feel like I HAVE to belong and so I do and I will and I know the majority of you will too

HOW TO JOIN THE ANTIQUE-CLASSIC DIVISION

Membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division is open to all EAA members who have a special interest in the older aircraft tJtat are a proud part of our aviation heritage Membership in the AntiqueshyClassic Division is $1000 per year which entitles one to 12 issues of The Vintage Airplane published monthly at EAA Headquarters Each member will also receive a special Antique-Classic membership card plus one additional card for ones spouse or other designated family member

Membership in EAA is $1500 per year which includes 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION All memshybership correspondence should be addressed to EAA Box 229 Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130

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Photo by Ted Koston

VOLUME 3 - NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 1975

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cantilever Cessnas Gar Williams 4 Four And A Half Days In A 50 HP Cub Robert G Elliott 10 Reminiscing With Big Nick Nick Rezich 15 Antique Treasure Hunting J R Nielander 20 Around the Antique-Classic World 22

ON THE COVER - Willy Benedicts Monocoupe BACK COVER - Wedell-Williams racer Photo by Ted Koston Photo by Lee Fray

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher - Paul H Poberezny Editor - Jack Cox Assistant Ed itor - Gene Chase Assistant Ed itor - Golda Cox

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS

PRESIDENT - VICE PRESIDENT E E HILBERT J R NIELANDER JR 8102 LE ECH RD P O B OX 24 64 UNIO N ILLIN OIS 60 180 FT LAUD ER DAL E FLA

SECRETARY TREASURER RI C HARD WAGNER GAR W WILLIAMS JR BO X 181 9 S 135 AERO DR RT 1 LYONS WIS 53 148 NAPERVILLE ILL 60540

DIRECTORS

EVANDER BRITT JIM HORNE MORTON LESTER KELLY VIETS P O Box 458 3850 Coronation Rd P O Box 3747 RR 1 Box 151 Lumberton N C 28358 Eagan Minn 55122 Martinsville Va 24112 Stilwell Kansas 66085

CLAUDE L GRAY JR AL KELCH GEORGE STUBBS JACK WINTHROP 9635 Sylvia Ave 7018 W Bonniwell Rd RR 18 Box 127 3536 Whitehall Dr Northridge Calif 91324 Mequon Wisc 53092 Indianapolis Ind 46234 Dallas Texas 75229

DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DOR OTHY CHAS E EAA HEADO UART E RS

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft Inc and is published monthly at Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130 Second Class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake Post Office Random Lake Wisconsin 53075 Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft Inc are $1000 per 12 month period of whi ch $700 is for the subscription to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation

Postmaster Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft Inc Box 229 Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130

Copyright copy 1975 Antique Classic Aircraft Inc All Rights Reserved

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CANTILEVER CESSNAS

By Gar Williams 9 S 135 Aero Dr Rt 1

Naperville Illinois 60540

Clyde Cessna winds up the inertia starter on his first middot Cantilever airplane

4

THE MODEL I A a 225 Wright J-5 With the addition of a closed cockshy

Engineering progress - its amazing how many adshyvances have been made with light aircraft in the past fifty years Take Cessna as an example - their sleek new Skyhawks whizz along at some 130 miles per hour carryshying four people in plastic comfort on some 150 Williamsshyport horses Yesterday - many yesterdays ago - the company was producing their Model A which zipped through the air with four people - howbeit somewhat chummy - at 110 on 110 Do I remember right - wasnt that early version of the Skyhawk (the straight tailed 172) about a 110 mph airplane on 145 Muskegon horses Sure you say - but there have been advances Just look at that beautiful training wheel up front - helps so much in snow and mud And all metal - strong and enduring - but why the struts Electronics - even the student can navigate from Fort Worth to Dallas proshyviding the fuse holds Yes sir - since 1928 weve come a long way - tailwheels - round engines - cantilever wings - pilotage - just memories to most - unknown to many

One must spin back through years of yesterdays to get to the Cessna Model A Late in 1927 Clyde Cessna figured he could do as well as any Dutchman and build a wing without struts Clydes analogy was to compare his wing to the Creators tree limb - You dont see struts or wires on that His first cantilever monoplane carried a favorite name - the Comet Many years earlier another monoplane - with wires - was designed built and named by Clyde - the Comet of 1917 His new Comet carried four with impressive performance Impressive enough to interest investors in forming a company to build more copies of this 120 horsepower Anzani speedster Always the experimenter while the new factory was being built Clyde continued work on a second design similar to the Comet powered with

pit this racing version would run along at nearly 150 mph Further refinements to the second prototype added windows in the cabin The Wright was replaced with an Anzani 120 hp engine - the configuration now was that which went into production

Early in 1928 Cessna began in earnest to get the new A in production His major effort was to have the Deshypartment of Commerce certify the airplane for comshymercial production While a detailed stress analysis was being made Clyde began building and selling the ship with the certificates pending The first certificate Number 65 was issued after considerable delay for the Anzani powered ModelAA Several weeks later Type Certificate Number 72 was issued on September 7 1928 to the Warner variant - the Model AW At that time those built with the type certificate pending were made available for modifications to allow compliance with the regulations This then removed operation restrictions

The most popular version of the A was the 110 Warner powered version Production began in August 1928 and ran through 1929 with April of 29 peaking at a reported rate of 18 per month This didnt hold for long for the A W was phased out in favor of the new larger DC-6 series and subsequent Chief and Scout versions A total of 48 of the A W s were built between 1928 and 1930 Other versions of the A included the previously menshytioned Anzani AA the Siemens-Halske 125 hp AS the 130 hp Comet AC and the 150 Axelson powered AF Production counts on these totaled 14 AAs 3 ASs 1 AC and 3 AFs

An in teresting varian t of the A model was type certificated on December 16 1928 as the BW The BW was intended to be a beefy version of the A series with the beef coming from the installation of a 220 hp Wright J-5 Problems in certifying the ship arose due to an intended higher gross weight The CAA wouldnt

(From Cessna Guidebook) The first cantilever Cessna - simply designated Cessna DeSign No 1 It was completed on August 10 1927 Power is a 90 hp Anzani Thats Clyde Cessna in the cockpit

5

(Photo by Jack Cox) West Wind III A Cessna AW owned by Skeeter Carlson of Spokane Washington

buy the gross weight increase without a complete recalculation of the stress analysis Unwilling to do this Cessna decided to remove one of the front seats Twelve copies of the three place BW were built

Construction of Clydes cantilever monoplane embodied no materials or features unknown to the industry at that time The wing was the impressive part of the structure in size as well as design detail The heart of the wing was a fairly simple box spar very much like the Dutchmans Fokker D-VII which was produced to clear the skies of Nieuports eleven years earlier The ribs were built up of plywood with spruce diagonals and cap strips The leading edge was completely covered with plywood to produce the D tube structure so effectively used on many airplanes built since then The airfoil of the 40 foot span wing was a modified M-12 No dihedral was used and the wing was bolted directly to the top of the fuselage with zero incidence The fuselage was built up of welded steel tubing and used a very minimum of stringers to shape the sides The gear was simple and included a shock cord mechanism which was carefully recessed into the belly With a tread of over seven feet and large wheels it must have been a gentle ship on the ground

PERFORMANCE Powerplant 110 Warner Maximum Speed 130 mph Cruising Speed 110 mph Landing Speed 42 mph Cruising Range 650 miles

THE DC-6

Talk to a modern Cessna dealer and casually ask the gentleman if he could possibly find a parts book for the Cessna DC-6 you are restoring Often that gentleman will turn to you and politely (possibly) tell you to go see Douglas 6

Or speak to an Antiquer about the Chief in your hangar and hell immediately think Aeronca Considering the popshyularity of Cessna its somewhat amazing to find how little is known of the ancestory of the current tin whizzes

The DC-6 series was derived from the popular Model A and an almost one of a kind six place Model CW-6 While the AW production was going strong during 1928 Clyde Cessnas interest turned to a larger more comfortshyable design and the result rolled out on November 1 1928 as the six place Model CW-6 The white and red cantilever monoplane was powered by a 225 Wright J-5 This 43 6 span ship had a rather colorful career After being displayed at the 1929 automobile show in Detroit the ship was confiscated by the Mexican Government while on a demonstration tour through Mexico Although eventually paid for the airplane Cessnas CW-6 prototype was gone forever An interesting sidelight was that the ship was reportedly converted to a bomber by the Mexishycan Air Force and helped crush the Revolution From this design emerged the first production DC-6 a 170 hp Curtiss Challenger powered four place monoplane The DC-6 received Type Certificate Number 207 on August 19 1929

An interesting development of the CW-6 airframe evolved in 1929 as the CPW-6 In May of 1929 Cessna built a two place endurance racer for the winner of the San Francisco to Honolulu Dole Air Derby - Art Goebel The Goebel Special utilized a CW-6 airframe and a 420 horsepower Pratt amp Whitney Wasp This impressive cantilever monoplane spanned 43 4 was slightly over 30 feet long and grossed at 4250 pounds with over 600 gallons of fuel in the modified CW-6 fuselage The fuseshylage had been rounded out to streamline the fully cowled PampW and enclose the monstrous fuel tanks The one race that Art Goebel entered the ship in - a cross country race between San Francisco and New York shywas aborted due to leaky tanks The airplane was subshysequently returned to Cessna and converted back to the second CW-6 only to be destroyed a short time later in

The DC-6A Chief powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975 This was a big hoss of an airplane and was impressed into military service in WW I as the UC-77

a hangar fire Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more

horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000 pound airplane so two additional models were developed The DC-6A Chief received Type Certificate Number 243 on September 30 1929 The Chief had a 300 horsepower J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds The Scout an 80 pound lighter version was labeled the DC-6B and had a J-6-7 Wright up front It was identical to the Chief except for the engine installation and received its type certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day

Behind Cessnas interest in turning out these new four place ships was a contractual agreement with Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929 Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per month Since their current production was under five aircraft per month the offer and accompanying picture painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive to the Cessna Board of Directors Their enthusiasm resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80 acre site which is the current location of the Cessna Commercial Aircraft Division The new factory began building the DC-6As and DC-6Bs in earnest during the summer of 1929 We all know what was forthcoming late in October of that year - after building 32 of the series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Flying Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt

The following year (1930) saw production down to a meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series Although records show that some were made as late as 1935 the new facshytory was in fact practically through with building aircraft for a few years Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not build any aircraft

PERFORMANCE No Built Engine

DC-6 5 Curtiss Challenger DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright

Gross Cruise Top Speed 2988 105 mph 130 mph 3180 130 mph 155 mph 3100 120 mph 145 mph

ELDONS BABIES

During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and selling the popular Cessna AWs and the DC-6 series and Scouts his son Eldon had thoughts centering on what is now considered the ultra light market As the Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h the problems associated with the market crash in 1929 Eldon was at work designing and building his first light cantilever Cessna the FC-I

The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered hig h wing cabin monoplane The one of a kind Cessna carried two side by side and apparently did very well for the power As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in 1930 there was not much of a market for any powered airplane Cessna kept bread on the table that year by building fifty-four of their primary gliders the CG-2

Eldons next attempt at an ultra light was a conshyversion of one of those primary training gliders to a powered single place aircraft Rea lly more than a convershysion the new ship - unlabeled - sported a fully cantishylever wing stubby landing gear and a roaring 25 horseshypowe r Cleone for power This ship was also built in

7

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

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BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

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bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

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12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

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From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

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The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

Photo by Ted Koston

VOLUME 3 - NUMBER 2 FEBRUARY 1975

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cantilever Cessnas Gar Williams 4 Four And A Half Days In A 50 HP Cub Robert G Elliott 10 Reminiscing With Big Nick Nick Rezich 15 Antique Treasure Hunting J R Nielander 20 Around the Antique-Classic World 22

ON THE COVER - Willy Benedicts Monocoupe BACK COVER - Wedell-Williams racer Photo by Ted Koston Photo by Lee Fray

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher - Paul H Poberezny Editor - Jack Cox Assistant Ed itor - Gene Chase Assistant Ed itor - Golda Cox

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS

PRESIDENT - VICE PRESIDENT E E HILBERT J R NIELANDER JR 8102 LE ECH RD P O B OX 24 64 UNIO N ILLIN OIS 60 180 FT LAUD ER DAL E FLA

SECRETARY TREASURER RI C HARD WAGNER GAR W WILLIAMS JR BO X 181 9 S 135 AERO DR RT 1 LYONS WIS 53 148 NAPERVILLE ILL 60540

DIRECTORS

EVANDER BRITT JIM HORNE MORTON LESTER KELLY VIETS P O Box 458 3850 Coronation Rd P O Box 3747 RR 1 Box 151 Lumberton N C 28358 Eagan Minn 55122 Martinsville Va 24112 Stilwell Kansas 66085

CLAUDE L GRAY JR AL KELCH GEORGE STUBBS JACK WINTHROP 9635 Sylvia Ave 7018 W Bonniwell Rd RR 18 Box 127 3536 Whitehall Dr Northridge Calif 91324 Mequon Wisc 53092 Indianapolis Ind 46234 Dallas Texas 75229

DIVISION EXECUTIVE SECRETARY DOR OTHY CHAS E EAA HEADO UART E RS

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft Inc and is published monthly at Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130 Second Class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake Post Office Random Lake Wisconsin 53075 Membership rates for Antique Classic Aircraft Inc are $1000 per 12 month period of whi ch $700 is for the subscription to THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation

Postmaster Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft Inc Box 229 Hales Corners Wisconsin 53130

Copyright copy 1975 Antique Classic Aircraft Inc All Rights Reserved

3

CANTILEVER CESSNAS

By Gar Williams 9 S 135 Aero Dr Rt 1

Naperville Illinois 60540

Clyde Cessna winds up the inertia starter on his first middot Cantilever airplane

4

THE MODEL I A a 225 Wright J-5 With the addition of a closed cockshy

Engineering progress - its amazing how many adshyvances have been made with light aircraft in the past fifty years Take Cessna as an example - their sleek new Skyhawks whizz along at some 130 miles per hour carryshying four people in plastic comfort on some 150 Williamsshyport horses Yesterday - many yesterdays ago - the company was producing their Model A which zipped through the air with four people - howbeit somewhat chummy - at 110 on 110 Do I remember right - wasnt that early version of the Skyhawk (the straight tailed 172) about a 110 mph airplane on 145 Muskegon horses Sure you say - but there have been advances Just look at that beautiful training wheel up front - helps so much in snow and mud And all metal - strong and enduring - but why the struts Electronics - even the student can navigate from Fort Worth to Dallas proshyviding the fuse holds Yes sir - since 1928 weve come a long way - tailwheels - round engines - cantilever wings - pilotage - just memories to most - unknown to many

One must spin back through years of yesterdays to get to the Cessna Model A Late in 1927 Clyde Cessna figured he could do as well as any Dutchman and build a wing without struts Clydes analogy was to compare his wing to the Creators tree limb - You dont see struts or wires on that His first cantilever monoplane carried a favorite name - the Comet Many years earlier another monoplane - with wires - was designed built and named by Clyde - the Comet of 1917 His new Comet carried four with impressive performance Impressive enough to interest investors in forming a company to build more copies of this 120 horsepower Anzani speedster Always the experimenter while the new factory was being built Clyde continued work on a second design similar to the Comet powered with

pit this racing version would run along at nearly 150 mph Further refinements to the second prototype added windows in the cabin The Wright was replaced with an Anzani 120 hp engine - the configuration now was that which went into production

Early in 1928 Cessna began in earnest to get the new A in production His major effort was to have the Deshypartment of Commerce certify the airplane for comshymercial production While a detailed stress analysis was being made Clyde began building and selling the ship with the certificates pending The first certificate Number 65 was issued after considerable delay for the Anzani powered ModelAA Several weeks later Type Certificate Number 72 was issued on September 7 1928 to the Warner variant - the Model AW At that time those built with the type certificate pending were made available for modifications to allow compliance with the regulations This then removed operation restrictions

The most popular version of the A was the 110 Warner powered version Production began in August 1928 and ran through 1929 with April of 29 peaking at a reported rate of 18 per month This didnt hold for long for the A W was phased out in favor of the new larger DC-6 series and subsequent Chief and Scout versions A total of 48 of the A W s were built between 1928 and 1930 Other versions of the A included the previously menshytioned Anzani AA the Siemens-Halske 125 hp AS the 130 hp Comet AC and the 150 Axelson powered AF Production counts on these totaled 14 AAs 3 ASs 1 AC and 3 AFs

An in teresting varian t of the A model was type certificated on December 16 1928 as the BW The BW was intended to be a beefy version of the A series with the beef coming from the installation of a 220 hp Wright J-5 Problems in certifying the ship arose due to an intended higher gross weight The CAA wouldnt

(From Cessna Guidebook) The first cantilever Cessna - simply designated Cessna DeSign No 1 It was completed on August 10 1927 Power is a 90 hp Anzani Thats Clyde Cessna in the cockpit

5

(Photo by Jack Cox) West Wind III A Cessna AW owned by Skeeter Carlson of Spokane Washington

buy the gross weight increase without a complete recalculation of the stress analysis Unwilling to do this Cessna decided to remove one of the front seats Twelve copies of the three place BW were built

Construction of Clydes cantilever monoplane embodied no materials or features unknown to the industry at that time The wing was the impressive part of the structure in size as well as design detail The heart of the wing was a fairly simple box spar very much like the Dutchmans Fokker D-VII which was produced to clear the skies of Nieuports eleven years earlier The ribs were built up of plywood with spruce diagonals and cap strips The leading edge was completely covered with plywood to produce the D tube structure so effectively used on many airplanes built since then The airfoil of the 40 foot span wing was a modified M-12 No dihedral was used and the wing was bolted directly to the top of the fuselage with zero incidence The fuselage was built up of welded steel tubing and used a very minimum of stringers to shape the sides The gear was simple and included a shock cord mechanism which was carefully recessed into the belly With a tread of over seven feet and large wheels it must have been a gentle ship on the ground

PERFORMANCE Powerplant 110 Warner Maximum Speed 130 mph Cruising Speed 110 mph Landing Speed 42 mph Cruising Range 650 miles

THE DC-6

Talk to a modern Cessna dealer and casually ask the gentleman if he could possibly find a parts book for the Cessna DC-6 you are restoring Often that gentleman will turn to you and politely (possibly) tell you to go see Douglas 6

Or speak to an Antiquer about the Chief in your hangar and hell immediately think Aeronca Considering the popshyularity of Cessna its somewhat amazing to find how little is known of the ancestory of the current tin whizzes

The DC-6 series was derived from the popular Model A and an almost one of a kind six place Model CW-6 While the AW production was going strong during 1928 Clyde Cessnas interest turned to a larger more comfortshyable design and the result rolled out on November 1 1928 as the six place Model CW-6 The white and red cantilever monoplane was powered by a 225 Wright J-5 This 43 6 span ship had a rather colorful career After being displayed at the 1929 automobile show in Detroit the ship was confiscated by the Mexican Government while on a demonstration tour through Mexico Although eventually paid for the airplane Cessnas CW-6 prototype was gone forever An interesting sidelight was that the ship was reportedly converted to a bomber by the Mexishycan Air Force and helped crush the Revolution From this design emerged the first production DC-6 a 170 hp Curtiss Challenger powered four place monoplane The DC-6 received Type Certificate Number 207 on August 19 1929

An interesting development of the CW-6 airframe evolved in 1929 as the CPW-6 In May of 1929 Cessna built a two place endurance racer for the winner of the San Francisco to Honolulu Dole Air Derby - Art Goebel The Goebel Special utilized a CW-6 airframe and a 420 horsepower Pratt amp Whitney Wasp This impressive cantilever monoplane spanned 43 4 was slightly over 30 feet long and grossed at 4250 pounds with over 600 gallons of fuel in the modified CW-6 fuselage The fuseshylage had been rounded out to streamline the fully cowled PampW and enclose the monstrous fuel tanks The one race that Art Goebel entered the ship in - a cross country race between San Francisco and New York shywas aborted due to leaky tanks The airplane was subshysequently returned to Cessna and converted back to the second CW-6 only to be destroyed a short time later in

The DC-6A Chief powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975 This was a big hoss of an airplane and was impressed into military service in WW I as the UC-77

a hangar fire Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more

horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000 pound airplane so two additional models were developed The DC-6A Chief received Type Certificate Number 243 on September 30 1929 The Chief had a 300 horsepower J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds The Scout an 80 pound lighter version was labeled the DC-6B and had a J-6-7 Wright up front It was identical to the Chief except for the engine installation and received its type certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day

Behind Cessnas interest in turning out these new four place ships was a contractual agreement with Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929 Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per month Since their current production was under five aircraft per month the offer and accompanying picture painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive to the Cessna Board of Directors Their enthusiasm resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80 acre site which is the current location of the Cessna Commercial Aircraft Division The new factory began building the DC-6As and DC-6Bs in earnest during the summer of 1929 We all know what was forthcoming late in October of that year - after building 32 of the series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Flying Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt

The following year (1930) saw production down to a meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series Although records show that some were made as late as 1935 the new facshytory was in fact practically through with building aircraft for a few years Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not build any aircraft

PERFORMANCE No Built Engine

DC-6 5 Curtiss Challenger DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright

Gross Cruise Top Speed 2988 105 mph 130 mph 3180 130 mph 155 mph 3100 120 mph 145 mph

ELDONS BABIES

During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and selling the popular Cessna AWs and the DC-6 series and Scouts his son Eldon had thoughts centering on what is now considered the ultra light market As the Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h the problems associated with the market crash in 1929 Eldon was at work designing and building his first light cantilever Cessna the FC-I

The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered hig h wing cabin monoplane The one of a kind Cessna carried two side by side and apparently did very well for the power As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in 1930 there was not much of a market for any powered airplane Cessna kept bread on the table that year by building fifty-four of their primary gliders the CG-2

Eldons next attempt at an ultra light was a conshyversion of one of those primary training gliders to a powered single place aircraft Rea lly more than a convershysion the new ship - unlabeled - sported a fully cantishylever wing stubby landing gear and a roaring 25 horseshypowe r Cleone for power This ship was also built in

7

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

8

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

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(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

CANTILEVER CESSNAS

By Gar Williams 9 S 135 Aero Dr Rt 1

Naperville Illinois 60540

Clyde Cessna winds up the inertia starter on his first middot Cantilever airplane

4

THE MODEL I A a 225 Wright J-5 With the addition of a closed cockshy

Engineering progress - its amazing how many adshyvances have been made with light aircraft in the past fifty years Take Cessna as an example - their sleek new Skyhawks whizz along at some 130 miles per hour carryshying four people in plastic comfort on some 150 Williamsshyport horses Yesterday - many yesterdays ago - the company was producing their Model A which zipped through the air with four people - howbeit somewhat chummy - at 110 on 110 Do I remember right - wasnt that early version of the Skyhawk (the straight tailed 172) about a 110 mph airplane on 145 Muskegon horses Sure you say - but there have been advances Just look at that beautiful training wheel up front - helps so much in snow and mud And all metal - strong and enduring - but why the struts Electronics - even the student can navigate from Fort Worth to Dallas proshyviding the fuse holds Yes sir - since 1928 weve come a long way - tailwheels - round engines - cantilever wings - pilotage - just memories to most - unknown to many

One must spin back through years of yesterdays to get to the Cessna Model A Late in 1927 Clyde Cessna figured he could do as well as any Dutchman and build a wing without struts Clydes analogy was to compare his wing to the Creators tree limb - You dont see struts or wires on that His first cantilever monoplane carried a favorite name - the Comet Many years earlier another monoplane - with wires - was designed built and named by Clyde - the Comet of 1917 His new Comet carried four with impressive performance Impressive enough to interest investors in forming a company to build more copies of this 120 horsepower Anzani speedster Always the experimenter while the new factory was being built Clyde continued work on a second design similar to the Comet powered with

pit this racing version would run along at nearly 150 mph Further refinements to the second prototype added windows in the cabin The Wright was replaced with an Anzani 120 hp engine - the configuration now was that which went into production

Early in 1928 Cessna began in earnest to get the new A in production His major effort was to have the Deshypartment of Commerce certify the airplane for comshymercial production While a detailed stress analysis was being made Clyde began building and selling the ship with the certificates pending The first certificate Number 65 was issued after considerable delay for the Anzani powered ModelAA Several weeks later Type Certificate Number 72 was issued on September 7 1928 to the Warner variant - the Model AW At that time those built with the type certificate pending were made available for modifications to allow compliance with the regulations This then removed operation restrictions

The most popular version of the A was the 110 Warner powered version Production began in August 1928 and ran through 1929 with April of 29 peaking at a reported rate of 18 per month This didnt hold for long for the A W was phased out in favor of the new larger DC-6 series and subsequent Chief and Scout versions A total of 48 of the A W s were built between 1928 and 1930 Other versions of the A included the previously menshytioned Anzani AA the Siemens-Halske 125 hp AS the 130 hp Comet AC and the 150 Axelson powered AF Production counts on these totaled 14 AAs 3 ASs 1 AC and 3 AFs

An in teresting varian t of the A model was type certificated on December 16 1928 as the BW The BW was intended to be a beefy version of the A series with the beef coming from the installation of a 220 hp Wright J-5 Problems in certifying the ship arose due to an intended higher gross weight The CAA wouldnt

(From Cessna Guidebook) The first cantilever Cessna - simply designated Cessna DeSign No 1 It was completed on August 10 1927 Power is a 90 hp Anzani Thats Clyde Cessna in the cockpit

5

(Photo by Jack Cox) West Wind III A Cessna AW owned by Skeeter Carlson of Spokane Washington

buy the gross weight increase without a complete recalculation of the stress analysis Unwilling to do this Cessna decided to remove one of the front seats Twelve copies of the three place BW were built

Construction of Clydes cantilever monoplane embodied no materials or features unknown to the industry at that time The wing was the impressive part of the structure in size as well as design detail The heart of the wing was a fairly simple box spar very much like the Dutchmans Fokker D-VII which was produced to clear the skies of Nieuports eleven years earlier The ribs were built up of plywood with spruce diagonals and cap strips The leading edge was completely covered with plywood to produce the D tube structure so effectively used on many airplanes built since then The airfoil of the 40 foot span wing was a modified M-12 No dihedral was used and the wing was bolted directly to the top of the fuselage with zero incidence The fuselage was built up of welded steel tubing and used a very minimum of stringers to shape the sides The gear was simple and included a shock cord mechanism which was carefully recessed into the belly With a tread of over seven feet and large wheels it must have been a gentle ship on the ground

PERFORMANCE Powerplant 110 Warner Maximum Speed 130 mph Cruising Speed 110 mph Landing Speed 42 mph Cruising Range 650 miles

THE DC-6

Talk to a modern Cessna dealer and casually ask the gentleman if he could possibly find a parts book for the Cessna DC-6 you are restoring Often that gentleman will turn to you and politely (possibly) tell you to go see Douglas 6

Or speak to an Antiquer about the Chief in your hangar and hell immediately think Aeronca Considering the popshyularity of Cessna its somewhat amazing to find how little is known of the ancestory of the current tin whizzes

The DC-6 series was derived from the popular Model A and an almost one of a kind six place Model CW-6 While the AW production was going strong during 1928 Clyde Cessnas interest turned to a larger more comfortshyable design and the result rolled out on November 1 1928 as the six place Model CW-6 The white and red cantilever monoplane was powered by a 225 Wright J-5 This 43 6 span ship had a rather colorful career After being displayed at the 1929 automobile show in Detroit the ship was confiscated by the Mexican Government while on a demonstration tour through Mexico Although eventually paid for the airplane Cessnas CW-6 prototype was gone forever An interesting sidelight was that the ship was reportedly converted to a bomber by the Mexishycan Air Force and helped crush the Revolution From this design emerged the first production DC-6 a 170 hp Curtiss Challenger powered four place monoplane The DC-6 received Type Certificate Number 207 on August 19 1929

An interesting development of the CW-6 airframe evolved in 1929 as the CPW-6 In May of 1929 Cessna built a two place endurance racer for the winner of the San Francisco to Honolulu Dole Air Derby - Art Goebel The Goebel Special utilized a CW-6 airframe and a 420 horsepower Pratt amp Whitney Wasp This impressive cantilever monoplane spanned 43 4 was slightly over 30 feet long and grossed at 4250 pounds with over 600 gallons of fuel in the modified CW-6 fuselage The fuseshylage had been rounded out to streamline the fully cowled PampW and enclose the monstrous fuel tanks The one race that Art Goebel entered the ship in - a cross country race between San Francisco and New York shywas aborted due to leaky tanks The airplane was subshysequently returned to Cessna and converted back to the second CW-6 only to be destroyed a short time later in

The DC-6A Chief powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975 This was a big hoss of an airplane and was impressed into military service in WW I as the UC-77

a hangar fire Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more

horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000 pound airplane so two additional models were developed The DC-6A Chief received Type Certificate Number 243 on September 30 1929 The Chief had a 300 horsepower J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds The Scout an 80 pound lighter version was labeled the DC-6B and had a J-6-7 Wright up front It was identical to the Chief except for the engine installation and received its type certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day

Behind Cessnas interest in turning out these new four place ships was a contractual agreement with Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929 Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per month Since their current production was under five aircraft per month the offer and accompanying picture painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive to the Cessna Board of Directors Their enthusiasm resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80 acre site which is the current location of the Cessna Commercial Aircraft Division The new factory began building the DC-6As and DC-6Bs in earnest during the summer of 1929 We all know what was forthcoming late in October of that year - after building 32 of the series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Flying Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt

The following year (1930) saw production down to a meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series Although records show that some were made as late as 1935 the new facshytory was in fact practically through with building aircraft for a few years Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not build any aircraft

PERFORMANCE No Built Engine

DC-6 5 Curtiss Challenger DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright

Gross Cruise Top Speed 2988 105 mph 130 mph 3180 130 mph 155 mph 3100 120 mph 145 mph

ELDONS BABIES

During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and selling the popular Cessna AWs and the DC-6 series and Scouts his son Eldon had thoughts centering on what is now considered the ultra light market As the Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h the problems associated with the market crash in 1929 Eldon was at work designing and building his first light cantilever Cessna the FC-I

The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered hig h wing cabin monoplane The one of a kind Cessna carried two side by side and apparently did very well for the power As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in 1930 there was not much of a market for any powered airplane Cessna kept bread on the table that year by building fifty-four of their primary gliders the CG-2

Eldons next attempt at an ultra light was a conshyversion of one of those primary training gliders to a powered single place aircraft Rea lly more than a convershysion the new ship - unlabeled - sported a fully cantishylever wing stubby landing gear and a roaring 25 horseshypowe r Cleone for power This ship was also built in

7

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

8

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

THE MODEL I A a 225 Wright J-5 With the addition of a closed cockshy

Engineering progress - its amazing how many adshyvances have been made with light aircraft in the past fifty years Take Cessna as an example - their sleek new Skyhawks whizz along at some 130 miles per hour carryshying four people in plastic comfort on some 150 Williamsshyport horses Yesterday - many yesterdays ago - the company was producing their Model A which zipped through the air with four people - howbeit somewhat chummy - at 110 on 110 Do I remember right - wasnt that early version of the Skyhawk (the straight tailed 172) about a 110 mph airplane on 145 Muskegon horses Sure you say - but there have been advances Just look at that beautiful training wheel up front - helps so much in snow and mud And all metal - strong and enduring - but why the struts Electronics - even the student can navigate from Fort Worth to Dallas proshyviding the fuse holds Yes sir - since 1928 weve come a long way - tailwheels - round engines - cantilever wings - pilotage - just memories to most - unknown to many

One must spin back through years of yesterdays to get to the Cessna Model A Late in 1927 Clyde Cessna figured he could do as well as any Dutchman and build a wing without struts Clydes analogy was to compare his wing to the Creators tree limb - You dont see struts or wires on that His first cantilever monoplane carried a favorite name - the Comet Many years earlier another monoplane - with wires - was designed built and named by Clyde - the Comet of 1917 His new Comet carried four with impressive performance Impressive enough to interest investors in forming a company to build more copies of this 120 horsepower Anzani speedster Always the experimenter while the new factory was being built Clyde continued work on a second design similar to the Comet powered with

pit this racing version would run along at nearly 150 mph Further refinements to the second prototype added windows in the cabin The Wright was replaced with an Anzani 120 hp engine - the configuration now was that which went into production

Early in 1928 Cessna began in earnest to get the new A in production His major effort was to have the Deshypartment of Commerce certify the airplane for comshymercial production While a detailed stress analysis was being made Clyde began building and selling the ship with the certificates pending The first certificate Number 65 was issued after considerable delay for the Anzani powered ModelAA Several weeks later Type Certificate Number 72 was issued on September 7 1928 to the Warner variant - the Model AW At that time those built with the type certificate pending were made available for modifications to allow compliance with the regulations This then removed operation restrictions

The most popular version of the A was the 110 Warner powered version Production began in August 1928 and ran through 1929 with April of 29 peaking at a reported rate of 18 per month This didnt hold for long for the A W was phased out in favor of the new larger DC-6 series and subsequent Chief and Scout versions A total of 48 of the A W s were built between 1928 and 1930 Other versions of the A included the previously menshytioned Anzani AA the Siemens-Halske 125 hp AS the 130 hp Comet AC and the 150 Axelson powered AF Production counts on these totaled 14 AAs 3 ASs 1 AC and 3 AFs

An in teresting varian t of the A model was type certificated on December 16 1928 as the BW The BW was intended to be a beefy version of the A series with the beef coming from the installation of a 220 hp Wright J-5 Problems in certifying the ship arose due to an intended higher gross weight The CAA wouldnt

(From Cessna Guidebook) The first cantilever Cessna - simply designated Cessna DeSign No 1 It was completed on August 10 1927 Power is a 90 hp Anzani Thats Clyde Cessna in the cockpit

5

(Photo by Jack Cox) West Wind III A Cessna AW owned by Skeeter Carlson of Spokane Washington

buy the gross weight increase without a complete recalculation of the stress analysis Unwilling to do this Cessna decided to remove one of the front seats Twelve copies of the three place BW were built

Construction of Clydes cantilever monoplane embodied no materials or features unknown to the industry at that time The wing was the impressive part of the structure in size as well as design detail The heart of the wing was a fairly simple box spar very much like the Dutchmans Fokker D-VII which was produced to clear the skies of Nieuports eleven years earlier The ribs were built up of plywood with spruce diagonals and cap strips The leading edge was completely covered with plywood to produce the D tube structure so effectively used on many airplanes built since then The airfoil of the 40 foot span wing was a modified M-12 No dihedral was used and the wing was bolted directly to the top of the fuselage with zero incidence The fuselage was built up of welded steel tubing and used a very minimum of stringers to shape the sides The gear was simple and included a shock cord mechanism which was carefully recessed into the belly With a tread of over seven feet and large wheels it must have been a gentle ship on the ground

PERFORMANCE Powerplant 110 Warner Maximum Speed 130 mph Cruising Speed 110 mph Landing Speed 42 mph Cruising Range 650 miles

THE DC-6

Talk to a modern Cessna dealer and casually ask the gentleman if he could possibly find a parts book for the Cessna DC-6 you are restoring Often that gentleman will turn to you and politely (possibly) tell you to go see Douglas 6

Or speak to an Antiquer about the Chief in your hangar and hell immediately think Aeronca Considering the popshyularity of Cessna its somewhat amazing to find how little is known of the ancestory of the current tin whizzes

The DC-6 series was derived from the popular Model A and an almost one of a kind six place Model CW-6 While the AW production was going strong during 1928 Clyde Cessnas interest turned to a larger more comfortshyable design and the result rolled out on November 1 1928 as the six place Model CW-6 The white and red cantilever monoplane was powered by a 225 Wright J-5 This 43 6 span ship had a rather colorful career After being displayed at the 1929 automobile show in Detroit the ship was confiscated by the Mexican Government while on a demonstration tour through Mexico Although eventually paid for the airplane Cessnas CW-6 prototype was gone forever An interesting sidelight was that the ship was reportedly converted to a bomber by the Mexishycan Air Force and helped crush the Revolution From this design emerged the first production DC-6 a 170 hp Curtiss Challenger powered four place monoplane The DC-6 received Type Certificate Number 207 on August 19 1929

An interesting development of the CW-6 airframe evolved in 1929 as the CPW-6 In May of 1929 Cessna built a two place endurance racer for the winner of the San Francisco to Honolulu Dole Air Derby - Art Goebel The Goebel Special utilized a CW-6 airframe and a 420 horsepower Pratt amp Whitney Wasp This impressive cantilever monoplane spanned 43 4 was slightly over 30 feet long and grossed at 4250 pounds with over 600 gallons of fuel in the modified CW-6 fuselage The fuseshylage had been rounded out to streamline the fully cowled PampW and enclose the monstrous fuel tanks The one race that Art Goebel entered the ship in - a cross country race between San Francisco and New York shywas aborted due to leaky tanks The airplane was subshysequently returned to Cessna and converted back to the second CW-6 only to be destroyed a short time later in

The DC-6A Chief powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975 This was a big hoss of an airplane and was impressed into military service in WW I as the UC-77

a hangar fire Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more

horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000 pound airplane so two additional models were developed The DC-6A Chief received Type Certificate Number 243 on September 30 1929 The Chief had a 300 horsepower J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds The Scout an 80 pound lighter version was labeled the DC-6B and had a J-6-7 Wright up front It was identical to the Chief except for the engine installation and received its type certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day

Behind Cessnas interest in turning out these new four place ships was a contractual agreement with Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929 Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per month Since their current production was under five aircraft per month the offer and accompanying picture painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive to the Cessna Board of Directors Their enthusiasm resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80 acre site which is the current location of the Cessna Commercial Aircraft Division The new factory began building the DC-6As and DC-6Bs in earnest during the summer of 1929 We all know what was forthcoming late in October of that year - after building 32 of the series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Flying Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt

The following year (1930) saw production down to a meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series Although records show that some were made as late as 1935 the new facshytory was in fact practically through with building aircraft for a few years Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not build any aircraft

PERFORMANCE No Built Engine

DC-6 5 Curtiss Challenger DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright

Gross Cruise Top Speed 2988 105 mph 130 mph 3180 130 mph 155 mph 3100 120 mph 145 mph

ELDONS BABIES

During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and selling the popular Cessna AWs and the DC-6 series and Scouts his son Eldon had thoughts centering on what is now considered the ultra light market As the Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h the problems associated with the market crash in 1929 Eldon was at work designing and building his first light cantilever Cessna the FC-I

The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered hig h wing cabin monoplane The one of a kind Cessna carried two side by side and apparently did very well for the power As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in 1930 there was not much of a market for any powered airplane Cessna kept bread on the table that year by building fifty-four of their primary gliders the CG-2

Eldons next attempt at an ultra light was a conshyversion of one of those primary training gliders to a powered single place aircraft Rea lly more than a convershysion the new ship - unlabeled - sported a fully cantishylever wing stubby landing gear and a roaring 25 horseshypowe r Cleone for power This ship was also built in

7

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

8

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

(Photo by Jack Cox) West Wind III A Cessna AW owned by Skeeter Carlson of Spokane Washington

buy the gross weight increase without a complete recalculation of the stress analysis Unwilling to do this Cessna decided to remove one of the front seats Twelve copies of the three place BW were built

Construction of Clydes cantilever monoplane embodied no materials or features unknown to the industry at that time The wing was the impressive part of the structure in size as well as design detail The heart of the wing was a fairly simple box spar very much like the Dutchmans Fokker D-VII which was produced to clear the skies of Nieuports eleven years earlier The ribs were built up of plywood with spruce diagonals and cap strips The leading edge was completely covered with plywood to produce the D tube structure so effectively used on many airplanes built since then The airfoil of the 40 foot span wing was a modified M-12 No dihedral was used and the wing was bolted directly to the top of the fuselage with zero incidence The fuselage was built up of welded steel tubing and used a very minimum of stringers to shape the sides The gear was simple and included a shock cord mechanism which was carefully recessed into the belly With a tread of over seven feet and large wheels it must have been a gentle ship on the ground

PERFORMANCE Powerplant 110 Warner Maximum Speed 130 mph Cruising Speed 110 mph Landing Speed 42 mph Cruising Range 650 miles

THE DC-6

Talk to a modern Cessna dealer and casually ask the gentleman if he could possibly find a parts book for the Cessna DC-6 you are restoring Often that gentleman will turn to you and politely (possibly) tell you to go see Douglas 6

Or speak to an Antiquer about the Chief in your hangar and hell immediately think Aeronca Considering the popshyularity of Cessna its somewhat amazing to find how little is known of the ancestory of the current tin whizzes

The DC-6 series was derived from the popular Model A and an almost one of a kind six place Model CW-6 While the AW production was going strong during 1928 Clyde Cessnas interest turned to a larger more comfortshyable design and the result rolled out on November 1 1928 as the six place Model CW-6 The white and red cantilever monoplane was powered by a 225 Wright J-5 This 43 6 span ship had a rather colorful career After being displayed at the 1929 automobile show in Detroit the ship was confiscated by the Mexican Government while on a demonstration tour through Mexico Although eventually paid for the airplane Cessnas CW-6 prototype was gone forever An interesting sidelight was that the ship was reportedly converted to a bomber by the Mexishycan Air Force and helped crush the Revolution From this design emerged the first production DC-6 a 170 hp Curtiss Challenger powered four place monoplane The DC-6 received Type Certificate Number 207 on August 19 1929

An interesting development of the CW-6 airframe evolved in 1929 as the CPW-6 In May of 1929 Cessna built a two place endurance racer for the winner of the San Francisco to Honolulu Dole Air Derby - Art Goebel The Goebel Special utilized a CW-6 airframe and a 420 horsepower Pratt amp Whitney Wasp This impressive cantilever monoplane spanned 43 4 was slightly over 30 feet long and grossed at 4250 pounds with over 600 gallons of fuel in the modified CW-6 fuselage The fuseshylage had been rounded out to streamline the fully cowled PampW and enclose the monstrous fuel tanks The one race that Art Goebel entered the ship in - a cross country race between San Francisco and New York shywas aborted due to leaky tanks The airplane was subshysequently returned to Cessna and converted back to the second CW-6 only to be destroyed a short time later in

The DC-6A Chief powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975 This was a big hoss of an airplane and was impressed into military service in WW I as the UC-77

a hangar fire Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more

horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000 pound airplane so two additional models were developed The DC-6A Chief received Type Certificate Number 243 on September 30 1929 The Chief had a 300 horsepower J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds The Scout an 80 pound lighter version was labeled the DC-6B and had a J-6-7 Wright up front It was identical to the Chief except for the engine installation and received its type certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day

Behind Cessnas interest in turning out these new four place ships was a contractual agreement with Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929 Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per month Since their current production was under five aircraft per month the offer and accompanying picture painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive to the Cessna Board of Directors Their enthusiasm resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80 acre site which is the current location of the Cessna Commercial Aircraft Division The new factory began building the DC-6As and DC-6Bs in earnest during the summer of 1929 We all know what was forthcoming late in October of that year - after building 32 of the series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Flying Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt

The following year (1930) saw production down to a meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series Although records show that some were made as late as 1935 the new facshytory was in fact practically through with building aircraft for a few years Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not build any aircraft

PERFORMANCE No Built Engine

DC-6 5 Curtiss Challenger DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright

Gross Cruise Top Speed 2988 105 mph 130 mph 3180 130 mph 155 mph 3100 120 mph 145 mph

ELDONS BABIES

During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and selling the popular Cessna AWs and the DC-6 series and Scouts his son Eldon had thoughts centering on what is now considered the ultra light market As the Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h the problems associated with the market crash in 1929 Eldon was at work designing and building his first light cantilever Cessna the FC-I

The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered hig h wing cabin monoplane The one of a kind Cessna carried two side by side and apparently did very well for the power As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in 1930 there was not much of a market for any powered airplane Cessna kept bread on the table that year by building fifty-four of their primary gliders the CG-2

Eldons next attempt at an ultra light was a conshyversion of one of those primary training gliders to a powered single place aircraft Rea lly more than a convershysion the new ship - unlabeled - sported a fully cantishylever wing stubby landing gear and a roaring 25 horseshypowe r Cleone for power This ship was also built in

7

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

8

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

The DC-6A Chief powered with a 300 hp Wright R-975 This was a big hoss of an airplane and was impressed into military service in WW I as the UC-77

a hangar fire Test flights of the prototype DC-6 indicated that more

horsepower would be helpful for the slightly over 3000 pound airplane so two additional models were developed The DC-6A Chief received Type Certificate Number 243 on September 30 1929 The Chief had a 300 horsepower J-6-9 and grossed at 3180 pounds The Scout an 80 pound lighter version was labeled the DC-6B and had a J-6-7 Wright up front It was identical to the Chief except for the engine installation and received its type certificate - Number 244 - on the same September day

Behind Cessnas interest in turning out these new four place ships was a contractual agreement with Curtiss Flying Service signed back in February of 1929 Curtiss had approached Cessna with the offer of buying the entire Cessna production of up to fifty aircraft per month Since their current production was under five aircraft per month the offer and accompanying picture painted by the Curtiss representatives was quite attractive to the Cessna Board of Directors Their enthusiasm resulted in the construction of a new plant on an 80 acre site which is the current location of the Cessna Commercial Aircraft Division The new factory began building the DC-6As and DC-6Bs in earnest during the summer of 1929 We all know what was forthcoming late in October of that year - after building 32 of the series that year the bankruptcy of the Curtiss Flying Service - and many others - left Clyde and his Board of Directors with capacity - but no market - and debt

The following year (1930) saw production down to a meager 17 copies of the DC-6 series Although records show that some were made as late as 1935 the new facshytory was in fact practically through with building aircraft for a few years Cessna reportedly never did go bankrupt although during the period 1931 through 1933 did not build any aircraft

PERFORMANCE No Built Engine

DC-6 5 Curtiss Challenger DC-6A 22 J-6-9 Wright DC-6B 22 J-6- 7 Wright

Gross Cruise Top Speed 2988 105 mph 130 mph 3180 130 mph 155 mph 3100 120 mph 145 mph

ELDONS BABIES

During the time that Clyde Cessna was building and selling the popular Cessna AWs and the DC-6 series and Scouts his son Eldon had thoughts centering on what is now considered the ultra light market As the Cessna Aircraft Company bega n struggling throug h the problems associated with the market crash in 1929 Eldon was at work designing and building his first light cantilever Cessna the FC-I

The FC-1 was a 90 horsepower Cirrus powered hig h wing cabin monoplane The one of a kind Cessna carried two side by side and apparently did very well for the power As many aspiring aircraft manufacturers found in 1930 there was not much of a market for any powered airplane Cessna kept bread on the table that year by building fifty-four of their primary gliders the CG-2

Eldons next attempt at an ultra light was a conshyversion of one of those primary training gliders to a powered single place aircraft Rea lly more than a convershysion the new ship - unlabeled - sported a fully cantishylever wing stubby landing gear and a roaring 25 horseshypowe r Cleone for power This ship was also built in

7

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

8

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

---shy

(From Cessna Guidebook)

The EC-2 powered by a 30 hp Aeronca E-107A Two were built Some of you replica builders ought to consider this slick little airplane as your next project

1930 and encouraged Eldon Cessna to develop the design further - although the Cleone engine had to go shyally

1930 continued as a busy year in spite of the econoshymic climate for Eldon and his baby Cessnas show the next version - the EC-1 shyplace - this time built from scratch with a 25 hp Cleone - possibly the engine from the converted CG-2 power The evolution of detail design between the verted CG-2 primary glider and the EC-1 speaks highly of the aeronautical genius of the Cessna family In short step Eldon had gone from a crude ungainly ship to a very attractive single place ultra-light of which three were built Design development didnt stop there for by early 1932 Eldon had designed and added time another seat - and built two Cessna Model EC-2s This was in the Aeronca C-3 class with the C-3s 30 horsepower engine as a powerplant Unfortunately the Board of Directors felt that no airplanes should be proshyduced and as a result the present antique and classic world has no examples of what must have been a great - fully cantilever - light aircraft

eventushy

Records to be another single

- for conshy

one

- this

Several of the photos illustrating this article are from the CESSNA GUIDEBOOK Volume 1 by Mitch Mayborn and Bob Pickett This excellent publication covers the history of Cessna from Clyde Cessnas first modified Bleriot in 1911 through the ubiquitous 150 Extremely rare pictures of the early models are themselves well worth the price of the book A section on Cessna magazine ads dating from about 1928 reproductions of some Airmaster flight tests from the Sportsman Pilot three views of most of the important models (including the Cessna racers) and tables of complete specifications of all the various models covered in this volume make the book a valuable research tool for aviation historians and a collectors item for any aviation enthusiast

Cessna Guidebook Volume 1 is available for $695 from Flying Enterprize Publications I 3164 Whitehall Dallas Texas 75229

8

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

BOOK REVIEW

I TAUGHT AMELIA TO FLY shyBy Neta Snook Southern Vantage Press Inc New York 169 pages $695

Neta Snook learned to fly in 1917 - no small feat for a young red haired schoolgirl from Illinois Arriving at her first flying school in Davenport Iowa she was shocked to learn that she and her fellow students would first have to build their airplane before their flying lessons commenced Unfortunately before Neta could solo the schools lone plane crashed putting all involved out of business

Riding the rails to Hampton Roads Virginia Neta then enrolled in a Curtiss school (where one of her instructors was Eddie Stinson) Just before she was to solo the government closed the school by banning civil flying in the area because of the troopships disembarking daily - those aviators might be spying for the Kaiser you know

Trasfering to another Curtiss school in Miami (where she met Curtiss himself one day) Neta was again just ready to be turned loose when the government banned all civil flying for the duration

Undaunted by these almost unreal near-misses Neta eventually purchased a wrecked Canuck and had it shipped to Iowa where her parents now lived After the war she rebuilt the plane and proceeded to solo herself

After a summer of barnstorming Ne ta had her Curtiss shipped to Los Angeles where she shortly became

GRIMES GOODIES Rare old aviation photos from Don Grimes of Atlanta Georgia Right a Curtiss TS-1 Below the Navys C-7

the operator of a small airport owned by a budding aviation designer named Bert Kinner It was here that Neta Snook met and taught Amelia Earhart to fly

Aviation was a very small world in the five year period in which Neta Snook carved out her flying career Aviation history buffs will recognize a number of familiar names among those with whom Neta crossed paths shyEddie Stinson Bert Kinner Glenn Curtiss Barney Oldshyfield Waldo Waterman Donald Douglas In August of 1922 a now married Neta Snook Southern stepped out of her Canuck and has never flown since She lives in very active retirement in California today and has proshyvided us present day aviation enthusiasts with an imporshytant documentation of what flying was like in the early 1920s The fact that Neta was a woman and therefore had to get all her training on her own as opposed to men of the day most of whom were trained by the military provides some new inSights

Much of the book is devoted to Netas brief association with Amelia Earhart of course but I found her own experiences just as interesting a delightful little morsel of aviation history from the pre-FAA days when you got your license through the mail

-Jack Cox

9

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

bull bull bull FOUR AND A HALF DAYS IN A 50 HP CUB

bull

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Refueling of the Cub and the pilots was via a hand-over-hand rope hoist method from a speeding 1937 Ford Convertible Merrill and Allen had a radio but it rarely worked causing them to resort to dropping notes The flight was in conjunction with the New York State Fair so a part of each circuit was over the fair grounds There a hugh checkerboard was laid out on the ground and pretty girls in bathing suits acted as checkers Phoenix and Allen played checkers with local champions by dropping notes indicating where they wanted the girls to move

Editors Note Endurance flights were the rage of the late 1920s and 1930s until ominous war clouds began rolling in to bring a halt to such aerial masochism Though most flights were conceived as shortcuts to instant fame and hopefully fortune for the pilots inshyvolved they did have some practical value Having endured a decade of the OX-5s recalcitrant Dixie mags leaky water pumps and brittle rocker arms the average pilot and his potential passengers were understandably unenthusiastic over the durability of aircraft engines of the 20s Lindbergh s 33 hour flight across the Atlantic was a sensation to pilots accustomed to being forced down in every other cow pasture in their Standards and Jennies and overnight the Wright engine became the new standard of reliability Other engine manufacturers were quick to see the publicity value of endurance 10

flights and were soon sponsoring all sorts of record attempts Newspapers and the budding new medium radio could be counted on to give front page coverage to such flights anything to counter the usual fare of numbing depression news

The late 1930s saw a quickening of the pace of record endurance flights in the lower horsepower classes This was the heyday of the Cubs Taylorcrafts Aeroncas et al the days when hard times dictated that the average Joe fly on 50 to 65 hp or forget it Pilots used to big rip snorting Wrights Pratt amp Whitneys Shakey Jakes and round Continentals didnt exactly lovingly clasp the little four-bangers to their busoms however Continental Lycoming Franklin Menasco etc had a selling job to do to gain acceptance of their products - so were more than willing to underwrite an endurance flight or two

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

In 1937-38-39 the ink certifying one record was hardly dry before someone else had broken it The story below tells of one such record enduro flight

The story was written in September of 1938 by Robert G Elliott (EAA 85145) 1227 Oakwood Ave Dayshytona Beach Fla 32014 He was living in Syracuse N Y in those days and worked as a photographer never missing a chance to cover an aviation event I think all of you will agree the photographs accompanying the article are spectacular Also the story is unedited so that you can enjoy the terms ( flivver planes etc) and phraseology common to the late 30s Bob Elliott is today an audio visual specialist for General Electric in Daytona Beach

- Jack Cox

(Phoro by Robert G Elliott)

Harold Allen left and Merrill Phoenshyix with their record breaking 50 hp Cub Note the belly tank and the sliding panel in the windshield The wheel pants and tailwheel were not installed during the record flight

FLYING BACHELORS

Sept 10 1938 - Starting May 17 of this year the worlds endurance record for flivver pla nes was hung up by Messrs Kress and Englert O n Sept 2 also of this year NX-20261 a stock model J-3 Cub took off from the infield of the New York State Fair Grounds to hang up a record of 106 hrs 3 min and 10 sec Prof Harold Allen and Merrill Phoenix both of Syracuse N Y were the two pilots who accomplished this feat The boys were a little foresighted and so they constructed a collapsible bed in the rear of the fuselage The forward part of the bed formed the rear seat when nobody was taking a snooze Also installed was a two way radio and a few extra instrushyments For a powerpla ne they used one of the new Franklin engines rating 50 hp

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Merrill Phoenix leans out through the sliding hatch bu ilt into the windshyshield Spark plugs were changed and other engine maintenance was acshycomplished in flight in this manner Unleaded Sun Oil auto gasoline and automotive spark plugs were used on the record flight probably why it ended in a lake

11

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

12

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

In this spectacular sequence of photographs Bob Ellio tt riding in the Ford convertible caught Phoen ix and Allen as they eased in for another can of fuel Wonde r what Allen is yelling in the last picture

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

13

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

From the very start the boys had trouble In the first place they had not started to prepare for the flight in time The takeoff had been slated for the middle morning of Sept 2 As it was the takeoff from the Fair Grounds was not until 112950 Original plans were for a takeoff with a full load of gas and supplies but as the engine was not turning up just right the boys just got out with five gallons of fuel At once they headed for the airport where they picked up a full capacity of gas clothing blankets and also their two way radio The radio by the way had not been tested until just before leaving for the fair grounds and as it happened was a small trouble maker

One specific time that it nearly caused disaster was when it went dead Harold had two ropes with which he hauled up the cans of gas so he tied the radio up in the blankets with one of the ropes and when they came in to refuel the ailing radio was lowered to the car That maneuver left only one rope in the plane On the next approach the rope fouled on something and as a result was lost With only a very few gallons of gas in the tank both fellows were indeed required to think fast Out came a spare coil of safety wire Onto this was tied some of the radio wire Added also were belts shoe laces and finally on the end a couple of wrenches as weights By flying low enough Merrill was able to place the ship so that one of the crew could tie another rope on the end of their makeshift affair

As it was the two boys had every reason in the world to come down then but with some gift or other they stayed up After the first contact was made every sucshyceeding one seemed to be just routine Everyone was just like clockwork Downdrafts were another thing that caused many a headache Several times it looked as if Miss Dairylea as the ship was named would not rise over the hill to the west of the airport At one spot were two trees Because of the difficulty that the boys had in getting around through or over them as the case happenshyed to be they jokingly named th em Mike and Ike Frequently the two innocent trees were cussed for their delightful position When the radio went out of the ship the note system was adopted This proved to be very effective

FLIGHT FIGURES New Worlds Record 106 hrs 6 min Previous Record 63 hrs 54 min Time added to old mark 42 hrs 12 min Engine used Franklin 50 hp Model 4AC-150 Ship used Cub Model J-3 Distance covered (Approx) 7214 miles Gas consumption (non-lead regular 70 Octane) 287 gal Average gas usedlhr 2707 gal Average miles per gal of gas 2509 miles Oil consumption 2 qts Average oil consumptionhr 018 qt Refueling contacts 60 Contacts for food supplies etc 25 Engine run on block directly before flight 35 hrs

Engine run on block directly after flight 25 hrs

14

The most etficient ground crew is to be praised for their excellent cooperation They should be given credit for making the flight as well carried out as it was It might be noted here that they experienced a tougher time than the two pilots Circumstance made it necessary for these fellows to always be at the beck and call of Harold and Merrill Whenever the ship flew over the field they would drive out on the runway and wait to see if the boys upstairs wanted anything As this got troublesome they were informed that if they wished anything to fly low over the hangar otherwise to stay up around a thousand feet After this method was installed things clicked more smoothly

To acquire access to the motor to change plugs and to make any necessary minor adjustments Charles Flaherty a mechanic at the Ward Air Service Hangar installed a sliding front windshield With this the boys could easily gain access to the motor

A domestic touch was lent to the whole flight by Merrill According to Harold Merrill would borrow Harolds comb to comb his curly blond hair just before every refueling Also he shaved nearly everyday

Food was sent up in a large duffle bag along with their liquids All was packed in waterproof containers Incidentally they had the best of eats Some of the time they would go as much as a whole day on but ice cream These occasions were warranted by those days spent battling downdrafts and motor trouble The difficulty with the motor was nothing against the engine itself however but was just caused by lack of time before the flight began to iron out all minor ailments

It was the changing of the plugs that brought the whole flight to an end Tuesday night Sept 6 a contact was made at about nine oclock The radio went up that time Around again they came for five of gas Then again for another five As Merrill gave her the gun to rise out of the field it was noticed that the engine was missing badly A change of plugs was in order for the occasion Up they went over Onondaga Lake where the plugs were always changed Formerly this act had always taken place in the daytime and no trouble had been experienced This time however different conditions prevailed It was necessary for Merrill to hold a flashlight in his teeth and with his two hands then went about changing the bad plugs Beshycause he was standing up it was impossible for Harold to see the instrument panel Being dark over the lake also made it hard to see their altitude Finally the water was seen The ship was given full gun but she would not take Harold guided it around the yacht basin and set her down about fifty feet from the end of the breakwater She hit the water with a small splash and began to settle The impact had sent Merrill through the windshield and Harold had dived through the window At once they began to tow the ship in towards the shore The boys called the field and were taken over by the police A roaring fire dry clothes and hot drinks were waiting them The ship was not damaged to any extent and the boys were not hurt in any way They later stated that they had planned to dry the ship out and fly it back to the airport but when they went back that night the mechanics had removed the wings and opened the fabric to let it drain faster Harolds watch stopped at 93320 Sept 6 The flight was called a huge success in view of the fact that numerous difficulties arose

(Photo by Robert G Elliott)

Miss Dairylea after her dip in Lake Onondaga Wonder whatever happened to 20261 - shes no longer carried on the FAA s records

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

THE PYLON CLUB PART II

The Pylon Club opened officially on Valentines Day with Bob Babb the aluminum welder from Howard Airshycraft serving as Chief Mixologist and my brother Frank and myself assisting behind the timber Opening night was gang busters - we were wall to wall in people and they were standing five deep outside trying to get in The Club was an overnight success Word about the Pyshylon Club spread like fire throughout the aviation indusshytry and auto racing fraternity which resulted in every night being New Years Eve

The Pylon Club started out as a saloon but it wasnt long before it also served as an employment agency a ground school flight training center aviation conshysultant service a charitable institution EAA recruiting aircraft sales blood donors center and marriage and divorce counseling

The club also introduced many firsts the first public use of the now popular Gone Flying signs was incorshyporated by the club

The Gone Flying sign came about due to my absence while I was flying weekend air shows or flying for the non-skeds About 4 months after the club was opened I signed on with several non-skeds to fly and supply flight crews out of Chicago on a demand basis What I mean by demand basis is that a flight would leave Burshybank for New York with stops in Kansas City and Chicago with only a crew of two pilots and the required stewardess who would be out of time by the time they reached MOW During the fifties the FAA was riding herd on all the nonshyskeds and checking papers and logs at every stop Nine times out of ten when a flight would arrive at MOW the airplane was legal but the crew illegal to go on to La Garbage so a fast phone call to the Pylon Club was in order to furnish a fresh crew for the New York leg It was during this time that I hired the extra barkeepers

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK Nick Rezich

4213 Centerville Rd Rockford III 61102

and the Gone Flying sign evolved The two daytime barkeepers were mail carriers from

the post office one block west of the club and the night crew came from the Midway Control Tower Ill skip over Roy and Milo the daytime help at this time because they are a whole story by themselves The tower guys were watch supervisors at MOW who loved to fly and enjoyed the company of other pilots I would like to name them but with all but one of them still being with the FAA I dont think it is ethical at this time to remind some chicken --- - supervisor about their activities some 25 years ago

The Gone Flying sign saved a lot of explaining as to my whereabouts When I was away flying an air show we would hang the air show poster under the sign and if I was out on a non-sked trip we would hang a strip with my destination and return date with the sign I dont know where Flying picked up the idea of their Gone Flying sign but BELIEVE YOU ME it was the Pilot Club that originated and popularized it

The Pylon Clubs success and world wide notoriety was not a result of my sole efforts or popularity but that of the people and happenings that were a part of the club

Many people were responsible for the success of the club but I must single out a great humanitarian who played a major role in the club and my well being

The late Dan Clark was the president of his familys firm in Chicago and resided in a modest home close to the club Dan was a very close friend of Benny Howard and it was through Benny that I met Dan while working for Howard Dan was an avid auto racing and air racing fan and a guy that the whole world loved and he in turn loved the world of people

It was Dan Clark who introduced the club to the world of business which included such names as the Rothschilds of European banking fame Sherman Brothers Furniture and numerous other world figures of industry As a regular club member Dan knew everybody who came through the doors and visa-versa He was as much a part of the club as I was

15

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

Our first annual picnic was a result of a bragging conshytest we had over who could build and fly a kite higher than the other The more we bragged how good we were the l110re the customers encouraged us to have a contest What started out as a private boasting affair now turned into a full blown contest with everybody wanting to witshyness the outcome This tickled Dan and he agreed to the fly-off with the stipulation that the kites would be homeshybuilt and no box kites allowed

The sight of the contest was to be the Bailey Airport in Lowell Indiana where Dan kept his BT-13 in a hangar along with my Travel Air The Bailey Airport was a private airport operated by the Bailey brothers Charly and Don on their fathers farm and it was best thought that we should obtain approval of the Bailey family before we drug all the saloon people down to their peaceful and quiet farm

The following Saturday Dan and I drove down to the farm to seek permission for our wacky contest During the hour and half drive to the farm we concluded that we were defeating the purpose of our boasting - mainly that kids today dont build their own kites as we did in the yea rs past It was then decided to open the contest to all the Pylon Club members and their families We now had a program - a special fly-off between me and Dan and an open contest for all When we announced our crazy program to the Baileys they were overjoyed and suggested we hold the contest on a Sunday so that they could participate by furnishing fresh sweet corn for a corn boil and making lemonade for the thirsty Hence the idea of a picnic Driving back to the club Dan suggested we send invitations to all of the out of town members and make it a huge gala affair complete with an air show an air lift parachute jumps etc - the works

Our little private kite contest was now taking on the shape of a major event that would require funding and much help

I called on club member and old time EAA favorite Pete Myers to join me in the Travel Air and the Bailey Super Cub for the air show portion and Mike Burson for the chute jumps We now had an air show not much different than a regular weekend show We recruited Walter Brownell former test pilot for Howard and John Murray as pilots for the air lift We printed official kite contest rules and entry forms ordered trophys lined up a panel of judges cooks for the spare ribs official starter and my brother Mike for the beer

Another trip to Bailey Airport was necessary this time to obtain permission to bring beer on the premises Permission was granted with the mutual agreement that no beer would be served until after the air show and all airplanes put away for the day We adhered to the agreeshyment religiously however we learned a thirsty lesson the first year we flew until sundown giving rides in the Clark Airlines BT-13

By sundown many tongues were hanging long and dry including yours truly The following years we made some modifications to the air lift by adding more airplanes and pilots so we could get to that beer sooner

The kite contests were good for business due to the publicity gained from the annual event We had contestshyants come from all over the country just for the contest and picnic I still get letters to this day inquiring when and where the next contest is going to be held The fly-offs between Dan and myself were always won by Dan He proved his point every year - he was the better kite builder

I could tell stories about Dan Clark for the next 10 years and never run out of material like the time he

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Dan Clark holding his winning kite the Pylon Club Special No 43 Number 43 was the racing number for the Rezich Brothers Goodyear racer

lead a six car auto caravan up to race driver Bob Muhlkes Clover Club in Skokie Illinois This was a two level wall-to-wall carpeted saloon that was the gathering place for all the 500 drivers and owners The six car caravan contained the members and friends of the Pylon Club band that was invited to perform at Muhlkes during the Indy 500 Week Muhlke had arranged to have Merle Bellengers Indy 500 winning race car on display along with owners and drivers of the rest of the field The evening was quite festive with most everyone being pretty well bent out of shape by 200 a m When it was time to go home Dan lined all six cars behind his new Hudson and cautioned all of us not to race or pass him and that he would lead us home without getting pinched I must say here that Dan loved to drive at high speeds so it was hard to believe that we would make it back to the Pylon Club without a race with Dan Nevertheless we

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezichj

Dan Clark and his BT-13 This BT is now fAA Museum property Big Nick flew this aircraft to Hales Corners when it was donated - full story on this later

16

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

Big Nick at the drums back in the Pylon Club days (left) - and hes still at it (right) If you ve seen him fly the Travel Air youve seen only half the show he doesnt walk on cars too much anymore but he still plays a mean set of drums

followed All went well and legal for the first ten miles when suddenly Dan puts his foot into it As we are going through Cicero Illinois a place no Chicago driver should get pinched sure enough the race las ted about two miles when a squad car pulled all of us over to the curb As the two burly cops approach Dans car Dan gets out and tells the copper that all the cars belong to him and he will take care of all of them About now I knew we were all going to spend the night in the pokey and that it was going to cost a bundle to get out of this one Dan and the No 1 copper exchange some words then drive off in Dans car while the No 2 boy watches over the rest of us About ten minutes later Dan and the copper return and Dan gives us the crank up signal As we start up I notice the squad car pulling in front of Dans car with the red fla shers on I knew it - we were going to the slammer Damn you Dan Damn me for following Sudshydenly we are running at 50 mph again With the police car in front and last car doing 60 I dont know to this day what Dan said to the copper or what he paid if he paid but I do know that we were escorted at 50 mph to the Chicago city limits a nd turned loose

When we all arrived back at the club I asked Dan how did he do it and how much did it cost he laughshyingly told us to be careful driving home

Then there was the time we all were driving to my brother Franks wedding reception I had just purchased a new Dodge and was driving at 30 mph to break it in when Dan pulled up behind me and started pushing me We went through the busy intersection of 79th and Ashland Ave doing 55 mph - Dan pushing and laughing Jo Anne my wife was screaming Stop Stop and I am steering like hell hoping and praying nobody pulls out in front of me That gutless Dodge would never have out accelerated Dans Hudson so I rode it out

We turned the tables on Dan one night He had a home in Miami and would visit his mother regularly Before going on his visits he would always stop in the club and

tell me his schedule and check to see who would be flying the trip His favorite airline to Miami was Delta and they would do anything to please Dan

When I found out what flight Dan was going on I called the Delta station manager and told him I would like to bring my band from the saloon out to Midway and set up on the ramp alongside the loading ramp to give Dan a surprise send off The manager said it was OK with him if it was OK with the airport The airports O K was no sweat because John Casey the airport manager was an old friend of mine and a club member We put the band between the DC-7 and the terminal out of sight from the waiting lounge When they called the flight and Dan walked out of the terminal we started by playing Danny Boy followed by Moon Over Miami and the Pylon Clubs signature song When the Saints Go Marching In

Ole Dan damn near fell off the boarding ramp with surprise The captain met Dan at the doorway and advised him that he was Deltas first celebrity to be boarded with an orchestra When they finished boarding all the passenshygers we went into our Dixieland show number This brought the whole plane load to the door and the captain was leaning out of the cockpit for a better look and listen

All the colored porters were on the ramp doing a jig saying Mr Clark sho goes first class By this time the whole terminal converged on the Delta ramp We kept playing waiting for the skipper to start the engines but unbeknownst to me he was waiting for us to stop and leave the ramp

After about 40 minutes the station manager advised me that he had to release the flight because an incoming flight needed the gate The Delta flight was over an hour late getting off but not one passenger complained Dan spent the whole trip explaining the band and telling the passengers about the Pylon Club and Crazy Nick I have always wondered what the captain and station manager filed as the reason for the one hour delay in departing MDW 17

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

I dont know why they called me Crazy Nick sure stopped street cars and invited the passengers for a

drink and I walked on automobiles drove sports cars through others saloons and flew under bridges (with my Culver Cadet) but I wasnt crazy

During the 50s Chicago was still operating two man street cars on 63rd Street which ran in front of the club and whenever I felt devilish and generous I would run out front and flag down a street car and invite everybody on board in to the saloon for a free drink play them a fast number on the drums and send them on their way The first few times I pulled that stunt I damn near got run over by the street car But after the motorman got to know the spot and the word was passed on they would slow down and stop right in front of the place and inform the riders it was OK to leave the car I drove the coppers nuts

First time customers could never figure why I parked my own car out front instead of leaving the space for cusshytomers The club was opened during the Mardi Gras and to mark the occasion the band adopted the song When the Saints Go Marching In as our signature number Sooooo when we would open the nights first show I

would lead the band out of the saloon playing the Saints and would march up the back of my car over the roof and down the hood banging the drums We then would march down to the corner and back - all the while playing the Saints My new Dodges were a huge mass of dents that would have been on someone elses car if they parked in front

People would come from all over the continent just to see that march and I didnt dare disappoint them

A friend of mine had a saloon down the street and most times I would march the band through her saloon and back and in doing so I would clean out all of her customers who would follow us back to my place Her place had a large set of doors so one night I jumped into an MG that my bass player owned and drove it into and out of her place before anybody realized what had happened Crazy Nick No way We had some crazy customers also like Merle F Buck who played a piano concert in the rain on the street in front of the club Yes the piano belonged to the club

Im late again - gotta run Next month Ill tell you about Crazy Bart the blood run the python lady Pylon Club and EAA

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

Big Nick behind the timber at the Pylon Club

18

(Photo Courtesy Nick Rezich)

This is a series of ~hots of the Rezich Racer taken during its construction at Midway Airport (Chicago Muni to all the old hands) The aircraft is presently in the EAA Museum in much the same state as you see it here-except that the wings are nearly completed As you can see this job was hell for stout We think Big Nick must have REALL Y intended to put an Allison in it for competition in the Thompson rather than a Cont C-85 for running the Goodyear races

Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

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Antique Treasure Hunting

PART II

By J R Nielander Jr Box 2464

Fort Lauderdale Florida 33303

Introduction

Last month we presented the first of a series of articles on Antique Treasure Hunting This month we have inforshymation on the location of more rare old birds With the formation of the Antique-Classic Division of EAA the search for unrestored antique aircraft can gain new momentun Being an international organization with members in all parts of the world the EAA through its Antique-Classic Division is in a unique position to disshyseminate information on the location and condition of rare unrestored antiques so that persons interested in restoring an antique may have a better opportunity to acquire the aircraft of their choice However there can be no success in this effort without the help and cooperashytion of you the member and particularly you the foreign member Please address all correspondence either directly to this writer or to EAA Antique-Classic Division at Headshyquarters You alone may be responsible for helping to get a very rare antique aircraft back into the air

Curtiss-Wright Travel Air Sport

Curtiss-Wright introduced its Travel Air Sport Trainer Model 12 in early 1931 It was available as -Q -K or -W with the difference being Wright Gipsy Kinner 85 or Warner Scarab engines respectively The Model 12 was the two place version Later in 1931 a three place version the Model 16 was introduced and it was available as either a -K or a oW again with the difference being the engines mentioned above Production of these models for civilian consumption was short lived and ceased about the end of the year However the Model 16-W was later modified into a military primary trainer for export By 1932 the Travel Air had evolved into the Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-E which was powered by a five cylinder Wright R-540 engine of 165 horsepower This model was still being produced in 1935 It too was slightly modified and exported as a military trainer 1

Numerous Curtiss-Wright Sport Model 16-Es were

exported to Argentina One is located at Merlo Airport a few miles northwest of Buenos Aires It is hangared and is airworthy but apparently has just been continuously maintained and never completely restored There are also at least six more of these aircraft at airports in the interior of Argentina

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously any antiquer interested in acquiring one of these aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making arrangements for purshychasing and exporting it

Caudron C635 Simoun

In 1934 Rene Caudron introduced his Simoun line of four place single engine aircraft at the Paris Aeronautishycal Salon with his showing of the model C630 This was a full cantilever low wing monoplane powered by a Renault 6Pdi six cylinder inline engine of 180 horsepower The wings were constructed of wood using the two spar design planked with plywood and covered with fabric The fuselage was wood and metal construction having flat sides and rounded top and bottom with fabric covering The landing gear consisted of a single unbraced unit with strut fairings and wheel pants very similar in appearance to those of the Ryan SCW Refinements were made to the design and the horsepower was increased to 200 by using the Renault Bengali Six a six cylinder inverted inline air cooled engine Production ran several years with the model designation evolving through C631 C633 C634 and C635 and the engine models varying back and forth between 6Q-0l 6Q-07 and 6Q-09 2

There is a restorable Caudron C635 Simoun available in Portugal It is owned by Dr Crespo de Carvalho whose address is Rua de Santiago Covilha Portugal Dr Carvalho has owned the aircraft since World War II lt is located at the Aerodrome Municipal De Covilha which

is abo ut one hundred and fifty miles northeast of Lisbon More detailed information is available from Dr Carvalho

Douglas DCmiddot2

While everyone who has ever heard of or seen airshyplanes is familiar with the venerable old Douglas DC-3 many are completely unfamiliar with its predecessors the DC-l and DC-2 To the casual observer the DC-2 looks very similar to the DC-3 but there are many differshyences The most obvious are the smaller wing span and

(Pho to by Dick Stouffer)

Curtiss Wrigh t Travel Air 16E

20

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

the more narrow fuselage The DC-3 originally sea ted twenty-one passengers seven double seats on the left side of the aisle and seven single seats on the right side The DC-2 however only held fourteen passengers in seven rows of single seats on each side of the aisle The DC-2 fuselage and flat sides having a race track shaped cross section as compared with the DC-3 which had a round fuselage cross section The DC-2 was powered by two 700 horsepower Wright Cyclone engines3 Introduced in January 1933 one hundred and ninety-one DC-2s were built before introduction of the DC-3 in December 19354

There is a Douglas DC-2 complete and in apparently good condition parked in front of the Cessna dealers hangar at San Justo Airport located a few miles northshywest of Buenos Aires Argentina The outer wing panels and the tails have been removed and are standing against the wall inside the hangar but all of the parts seem to be there

This is an exceedingly rare Douglas 0-2H powered with a 400 hp LiMrty The picture was taken at Rochester N Y in 1935 The legend on the fuseage reads US Department of InteriorNational Park Service What was its mission

As with other aircraft in Argentina mentioned preshyviously and above any antiquer interested in acquiring this aircraft would be wise to make the acquaintance of a Pan American or Braniff pilot who regularly flies to Buenos Aires and enlist his aid in making preliminary arrangements

Bibliography

1 Juptner Us CIVIL AIRCRAFT Vol 5 pp 9-10 21-24 35-36 87-88 185-187

2 Stroud EUROPEAN TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT SINCE 1910 pp 88-89

3 Rolfe Dawydoff Winter Byshyn Clark AIRPLANES OF THE WORLD p 197

4 Shamburger and Christy COMMAND THE HORIZON p318

HELP These three pictures are from the collection of Robert G Elliott 1227 Oakwood Ave Daytona Beach Fla 32017 Can any of you provide him with details concerning the aircraft The shot to the left is a Waco JYM and the name on the headrest is Roger Don Rae How about this Rog (The picture was taken at Syracuse N Y in 1935)

This trim little Commandair 3C3 was snapped at Syracuse in 1935 The N number appears to be NC234E ring any bells for anyone

21

Around The AntiqueClassic World

Le Blond Engine Info

The following letter appeared in the January February issue of The Little Round Engine Flyer edited by Ken Williams of 331 E Franklin St Portage Wisconsin 53901

Dear Ken Per your questions in the latest Little

Round Engine Flyer concerning the 7 cylinder substitutions AS FAR AS I KNOW there never was a 7 cylinder model using the improved cast iron cylinder as on the 70 hp 5 cylinder engines - probably because by that time the early 5 cylinder 85 (5-DF85) developed almost as much power and was 12 to 15 Ibs lighter and simpler

However there was a 7 cylinder model that used the 85 hp steelaluminum cylinder but was an early engine without thrust bearing and was a companion to the 5DF85 My info shows it as the 7DFll0 Remember all the 0 models 5 or 7 cylinders were two bearing shaft engines From my experience with my 5 cylinder models you can put any cylinder on any case since all the cases and insides are the same And it follows that since the flange areas and cylinder skirt diameters (outside) are the same any cylinder should go on your 7 cylinder case Should be just as capable a performer as the 5DF85 except that I think that here was where they probably ran into a marginal situation on the crank shaft which caused the development of the three bearing ~ngines Probably more marginal on the 7 cylinder than on the 5s

Even though there never was a legal engine with the 70 hp iron cylinders Im sure they will fit and youll end up with a superior engine without any other problems since power would be only marginally increased by virtue of slightly higher rpm assuming it would be the same as the difference between the 5 cylinder 65 and 70 1910 versus 1950 rpm bore and stroke pistons and valves etc all the same balance the same

But I would not be above running it as it was if you can find two better cylinders

as replacements - or repair those you have Look carefully for cracks around the tip of the valve guide bosses in the parts Bosses are very skimpy Also some early cylinders have thinner boss flanges Thats the big advantage of the 70 type cylinders Not only inside valve gear but much heavier base flanges and alot of meat in the valve guide bosses - no proshyblems in those areas

Also as I think I mentioned earlier (and assuming similar problems in the 7 cylinder 90 as in the 5 cylinder 65) the spark timing is called out as 25 degrees in the 70 and 30 degrees in the 65 on the engine nameplates I have to assume they had a detonation probshylem and were occasionally blowing jugs which is why they retarded the spark 5 degrees and heavied up the cylinder base flange on the 70s

If you run either the 65 or the 70 hp cylinders on that engine use the 25 degree advance setting If you run the 85 cylinders you can turn it faster mainly because the cylinders cool better Set spark as for any 85 30 degree max A couple degrees retarded won t hurt it say 27 or 28 degrees

But to sum it up any of the 65 70 or 85 type cylinders will fit that engine and there should be no problem Go which ever way is easiest But take a good look at old cylinders - you have to be sure they are Ok first

Are you sure the two cylinders you don t like are not repairable Ive repaired a lot of broken cooling fins etc on those cylinders with silver solder (if thats what it is)

1 Sand blast cylinders 2 Grind or sand areas that you expect silver

solder to flow on 3 Make replacement pieces out of mild

steel sheet 116 thick and sand or grind Similar areas

4 Warm up entire cylinder with torch and using any suitable clamps wedges etc to hold pieces in place and with plenty flux all over solder them on

5 Grind off excess solder lumps etc Youll never see it after cylinders are painted

and the fin will be as effective as original and expansion is same as original cast iron

If you find valve guide cracks on otherwise good cylinders they can be silver soldered also unless hard to reach In any case the new guides can be silver soldered to the end of the cracked boss

Some I have found cracked and even with pieces broken out of the tip edge The cast iron is very thin there - as little as 16 in in places YOU CAN REPAIR MOST

Don t try arc welding with nickle rod Too much warpage

Ive never cracked one in the soldering proshycess iron seems quite ductile

I dont have any parts just a lot of words Yours truly Frank Luft 1631 McGregor Way San Jose Calif 95129

Culver Cadet Addendum

In the September 1974 edition of Reminiscshying With Big Nick the Great One extolled the virtues of one of his favorite airplanes the Culver Cadet Nick followed his own expershyiences with the little speedster with the story of two California dentists who attempted to fly completely around South America in their Cadet in February of 1941 He concluded with an appeal to EAAers in the San Francisco area to attempt to locate the two Drs Cecil Smith and Joseph Lorenz

It didnt take long for the word to come in A letter from Mrs Lorenz revealed that Dr Smith had been killed in an airplane crash between Redding California and San Francisco shortly after the South American adventure His wife died shortly afterward Dr Lorenz died a number of years ago also but his widow was pleased to know that her husband and his friend were still remembered and admired by aviation enthusiasts of today She sent along the two pictures that appear here - of the flying dentists preparing to depart on their epic South American adventure

(Courtesy Mrs Joseph Lorenz)

Dr Joseph Lorenz left and Dr Cecil Smith pose before climbing aboard their Culver Cadet and heading for South America The Culver would never see the US again (Thats a Monocoupe visible ahead of the Culvers prop)

22

(Courtesy Mrs Joseph Lorenz)

Dr Lorenz hand props the Cadets ground adjustable FreedmanshyBurnham propeller

CLASSIFIEDS

WANTED - Hisso engine or crankcase 150 or 180 hp to complete a BE2 project Call Mark Spry 201327-7128 22 Fabio Dr Ramsey New Jersey 07446

FOR SALE - Three low-time 175 and 200 Ranger enshygines Elmer Farris Jr 142 Preston Ave Lexingshyton Kentucky 40502

WANTED - Stinson 108-3 in excellent condition R W Ross 1700 N Williams St No 48 Valdosta Georgia 31601 Phone 912244-3235 or 8332

INFORMATION SOUGHT - Am res toring Lockheed lOA Mfg 4-38 N-241M to authentic World War II markings Any help regarding history use purshypose s ervice markings etc of the Lockheed 10 series will be greatly appreciated J R Almand 909 Dalworth St Grand Prairie Tx 75050

WANTED - One GOOD front strut for a PRE-WAR J-3 Small barrel O K Trade late model strut with sib for it For sale or trade 46 Chief less engine struts and tails Good wings and fuselage wcowling and windshield Also 125 Warner open rocker taper shaft engine Removed for 145 in Monocoupe No logs Has s tarter Dave Workman 400 South St Zanesville Ohio 43701 6141452-1636

Calendar Of Events

MAY 23-26 - HAMlLTON OHIO - Annual National Waco Fly-In Contact Ray Brandly 2650 West A1ex-BeUbrook Rd Dayton Ohio 45459

MAY 23-26 - WATSONVILLE CALIFORNIA -11th Annual West Coast Antique Aircraft Fly-In for antique classic and amateur-built aircraft Static displays flying events air show trophies Friday and Saturday night get-acquainted parties Sunday Awards Banshyquet For further information contact Watsonville Chamber of Commerce Box 470 Watsonville Calif 95076 or W B Richards 2490 Greer Road Palo Alto Calif 94303

MAY 23-26 - KENTUCKY LAKE KENTUCKY - 1975 National Swift Fly-In Contact Charlie Nelson International Swift Association Inc P O Box 644 Athens Tenn 37303

MAY 31 - JUNE 1 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Potomac Antique Aero Squadron Annual Fly-In at Horn Point Airport on the Frank DuPont estate just WSW of Cambridge Maryland Beautiful grass runways no registration fees free camping - just a super fun f1yshyin Contact Sam Huntington Fly-In Coordinator Avery Road Shady Side Maryland 20867 Phone 3011261-5190

JUNE 6-8 - ORANGEBURG SOUTH CAROLINA - 6th Annual Old South Hospitality Fly-In sponsored by EAA Chapters 242 and 249 Anshytiques and Classics welcome

JUNE 8 - ZANESVILLE OHIO - 3rd Annual EAA Chapter 425 Fly-In Breakfast Municipal Airport Contact Dave Workman 400 South St ZansviUe Ohio 43701

JUNE 12-15 - TULLAHOMA TENNESSEE - Walter H Beech Buildshying Dedication and Invitational Staggerwing and Travel Air FlyshyIn Contact The Staggerwing Museum Foundation Inc P O Box 550 Tullahoma Tenn 37388

JUNE 13-15 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Antique Airplane Association Inc Fly-ln Contact Myrna Johnson 2516 Shady Brook Dr Bedford Texas 76021 Phone 8171283-1702

JUNE 15 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - 2nd Antique-Classic and Homebuilt Fly-lnlPancake Breakfast Trophies Whitfords Airshyport Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Contact Dick Forger 204 Woodspath Rd Liverpoor N Y 13088

AUGUST 24 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Air Show and Fly-In Breakfast sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Contact Dick Forger 204 Woodspath Rd Liverpool N Y 13088

JULY 29 - AUGUST 41975 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 23rd Annual EAA Fly-In Convention Sport aviation worlds greatest event It s not too early to make plans and reservations

FLORIDA SPORT AVIATION ACTIVITIES - The very active Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association has a fly-in somewhere in the state almost every month The decision on the location of the next flyshyin is usually made on too short notice for inclusion in The Vintege Airshyplane so we recommend to all planning a Florida vacation that they contact FSAACA President Ed Escallon Box 12731 St Petersburg Florida 33733 for fly-in details Join the fun

Back Issues Of The Vintage Airplane Limited numbers of back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at $100 each Copies s till on hand at EAA Headquarters are

1973 - MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

1974- JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

1975 - JANUARY

23

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IR SERJICE CO

CLASSIFIEDS

WANTED - Hisso engine or crankcase 150 or 180 hp to complete a BE2 project Call Mark Spry 201327-7128 22 Fabio Dr Ramsey New Jersey 07446

FOR SALE - Three low-time 175 and 200 Ranger enshygines Elmer Farris Jr 142 Preston Ave Lexingshyton Kentucky 40502

WANTED - Stinson 108-3 in excellent condition R W Ross 1700 N Williams St No 48 Valdosta Georgia 31601 Phone 912244-3235 or 8332

INFORMATION SOUGHT - Am res toring Lockheed lOA Mfg 4-38 N-241M to authentic World War II markings Any help regarding history use purshypose s ervice markings etc of the Lockheed 10 series will be greatly appreciated J R Almand 909 Dalworth St Grand Prairie Tx 75050

WANTED - One GOOD front strut for a PRE-WAR J-3 Small barrel O K Trade late model strut with sib for it For sale or trade 46 Chief less engine struts and tails Good wings and fuselage wcowling and windshield Also 125 Warner open rocker taper shaft engine Removed for 145 in Monocoupe No logs Has s tarter Dave Workman 400 South St Zanesville Ohio 43701 6141452-1636

Calendar Of Events

MAY 23-26 - HAMlLTON OHIO - Annual National Waco Fly-In Contact Ray Brandly 2650 West A1ex-BeUbrook Rd Dayton Ohio 45459

MAY 23-26 - WATSONVILLE CALIFORNIA -11th Annual West Coast Antique Aircraft Fly-In for antique classic and amateur-built aircraft Static displays flying events air show trophies Friday and Saturday night get-acquainted parties Sunday Awards Banshyquet For further information contact Watsonville Chamber of Commerce Box 470 Watsonville Calif 95076 or W B Richards 2490 Greer Road Palo Alto Calif 94303

MAY 23-26 - KENTUCKY LAKE KENTUCKY - 1975 National Swift Fly-In Contact Charlie Nelson International Swift Association Inc P O Box 644 Athens Tenn 37303

MAY 31 - JUNE 1 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Potomac Antique Aero Squadron Annual Fly-In at Horn Point Airport on the Frank DuPont estate just WSW of Cambridge Maryland Beautiful grass runways no registration fees free camping - just a super fun f1yshyin Contact Sam Huntington Fly-In Coordinator Avery Road Shady Side Maryland 20867 Phone 3011261-5190

JUNE 6-8 - ORANGEBURG SOUTH CAROLINA - 6th Annual Old South Hospitality Fly-In sponsored by EAA Chapters 242 and 249 Anshytiques and Classics welcome

JUNE 8 - ZANESVILLE OHIO - 3rd Annual EAA Chapter 425 Fly-In Breakfast Municipal Airport Contact Dave Workman 400 South St ZansviUe Ohio 43701

JUNE 12-15 - TULLAHOMA TENNESSEE - Walter H Beech Buildshying Dedication and Invitational Staggerwing and Travel Air FlyshyIn Contact The Staggerwing Museum Foundation Inc P O Box 550 Tullahoma Tenn 37388

JUNE 13-15 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Antique Airplane Association Inc Fly-ln Contact Myrna Johnson 2516 Shady Brook Dr Bedford Texas 76021 Phone 8171283-1702

JUNE 15 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - 2nd Antique-Classic and Homebuilt Fly-lnlPancake Breakfast Trophies Whitfords Airshyport Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Contact Dick Forger 204 Woodspath Rd Liverpoor N Y 13088

AUGUST 24 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Air Show and Fly-In Breakfast sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Contact Dick Forger 204 Woodspath Rd Liverpool N Y 13088

JULY 29 - AUGUST 41975 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 23rd Annual EAA Fly-In Convention Sport aviation worlds greatest event It s not too early to make plans and reservations

FLORIDA SPORT AVIATION ACTIVITIES - The very active Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Classic Association has a fly-in somewhere in the state almost every month The decision on the location of the next flyshyin is usually made on too short notice for inclusion in The Vintege Airshyplane so we recommend to all planning a Florida vacation that they contact FSAACA President Ed Escallon Box 12731 St Petersburg Florida 33733 for fly-in details Join the fun

Back Issues Of The Vintage Airplane Limited numbers of back issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE are available at $100 each Copies s till on hand at EAA Headquarters are

1973 - MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

1974- JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER

1975 - JANUARY

23

~tottHLI AMS

~-RP

IR SERJICE CO

~tottHLI AMS

~-RP

IR SERJICE CO