vintage airplane - may 1984

8/12/2019 Vintage Airplane - May 1984

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PUBLICATIONSTAFFPUBLISHERPaulH. PobereznyDIRECTOR,MARKETING&COMMUNICATIONSDick Matt

EDITORGeneR ChaseMANAGINGEDITORMaryJones

EDITORIALASSISTANTNormanPetersenFEATUREWRITERGeorgeA.Hardie,Jr.

EAAANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION;INC.OFFICERSPresident

R. J. Lickteig1620BayOaksDriveAlbertLea, MN 56007.507/373-2351Secretary Treasurer

RonaldFritz E.E."Buck" Hilbert15401 SpartaAvenue P.O.Box145KentCity, MI 49330 Union,IL60180616/678-5012 815/923-4591DIRECTORS

John S. Copeland StanGomoll9JoanneDrive 104290th Lane,NEWestborough,MA01581 Minneapolis,MN 55434.617/366-7245 6121784-1172ClaudeL Gray,Jr. DaleA.Gustafson9635SylviaAvenue 7724ShadyHillDriveNorthridge,CA91324 Indianapolis,IN 46274213/349-1338 317/293-4430

RobertG.Herman Arthur R. MorganWI64 N9530WaterStreet 3744North51stBlvd.MenomoneeFalls,WI 53051 Milwaukee, WI 53216414/251-9253 414/442-3631

MortonW.Lester AIKelchP.O.Box 3747 66W. 622 N.MadisonAve.Martinsville ,VA24112 Cedarburg, WI 53012703/632-4839 414/377-5886GeneMorris John R.Turgyan24Chandelle Drive Box229,R.F.D.2Hampshire, IL60140 Wrightstown,NJ 085623121683-3199 6091758 2910S.J.Wittman GeorgeS.YorkBox 6 7 ~ 181 SlobodaAve.

Oshkosh,WI54901 Mansfield,OH 44906414/235-1265 419/529-4378

ADVISORSEspieM. Joyce, Jr. Daniel NeumanBox468 1521 BerneCircleW.Madison,NC 27025 Minneapolis, MN 55421919/427-0216 6121571 -0893

RayOlcott RoyRedman1500KingsWay Rt. 3, Box208Nokomis,FL33555 Faribault, MN 55021813/485-8139 507/334-5801S.H. "Wes" Schmid GarWilliams2359LefeberRoad NineSouth135AeroDriveWauwatosa, WI 53213 Naperville,IL60540

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MAY1984 VOL. 12,NO.5

Contents3 Straight and LevelbyBobLickteig4 AlCNewsbyGeneChase5 TheRemainderof the TalebyChetWellman6 Learningto Fly in aCessna170 SeePage5byDeborahRichardson8 ABrief History of the Nut TreeAirportbyDeborahRichardson9 Calendarof Events1 Mystery PlanebyGeorgeHardie,Jr.11 KLM's DouglasDC-2Arrives atMelbourne12 Aeronca Comes to MiddletownbyW. O.Baldwin15 Member's Projects SeePage616 Inthe Air AgainbyBettyJ.Mattson18 TheAviator Comesto Town19 '39ChiefbyGeneChase2 Stinson in aCarportbyMortonE Clark21 Lettersto the Editor

FRONTCOVER .Dick James (EAA50549,AlC 5064) taxieshisSpad VIItotheEAAAviationMuseumafterlandingat WittmanFieldattheendofa26-hourflightfromTorrance,CA.Theplane, aWWIreplicabuiltbyCarlSwanson,is on displayin theMuseumandwillbeagiftto theEAAAviationFoundation. (PhotobyRalphMosling)BACK COVER ...featuresOshkosh '84 conventionprogramcover .

ThewordsEAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM, SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosofEXPERIMENTAIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONALCONVENTION, EAA ANTIQUE & CLASSICDIVISINC., INTERNATIONALAEROBATICCLUBINC.,WARBIRDSOFAMERICAINC.,areregisteredtrademarks,TEAASKYSHOPPE and logosof the EAAAVIATIONFOUNDATIONINC.andEAAULTRALIGHTCONVENTaretrademarksof theaboveassociationsandtheir usebyanyperson otherthanthe aboveassociationsisstrprohibited.EditorialPolicy: Readers areencouraged tosubmitstoriesand photographs.Policyopinionsexpressed in artare solely thoseoftheauthors.Responsibilityforaccuracy inreporting restsentirely with thecontributor.Matshouldbe sentto:GeneR.Chase,Editor,TheVINTAGE AIRPLANE,WittmanAirfield ,Oshkosh, WI 54903-259TheVINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN0091-6943)ispublishedandowned exclusivelyby EAAAntique/ClassicDivisInc.oftheExperimentalAircraftASSOCiation, Inc.andispublishedmonthlyatWittmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI 5492591 . Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership ratesEAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc.are$18.00for current EAA members for 12month periodofwhich$12.0forthepublicationof TheVINTAGEAIRPLANE.Membershipisopen toall whoareinterested in aviation .ADVERTISING- Antique/ClassicDivisiondoesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductofferedthroughouradveing.Weinviteconstructivecriticismandwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertsothatcorrectivemeasurescanbe taken.Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoEAAAntique/ClassicDivision,Inc.,WittmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-25

2APRIL1984


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STR IGHT ND LEVELy ob Lickteig

Presidentntique/Classic Division

It won't be long before the first 30 students will be attending EAA Air Academy '84. What a thrill and experience for them , and what a gratifying feeling those of ushave who had a small part in making it all possible. Thefirst class will be made up of boys and girls ages 15 to 17from coast to coast and border to border.Chuck Larsen, Education Director for the EAA A viation Foundation, tells me he is very impressed with thequality of students applying to participate. This is whereyour Antique/Classic Division comes into playas we mayra ise money to provide this unique aviation experienceto these fine young people . I am sure we can count on theAntique/Classic Division and its members to provide thisneeded funding.And what an opportunity we have presented to thesefine young people, to become exposed to all the gloriousaspects of flight - yes, the freedom of fligh t.My wife and I had the pleasure of raising five children,and as busy as I've been all my life, I tried to expose andacquaint each one with the thrill , excitement and opportunities in aviation. Out of the five, one became involved. Perhaps a batting average of one for five fits ourindustry. Some of us like redheads, some likes blondes,and some like brunettes . . . and that 's the way it is.Now le t's look at the 35 students in our own Academy- no, not the blondes and redheads, but the numbers. Ifour batting average is one for five, that means we willstart six or seven of these students on the road leading toan aviation career. No, I wouldn't bet that all will end upin the left seat, but aviation today and tomorrow offershundreds ofindustry opportunities in a variety ofcareers.The current aviation community is responsible forhundreds of thousands of jobs and professions, and pleaseremember we are not very old. The progress made in aviation the first 80 years is astounding and like Al Jolsonsaid, "You ain t seen nothing yet "Maybe we take too many things for granted today, andI wonder if we ever realize that nowhere else in the worldcould anything like this happen bringing a group of15 to 17 year olds together for an experience like this andhands-on learning of this style . The program has beenexpanded to include introductory flights , a little dual, alittle fun, and in what - you guessed it - J-3 Cubs Cananyone think of a better place to start? I volunteered theuse of my son's J -3 and old Dad is looking forward to ridingin the front seat.I am eager for the privilege of meeting the first classof students at our Academy. What a cross-section they

represent of this great country. Our students are youngand bright, with eyes as big as the wheels on Lindbergh'sSpirit of St. Louis. And what a tribute to the one who hadthe foresight and vision to bring EAA to where it is today.Once again we can all tip our hats to our President, Mr .Paul Poberezny.It won't be too long before some of us will be hangingup our scarves and goggles, and these young people willpick up from there and carry aviation on into the spaceage .

So what s next? This being our first year, we are allinvolved in a learning curve, but it is the first step towarda wonderful and most ambitious goal. The EAA AirAcademy and its programs will undoubtedly be expandedin years to come.So at this time I speak for each and every student ofthe EAA Air Academy Class of '84 - thanks to each ofyou Antique/Classic Division members who made thispossible. And what a tribute to our Division for supporting such a wonderful and exciting program as OshkoshAir Academy '84.It 's going to be a great year and a great convention.Make the Antique/Classic area your headquarters forOshkosh '84.

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~ wU Compiled by Gene ChaseOFFICIAL 1984 EAA CONVENTION

VIDEO TAPE OFFEREDThe EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series will offeran official video tape of EAA '84. For the first time, aspecial EAA video team will capture the color and excitement of the EAA Oshkosh Convention. The one-hour EAA'84 documentary will feature the airplanes, personalities,air shows, press conferences and forums of the eight-daycelebration of flight. Only EAA has the experience toproduce this unique and dazzling view of the world's great

est aviation event. The EAA '84 video tape is offered toEAA members at a special pre-convention discount priceof $39.00. Order your video tape today by sending yourcheck or money order to EAA Aviation Foundation VideoSeries - EAA '84 Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 549032591. Please specify VHS or Beta .

PIPER LIFT STRUT FITTINGFAILURE

Fatigue failures of the lower attach fork fittings onhigh wing Piper lift struts continue to be reported to theFAA . Problems with cracked forks date back to 1958.Since that time airworthiness directives, emergency airworthiness directives and numerous AD amendmentshave been issued by the FAA on the subject.

Preventative actions in the form of AD mandatoryrepetitive inspections and the installation of improvedforks have effectively brought the problem under control.Nevertheless , the FAA continues to receive reports fromA&P's on cracked forks. Since October 1980, FAA engineering has had 60 forks returned to them from A&P'sreported as cracked. Upon a thorough re-inspection byFAA engineering, all forks were found to be, in fact, notcracked at al l .

t is therefore clear that some A&P's are not onlyinspecting the forks improperly but they are also incurringunnecessary costs and sending shock waves through theranks of Piper owners.The Piper aircraft models affected are:

J-3, J-4, L-4, J-5 , PA-11, PA-12, PA-14, L-14, PA-15,PA-16, PA-17, PA-18, L-18, PA-19, PA-20, L-21,PA-22, AE-1, HE-I.Although forks are relatively easy to inspect, com

pliance with all the requirements of the AD is very complicated.- The rules vary depending upon the airplane modelinvolved and 19 models are involved.- The rules vary between seaplanes and landplanes.- Four old part numbers are involved and four newnumbers are involved.- New forks look just like old forks. Piper has provided no obvious identification to distinguishbetween new and old forks .- Piper does not reply to written requests fromA&P's for their recommended inspection procedures to detect cracks.

Because of the serious consequences resulting from acracked fork, the Authorized Inspectors Association hasprepared a free Airworthiness Inspection Bulletin whichis available to any Piper owner and any A&P who requestsit. Send a 4 x 9f stamped, self-addressed envelope to:AlA , P .O. Box 464, Goldenrod, FL 32733-0464.The Authorized Inspections Association is a group ofunpaid A&P's who are tired of complacency in aviationand are working to clarify and simplify maintenance andFAR problems confronting A&P's and aircraft owners.

FUNK SERIAL NO 1 S SOUGHTThe Funk Aircraft Owners Association is searching forFunk NX14100, SN 1 which was last reported to be in

the Hudson or Alliance, Ohio area. Contrary to some belief, SN 1 was not flown to Coffeyville, Kansas andchanged to S N 13. Number 13 was pulled off the line inAkron, Ohio and used as an experimental test bed. SN 1had been given to an employee long before that. The lastword on it was when Joe Funk saw it sitting on the Hudson, Ohio airstrip during WW II.

Anyone having information concerning this aircraft isasked to contact G Dale Beech, Editor of The FunkFlyer, 1621 Dreher St., Sacramento, CA 95814.

BUCKER JUNGMANNPROPELLERS

The Bucker Jungmann News Letter reports that agood source for propellers for these popular aerobaticplanes is Edward Sterba, Aircraft Propellers, 3209 S.Woods, McHenry, IL 60050, 815/455 2575. Ed has a shopon a small airport and will make props for the 150 Tigreengine just like the originals for th e 125 Tigre.

This newsletter is edited by Chris Arvanites, 425 Cumberland Lane, Bolingbrook, IL 60439. 3121759-6821.

SPARTAN ALUMNI FLY-INAlumni of Spa rtan School of Aeronautics and ownersof Spartan aircraft are invited to a fly-in June 8-9 (Friday

and Saturday) at George Mall's famous International Business Aircraft, Inc. at Tulsa (Oklahoma) InternationalAirport. The program will include the Spartan AlumniAnnual Meeting. For details contact Karla Morrow orVern Foltz, Spartan Alumni Office, P .O. Box 51133, Tulsa,OK 74151.

EAA AIR ACADEMY '84EAA Air Academy '84 needs a few good EAAcraftsmen to provide hands-on instruction in workshop

activities . Individuals skilled in the crafts required tobuild, restore and maintain aircraft are needed to workhand-in-hand with participating youth to pass the loveand skills of aviation so dear to EAAers' hearts: An experienced sheet metal aircraft builder (or builders) is alsoneeded to prepare and supervise the construction of theMONI to be assembled during the Academy from July 15through August 4 this summer. Consider expanding yourOSHKOSH EXPERIENCE by instructing in the new EAAprogram for youth . For details contact Chuck Larsen,Director of Education at the EAA Aviation Center

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The ~ e l l a i n d e r f The Taley Chet Wellman EAA 759, AlC 1115)406 Napoleon StreetRockford, IL 61105I enjoyed the two-part story in the November and December 1983 issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE by Ted

Businger entitled A Kid's View of the 1937 National AirRaces . I was particularly interested in the top paragraph on page 9 of the December issue regarding GusGotch and the troubles he had with the Schoenfeldt-Riderracer named Firecracker . t seems that Gus had troubles with the gear mechanism, but more serious was theproblem with the magnetos cutting out. Tony LeVierpiloted the plane in 1938 and mastered the gear raisingmechanism , but at times was plagued by the magnetoscutting out. t continued in 1939 and now we come tothe rest of the story.In 1975 at the EAA Convention in Oshkosh, we honored and had an Aviation Greats Day. All of the famous,great names of aviation were invited and all who wereable to come attended , including Ma tty La ird, Fish Salmon , Tony LeVier, Ed and Bob Granville , Claude Ryan ,Eldon Cessna, Bernie Pietenpol and others. On Wednesday afternoon, the EAA Officers, Directors and the Aviation Greats were invited to Steve Wittman's house at 4:00o'clock. A large tent had been erected, which housed thetables heavily laden with sumptuous food for the eveningdinner, and an open ba r. There were tables for sitting inthe tent and also out on Steve's beautiful lawn . The ideawas to watch the evening air show and imbibe a fewdrinks, but largely to renew old acquaintances andfriendships while enjoying Steve's hospitality and goodfood . Needless to say , it was a tremendous success andprobably should be repeated.Director Van White and I were seated at a table , closelyadjacent to the open ba r, engaging in conversation withFish Salmon and Tony LeVier. The conversation continued for some time and finally the talk turned to theCleveland Air Races. (Unfortunately, neither Van nor Ihad a tape recorder present, as the stories were priceless.At any rate , Tony'was telling us about the trouble he hadwith the magnetos of the Firecracker. The mags had been

(Photo b y Lee Fray)Some of the Aviation Greats at Steve andDorothy Wittmans party during Oshkosh75 L-R: Ed Granville, Len Povey, Ma ttyLaird, Paul Poberezny, Eldon Cessna,Tony LeVier, Fish Sa lmon and the eversmiling Steve Wittman.

worked on by the best mechanics and had been twicerebuilt by Bendix. In 1939, Tony flew his qualifying lapat full bore and the engine never missed a beat .During the Greve Race everything was going fine forTony until the 9th lap when 10 and behold, the magsstarted acting up and Tony was forced to land . Later Tony,

with help , pushed the plane into an almost empty hangarand he thought he was alone. He gave the tires a healthykick, venting his anger on the plane, as well as calling itseveral derogatory names.Suddenly he heard someone say , Tony, you're goingto break your toe , but I know how you feel. What's the

matter? Tony turned and saw a tall , young man therewith a broad grin on his face.Tony explained his problem with the mags runningfine for 6 or 7 laps and then cutting out, and added thatnobody had been able to fix them.The young man with the grin said, Tony, I had the

same problem and the way I fixed it was to make two scoopvents about 2-3 inches across to direct cooling air to themags. At full bore, the mags are turning very fast andheat builds up and the coils foul ou t. ry it and I am sureyou will be rid of the problem.The young man with the grin turned to leave and Tonysaid, Wait, Steve, I want to thank you and SteveWittman said, There's no need for you to thank me Tony- just get that plane back in the ai r.Back in the tent, Tony said, Of course, the fix workedand he raised his glass (as we did) to drink a toast to SteveWittman for his unselfish devotion to air racing, as wellas several other toasts to Steve for his helpfulness, sterlingcharacter and, yes , even for his famous grin.

The moral of th is story is t{ point out the type of manour own Steve Wittman is. He willingly gave his knowledge and experience to a competitor, who might defeathim , in order to get him back in the air. Steve is trulycompletely devoted to the cause of aviation and a tremendous credit to EAA.

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By Deborah RichardsonEAA 182182, AlC 7171

45 Los AltosAmerican Canyon, CA 94589Learning o ly n A Photos by Author Except as Noted)C6essna170

Debbie and Jim Richardson and their 170.

t all began, this love for flying, with my first airplaneride at the age of eight in a transcontinental, ear-shattering 12-hour trip in a TWA Constellation. This wasduring the phase-out of the propeller-driven transportsand I was somewhat saddened, upon subsequent flights,to be hurried along my journey in a jet. There is something romantic and courageous about listening to thedrone of four round engines and watching the red glowfrom the exhaust at night while lumbering noisily overunseen territory.

t began again, this love of being airborne, when myhusband bought a two-place open cockpit homebuiltairplane. t was not until its second year of ownership thatI overcame my apprehension of homebuilts when I grewweary of staying on the ground while all the fun wasclearly happening in the air. I crawled into the confinesof its cramped front cockpit to be taken for a ride thatwould never fade from memory .

The little plane had no electrical system or intercomand we invented a primitive set of hand signals in casethis adventure needed to be shortened. I again told myhusband, Ji m , that I wasn't enthusiastic about flying inan airplane built by a total stranger in his equally strangegarage . After being strapped in, I held the brakes as theplane was propped to life, we began our trek to the dirtrunway. Appearing as if dressed for Halloween in helmetand goggles, I weakly nodded to his Ready to go? Rattling down the dirt strip, dust billowing behind us, windsteadily increasing its caress, we were quickly airborneand climbing above the treetops. Such unconfined joy wasthat first flight6 MAY 984

I became my husband's constant flying companion,incessant were my urgings to be taken aloft. Always unconvinced when I was told it was too windy, or ceiling toolow, or the runway too muddy to fly, I began entertainingthoughts of learning this delicate balancing act, this artof flying. After serving us faithfully for 2 2 years, ourhomebuilt airplane was traded for a '53 Cessna 170B toserve as my training airplane.My training was most eventful. We moved fromSchellville Airport, a haven for antiques south of Sonoma,California, to the Nut Tree's paved runway where Cessna152's are in abundance. My quest for locating a CFI current in taildraggers and competent in 170's took me sixmonths. My lessons were marked by long interruptions bypoor weather and mechanical malfunctions. My instructor, Richard Atherton, also was working at Trans Airferrying Cessnas from the factory in Wichita to the NutTree where they were fitted with long range fuel tanksand flown to Hawaii, New Zealand and beyond. I wasaveraging one lesson a week.

In time my lessons became more frequent as were theunusual events that accompanied them . t was during myearly hours of flight instruction near Yolo County Airportthat the first of these events occurred. It is common forthe farmers in the valley to burn their crops when the crophas yielded its last, creating poor visibility and an unforgettable aroma . I was busy struggling with stalls whenRichard and I smelled smoke. We scanned the area forfields aflame but the sky was clear and the expected columns of smoke were absent. The electrical system was

Debbie became her husband Jim s constant flying companionn this nifty Spezio Tuholer, N4498.


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Photo by Jim Richardson)Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B, N9277.

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted. Since we wereover an airport, the threat of danger was minimized andI thought this to be very thrilling . Probably very expensive, but thrilling. Upon landing, Richard discovered thatan errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stackof the engine, which created my first in-flight emergency. That bit of excitement taught me the value of ameticulous pre-flight.

Shortly before my first solo, my lessons were comprisedof touch and goes. Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrentproblem and chose this day to behave badly. Toward theconclusion of the lesson, no amount of rudder and brakecould keep me on the centerline of the runway . After afew of these maddening landings , I declared that I'd hadenough for the day. Upon rolling the airplane into thehangar, it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbeda hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which becamecocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing.

Spin training was made a requirement for me since Ialways managed to spin the airplane on my attempts toduplicate my n ~ t r u t o r accelerated stalls. I never became proficient in this type of stall but I did master spinsand the ever-popular spin recovery.

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautifulsummer day, a holiday falling on a Monday and the NutTree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse. I wasmost uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and thethrongs of spectators lined up alongside the runway . Thatwas the moment, on the busiest day of the summer, thatI chose to "drive" my airplane off the runway aftertouchdown.

Summoning all its courage, the 170 aimed itself carefully between the runway lights doing itself no harm andcame to rest beside the runway in the weeds. I sank in theseat, covered my red face with my hands and begged myinstructor to get me out ofhere . Being good-natured andquite used to our eventful exploits, Richard taxied back tothe runway and the onlookers became smaller and lessfierce as we climbed away.Upon turning final during my next approach, the prying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present, inever-increasing numbers, anxiously waiting. I, too , wasanxiously waiting. Somehow I regained my shaken confidence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making anacceptable landing. Richard, between waves of laughter,told me his only thought during our unexpected detourthrough the weeds was that his parents spent a mere fortune straightening his teeth and I wa s doing everythingpossible to knock out a few of them .

My landings became a source of amusement for thelocals at the Nut Tree. The runway was closed for a monthfor re surfacing and the plane was moved to the NapaAirport, uprooting her from her hangar and apologetically tying her down in the only space available, in theweeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds.The day the Nut Tree's new runway was opened, evenbefore the centerline was painted , I decided to be among 'the first to land on the new surface. My eagerness toland resulted in a bounce or two. Jimmy Rollison, mydear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 , of whichI am a former member, reported in the newsletter:"Debbie Richardson doesn't know the bumps have beenremoved from the runway since she 's still bouncingdown it ."

CFI Richard Atherton, Debbie s flight instructor.

As the months rolled by , it became clear that thedreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon. Aswith finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers,finding l tn appropriately qualified examiner posed thesame problem. I finally located Ken McIntosh, anexaminer who had some time in 170's. He agreed to meetme at the Antioch Airport for aviation's version of theChinese Water Torture. I faced th is with alternating feelings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination.Determination became the victor and I put together acommendable performance and caused myself not a moment of disgrace. I spent the rest of the day basking inthe glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable . Aheady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched thatof my first unsure flight in my husband 's tiny homebuilt.I've come full circle VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7


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p a ~ I f J I I S T O ~ Y OfTJ IE f lUT T ~

By Deborah Richardson(E 182182, lC 7171 )145 Los ltosmerican Canyon, CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree viation CollectionExcept s Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold andwas rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil ofCalifornia. He returned to Iowa to gather up his familyand eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranchin the spring of 1855. He planted fruit trees and in 1860planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trailthat passed his ranch providing welcome shade for wearytravelers in the hot Sacramento Valley .

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continuedfor two generations, and in 1920, the third generationtook over . In July 1921 Josiah Allison's granddaughter,Helen and her husband, Edwin Power, set up a fruit standunder the giant walnut tree. This was the beginning ofthe Nut Tree a prune tray, rocking chair, SaturdayEvening Post magazine , an American flag and a signproclaiming The Nut Tree .

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and bythe mid 30 s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogersand Herbert Hoover. More recently, visitors includedaviators Bob Hoover, Chuck Yeager and novelist ErnestGann . In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Rail-road was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager. Chuck was the featured speakerfo r the 1977 Rotary Fly-In.

Bob Hoover and his P 51 with Ern ie Gann, Scotty Morris andChuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In.

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager Photo by Deborah RichardsonRuss Mackey, May 1968, on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna Aer ial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984.195. Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying asLear jet captain for Cl ay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport.8 MAY 1984


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new Nut Tree Airport.In 1970 the Nu t Tree Airport was donated to SolanoCounty and underwent an extensive expansion. In thisage of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeingairports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airport ha s in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feetto the north, addition of an ILS, new ha ngars, additionalFBOs and a jet fueling capability . The airport is also thesite for the annual Vacaville Air Fair.Ed Power, Jr . is continuing the rich tradition of theNut Tree . A pilot, Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a54 Cessna 170B that will emerge, after a new paint job,as N8NT. He al so owns a Ryan STA that is in storageawa iting restoration.

The Nu t Tree Rai lroad st ill leisure ly chugs passengersthrough th e Nut Tree grounds to the desti nation of therestaura nt plaza and toy shop wh ere adult-sized rockinghorses stand ready to be ridden. The gift shop offers adizzying array of aviation post ers , photos, post cards,books and original gifts created on Nu t Tree premises.Also offered is a well-stocked supply of ae ronau tical chartsand informat ion regarding flight into Mexico.Du r ing wa rm summer months, the Nut Tree hostsWestern bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished

with live music and dancing, Western style. Walt Disneywould have been pleased with the Nut Tree.Editors ote: The ut Tree is located at Vacaville,California about 30 mi les southwest of Sacramento

C LEND R OF EVENTSWe would like to list your aviation event in our calendar. Please sendinformation to the Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield,Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591. Information must be received at least twomonths in advance of the issue in which it will appear.MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassicChapter 3 Fly-In. Antiques, Classics, Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome.Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday. Contact: EspieJoyce, P. O. Box 88, Madison, NC 27025. Day : 919/427-0216; evening:919/427-0374. .MAY 18-20- COLUMBIA, CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental LuscombeAssoc. Fly-In. Contests . Forums by Luscombe Company alumni. Hope tohave over 100 Luscombes attending. Contact; Loren Bump, 5736 EsmarRd, Ceres, CA 95307.MAY 18 2 HAYWARD, CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race.Proficiency air race with no handicap. Student pilots welcome. Factory-builtantique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in sevenhours welcome. $500 cash prize. Contact Hayward Air Race Committee,20301 Skywest Drive, Hayward, CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151581-2345, ext. 5285.MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique AirplaneFly-In. Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadronsponsors. Banquet Saturday May 19. No rain date. Contact Bernie Funk;

3 1 /663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810.MAY 19-20 - CHINO, CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display.1984 theme is: Salute to U.S. Mar ine Aviation: Pappy Boyington and adozen-plus Corsairs will be there. Contact The Air Museum, Planes ofFame, WW II, Cal-Aero Field, 7000 Merrill Avenue, Chino, CA 91710.

714/597-3514.MAY 19 - HAMPTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation FleaMarket at Hampton Airfield. (Rain date Sunday, May 20th) Fly in, drive in,bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome. No lees . Anything aviationrelated OK. Food available from 11 :00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Contact 603/9646749 or v ~ n i n g s 603/964-6632.MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON, KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly- In sponsored byGreater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association atAmelia Earhart Airport in Atchison. Pot-luck dinner Friday, Awards banquetSaturday. Accommodations available at Benedictine College, motels andcamping. 80 and 100 octane fuel available. For information contact LynnWendl, Fly-In Chairman, 8902 Pflumm, Lenexa, KS 66215, 913/888-7544

or John Krekovich , President, 7801 Lowell, Overland Park, KS 66214,913/648-1279.MAY 28 - PT. PLEASANT, WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial DayFly-in, Drive-in Breakfast, Mason County Airport. Sponsored by the WestVirginia 99 's. Serving begins at 8 :00 a.m. Contact: Lois A. Fida, 308 N.York St. , Wheeling , W. VA 26003.JUNE 1, 2, & 3 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced WestCoast Antique Fly-In. Merced Municipal Airport . Fabulous air show Saturday and Sunday. Free transportation to Castle Air Museum. Contact: DeeHumann, Registration Cha irman, Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In, P.O. Box 2312, Merced, CA 95344 or phone 209/358-3487.JUNE 3 - DEKALB, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-ln/Drive-lnBreakfast. 7 a.m. to nocno DeKalb Munic ipal Airport . Contact: Gerry Thornhill, P. O. Box 125, Hampshire, IL 60140, 3121683-2781 .JUNE 3 - CADIZ, OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-In/Drive-In breakfast at HarrisonCounty Airport starting at 8 a.m. Airshow in p.m. co-sponsored by E. F.Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority. For informationcall 614/942-8313.JUNE 8-9 - TULSA, OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in atInternational Business Aircraft, Inc . Tulsa International Airport. All Spartanaircraft owners are especially invited . Contact: Karla Morrow or Vern Fo ltzat Spartan Alumn i Office, P.O. Box 51133, Tulsa, OK 74151 .JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN, OHIO - Aeronca Fly- In. Again with tours,banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards .

Contact: Jim Thompson, Box 102, Roberts IL 60962, Phone 217/395-2522.JUNE 8-10 - DENTON, TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Association 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport. For information contact Ralph &Bonnie Stahl, Box 115-X, Roanoke, TX 76262, 817/430-8589.

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - 1st Annual Poker RunlTreasure Hunt starting at 10:00 a.m. Sponsored by W. VA. Mountaineer 99's.Contact Morgan Hapeman, Cha irman, 81 1 Worthington Drive, Bridgeport,W. VA 26330. Phone 304/842 -6813.JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill RoseFarms, 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (North/South 2500 foot sod strip).Stearmans, Ryans and others invited. Picture-taking , hangar flying, etc .before brunch at 11 :00 a.m. Contact Bev 3121381 -5700.JUNE 15-17- PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association- Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In. Contact: Luke Reddout, Rt. 2,Box 269, Newcastle, OK 73065 or Dick Fournier, Rt. 3, Box 82, Wellston ,

OK 74881 .JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 3 rd Annua l EAA Ultralight Convention. Contact EAA Headquarters for information , Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 , 414/426-4800.JUNE 16-17 - CLARK, SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In, camp-in for Aeroncas,Clark County Airport. Contact Aeronca Lover's Club , Box 3, Clark, SD57225 or call Buzz at 605/532-3852.JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA, KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUNFly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS). Early bird hamburger fry (free) 6-7 p.m. Friday . Contests, Fly-bys, judging and awardsbanquet Saturday. Trophies awarded in ultralight, antique/classic, homebuilt, warbird, and craftmanship classes. Contact: Keven Drewelow 9131272-4916 or Andy Walker 913/685-3228.JUNE 28-30 - RUTH, CALIFORNIA - Meyer's Aircraft Owner 's AnnualFly-In at Flying Double A Ranch. Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s

and the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400. Contact. David L. Ha llstrom, P.O. Box4280, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.JUNE 3O-JULY 1 - DAYTON, OHIO - Morane Airport. Luscombe Association Fly-In. Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday andpossibly Saturday. Forums and camping facilities. Motels nearby. Contact:

John Bright, 436 Stuart St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007. 616/344-0958.JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 25th Annual National WacoReunion. Contact National Waco Club, 700 Hill Ave. , Hamilton, OH 45015.JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - T hi rd Annual Aeronca Fly-In. Awards.Contact Antique Airplane Association , Route 2, Box 172, Ottumwa, IA52501 515/938-2773 or The Aeronca Club, 1432 28th Ct. , Kenosha, WI53140, 414/552-9014.JULY 6-8 --: MINDEN, NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson ClubFly-In. Contact: George Leamy, 117 Lanford Road, Spartanburg, SC29301 , phone 803/576-9698.JULY 6 -8 - A LL IA NCE, OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-In/Reunion atBarber airport, 3 miles north of Alliance. Factory tours, forums, and manyother activities. Contact: Bruce Bixler, at 216/823-9748.JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft OwnersAssociation Fly-In. For information contact: Ray Pahls, President, 454 S.

Summitlawn, Wichita, KS 67209.JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH , WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-InConvention. Start making your plans now to attend the World's GreatestAviation Event. Contact EAA , Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 ,414/426-4800.AUGUST 5:-11 - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - 16th Annual International

Cessna 170 Association Convention. Contact Ovid Bonham, 1138Middlebrooke Drive, Liberty, MO 64068 8161781-2279.AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual International Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention . Contact EAA Headquarters for information. Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591, 4141

426-4800.AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 AviationHistory Day, in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of GrandHaven. Trophies for best antique or classiC plane, best replica or 213 scaleand the plane coming the farthest. All events free to the public.AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK - Antique, classic, homebuiltfly-in. Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 . Whitfords Airport. Pancake Breakfast - Air Show. Field closed 2-5. Contact Herb Livingston, 1257 GallagherRoad, Baldwinsville, NY 13027.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9


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1 .

MYSTERYPLANE

By George Hardie Jr.

No, it's not a Gee Bee racer, although there is a strikingresemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in1931. This is another example of a designer attempting tocash in on the generous prizes being offered at air showsin the lean Depression years. This month's Mystery Planewas built during that period. Its lackluster performancewas a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity.Answers will be published n THE VINT GEAIRPLANE August 1984 issue.

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THEVINTAGE IRPL NE was not really a mystery to severalreaders. t is an Ireland amphibian, Model N2 Neptune ,built in Garden City, NY probably in 1927. However, itsexact serial number in the sequence of construction isopen to question. An ad appeared in the March, 1928 issueof Aero Digest, page 477, offering an open cockpit Neptune for sale with the license number X-709, indicatingit may have been the prototype. Our Mystery Neptunebore the license number NC9760, indicating it was builtbefore C9788 shown in Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft, Volume 2, page 151.Besides the modification incorporating an enclosedcabin, C9788 had sweptback wings; also, the stiffenersalongside the hull , as shown on NC6813 on page 153 inJuptner's, were eliminated and the model number waschanged to N2B.But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo,East Meadow, New York, who writes:I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to1932. t was one of only a few of the J-5 models made, thelater model 'Neptune ' had a Wasp or J-6 engine, the cabinwas enclosed, and the upper wing had sweep-back. TheJ-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm, theirchief engineer. The plane was built at the old CurtissField at Mineola, Long Island in the same hangar thatwas taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School.The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classedas a STOL plane. Its performance was fantastic. I flew itfor about 1500 hours barnstorming. This ship did notporpoise, nor did the pilot ever get s much as a drop ofwater during take-offs, landings or taxiing regardless ofthe wind. It was an open cockpit plane. Water never madecontact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers. Thiscannot be said of our modern amphibians or flying boats.I've barnstormed in small lakes , some a few thousandfeet above sea level, and I doubt that some of our modernamphibians could get out of them. My take-offs in smalllakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step, then turninto the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-offwhile the ship was in the turn and still on the step. Manytimes the left wing float was the last part of the boat toleave the water on the turn. fyou want any other information, please contact me .1 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood, Texas comes the following: The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 'Neptune ' powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial. This four orfive place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progenyof G. Sumner Ireland, who was earlier associated withGlenn Curtiss. Ireland previously produced the 1925three-place OX-5 'Comet' and the three or four place'Meteor' of 1926 with the OX-5, Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4Whirlwind. An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926evolved into the 'Neptune' which with J-5 power wasgranted Group 2 Memo No. 2-16 on November 16 , 1928.The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B 'Neptune' whichwas powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was grantedATC No. 153 in May, 1929. The 450 hp P&W Wasp 'Neptune' was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No. 248 onOctober 4, 1929. The latter two types sported enclosedcabins for five . (Ref: U.S. Civil Aircraft by Juptner, Vol.2, page 151 and Vol. 3, page 141.)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes, ParkForest, IL; Raymond D. Kuhl, St . Petersburg, FL; RoyCagle, Juneau , AK; Dick Gleason, Austin , MN; LynnTowns, Eaton Rapids, MI; John Lengenfelder, Lawrenceville, NJ; Russ Brown, Lyndhurst , OH; Ted Businger,Willow Springs, MO; Dave Gauthier, Auburn, WA; RexRichards , Lancaster, CA; Tom Giddens, Lancaster, CA;and Mike Rezich, Chicago, IL


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KLMs DOUGLAS -2ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday, February 5, 1984, at 11.49 hours localtime (00.49 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Douglas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) atthe Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force,near Melbourne, under a brilliant blue sky.Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base togive the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warmwelcome.

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smiling broadly at the loudly cheering crowd, this marked theend of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21,822 kms.during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries.

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne wasno exception. Everywhere the old lady , which was thename given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer BonneP ijpstra, touched down on its long journey from theNetherlands to Australia, it was the focal point of greatand enthusiastic interest.

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstructionof an important episode in aviation history, but graduallytook on the character of a promotion tour, in which thename ofthe Netherlands as a transport and trading nationreceived unique publicity.

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton A irpo rt, Mel-bourne, ustralia.TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a fewyears ago, when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company(NOS) decided to make a documentary about the significance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation.The basic theme of this documentary was to be thelegendary flight of the Uiver, the KLM Douglas DC-2which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air racefrom London to Melbourne in 1934.In organizing this air race to commemorate the centenary of the Australian state of Victoria, the chocolate

manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonstrate that it was possible to operate a regular air servicebetween England and Australia with the state oftechnology as it was at that time.

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman, founderof KLM. He decided to take part in the race with his latestaircraft, the Douglas DC-2, an airplane made completelyof metal, built in the United States , which first appeared

on the market in 1934. The DC-2, an aircraft whichbrought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation andits design, has in fact been the model for every passengeraircraft produced since.

t was understandable that KLM supported the ideasof MacPherson Robertson. After all the company had beenoperating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands andIndonesia since 1929, at that time the longest scheduledflight in the world. KLM's participation in the LondonMelbourne Race was a great success. Despite anemergency landing, which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver wasforced to make due to bad weather conditions on the racetrack of the Australian town of Albury, 250 km, from thefinishing line, the crew succeeded in coming first in thehandicap section and second in the speed section.

The New UiverThe plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight wereborn when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was disco

vered in the United States.The owner consented to make his plane available tothe NOS .The KLM offered to take the technical and operationalorganization of the project in hand. The company's Technical Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft athorough overhaul and, among other things, installedmodern communication and navigation equipment for itslong flight to Australia.The KLM also supplied the crew. Captain for the flightwas Jan Plesman, First Officer on the Boeing 747 andgrandson of Albert Plesman, who founded KLM in 1919.Co-pilot was Fred Schouten, also First Officer on the Boeing 747 . Bonne Pijpstra, a retired Boeing 747 Flight Engineer, and Tom Degenaars, in daily life a KLM Operations Officer at Schiphol , were selected as the Flight Engineers.

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to coverthe many costs involved in repeating the LondonMelbourne flight .

.In addition to a large number of companies, the Dutchgovernment was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiverproject.Furthermore, the Uiver Memorial Foundation securedthe support of more than 13,000 individual donors. t wastheir financial contribution which made it possible for aunique piece of aviation history to be repeated and recorded on film.

The participation of the Dutch government in the project was also understandable. The Douglas DC-2 and itscrew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting theNetherlands during the repeat of the Uiver's famousflight, which took place from December 18, 1983 (departure Amsterdam) to February 5,1984 (arrival Melbourne.

During the last leg of the journey, between Albury andMelbourne, the Australian Minister of Aviation, Mr .Beazly; the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (ExportPromotion), Mr. Bolkestein; the Dutch Ambassador toAustralia, Mr. Plug and Mr. Van Ameyden, ManagingDirector of KLM, were on board the Uiver as guests ofhonor .The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks thebeginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia,headed by Mr . Bolkenstein, during which visits will bepaid to Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.

Editors Note: This information was supplied by Ms.Laura Fresco, Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Founda-tion in Amsterdam. Earlier coverage of this 50th anniver-sary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THEVINTAGE AIRPLANE.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE


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Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Midd letown on December 18, 1939. L-R: F. H McGraw, general cont ractor; Carl Wooten,Aeronca Sales Manager; Giles Barton, Aeronca Plant Superintendent; Carl Friedlander, President of Aeronca holding shovel withdirt) and Jim Weagle, Aeronca Chief Engineer. The three men in the background are employees of McGraw.p7 Ilid R2 llid R2 1_ PAllid q I J _ R . . . Alb( llid J 1_ g qUI_ q _ I 'AEitO CA COMES TO By W O. Wally Baldwin6467 Locust LaneFranklin , OH 45005

(Photos From The uthor's Collection)MIDDLETOW. . . . . q ItR 1 _ . IlidRV 1 R Alb( R stl_ R Ilid AI_ J .. . RgAit It AIlJ V It ..

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation of America, find-ing its original plant at Cincinnati, Ohio wholly in-adequate to the constantly increasing demands forAeronca planes, and prompted by a devastating flood ofthe plant facilities, decided to make a move and constructa new factory.

Many citizens of the city of Middletown, Ohio, theIndustrial Development Commission, and GeorgeWedekind, Sr . convinced the firm s management thattheir city should be the world headquarters of theAeronautical Corporation of America. Wedekind wasmanager of the airport at Middletown.

Ground was broken on December 18, 1939 for the newAeronca plant on the Middletown Airport. One of theoriginal factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnati sLunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved toMiddletown. t is still in use today. All of the other build-ings were newly constructed. The original building thatwas moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporationfactory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in thelate twenties at Lunken Airport.On June 11, 1940 the new plant was officially opened.Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebrationwere Rap W. Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Com-pany , W. T. Piper of Piper Aircraft, and C. G Taylor ofTaylor Aircraft. U. S. Marine Corps Major Al Williamswas the featured speaker at the dinner party that night.Also on that day, the first plane manufactured inMiddletown , an Aeronca Chief, was delivered to its newowner, Mr . E. C. Sutton of Richmond, Virginia. At thattime the production schedule called for 200 planes permonth.12 MAY 1984

On August 10, 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacturer to receive the Army Navy E Award.

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 0-58B). Note red circle in star insigniaand cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequencyradio antenna wire.


13/24

Subsequently the company's name was changed to theAeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadilyforward in the light plane industry. In a short 18 monthsafter the new plant opened, America was thrust into WorldWar II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor andAeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders. Thecolor of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds,yellows and blues to olive drab and silver.

The sight of Aeronca L-3 0-58) trainers , TG-5 gliders,and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance ofthe airport from a civilian field to a military field. Aeroncabuilt the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild. FromDec. 7, 1941 to VJ Day , Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s, 375PT-23s, 253 TG-5 gliders , and 1,472 L-3s 0-58s) for atotal of 2,720 military aircraft. They also produced manytail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17.Almost overnight this small airplane company was in thebig league in the war effort.

On August 10, 1943 Aeronca received the Army NavyE Award, the first light airplane company to be so honored. A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloteda B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occasion.

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take off dolly.

Aeronca 5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II.

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery ofAeronca built PT 23s in November 1942.

Aeronca built PT 19A at Middletown in 1943.

The Aeronca factory in 1943. Sixteen brand new PT19s arevisible in this photo.

When word got around that a big bomber had landedat the airport, every kid in town went to the field to watchits departure . I selected my vantage point on the bank ofthe canal that bordered one side of the airfield.After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacture civilian planes and they developed the first lightplane assembly line, producing 37 planes per day.

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly themoff the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly. The dolly wasnothing new to the folks at the factory, but it sure was tothe people of Middletown who were not accustomed toseeing seaplanes flying over their city. This was a particularly memorable sight for most of the kids. On May 18,1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was namedHook Field in honor of Charles Hook, chairman of theboard of Armco Steel.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13


14/24

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ . Note different paint schemeand NX registration number on rudder. 8 199 Champs wereproduced between 1945 and 1951.

Early Aeronca BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Continental engine. Note X superimposed over the C in the registration number on the rudder.

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47 831.

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295. Note thePiper Pacer wheel pan ts Installed at the factory. The last aircraftmanufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951.

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for deliveryat Aeronca. Bert worked in the Flight Service Department duringWWII.

When the assembly line shut down in 1951, the lastAeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan, endinga run of more than 10,000 aircraft produced at theMiddletown facility.Today, Aeronca has less than one-third the number ofemployees they had in 1946, but they are very active inthe aerospace industry, manufacturing component partsfor NASAs space shuttlecraft, the Boeing-Vertol Chinookhelicopter, Boeing 747, Lockheed L-1011, Grumman F-14and several more.The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebratedon June 10, 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion.In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca typeclubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs ofAmerica Fly-In at Hook Field.Last year's fly-in was host to 115 various models ofAeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be anothergrand weekend for Aeronca lovers.

EDITOR S NOTE: Author Wally Baldwin is an activepilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933,amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts, mostlyconcerning Aeronca. Wally s father, Bert Baldwin, startedwith Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop andstayed with the company until 1950. When Wally was 19his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off theproduction line.


15/24

M E M I I E R S ~ P R O J I ~ T SThis section of The VINT GE IRPL N is dedicated completed or underway . end material to the editor at theto members and their aircraft projects. We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue.along with descriptions and the projects can be either

Photo by Dick Hili)Jeannie Hill EAA 56626, AlC 629) makes a touch and go in herski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub cross their farm strip near Harvard,lL.

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556). 729 Paris Avenue, Rockford, IL 61107 is restoring thisAeronca L-16 to its original military configuration. Tom began the restorationproject in his garage at home but hassince moved it into the loft of the hangarat the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport asshown here, with son Mark looking on.The next major job will be building up anew set of wings.

Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson)Then and now - Sheldon Mortenson sEAA 84609, AlC 1097), Minneapolis, MN,1939 Stinson SR-10, NC23760, SIN 5922as it looked when new and the way itlooks now. Sheldon bases this beautifulred and cream Reliant at Anoka CountyAirport, along with several other aircrafthe owns.


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By N2946KAs told to:Betty J Mattson(EAA 168859)805 Waverly AvenueGrand Haven, MI49417

(Photos by the Author)93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with craft s owner Tom Baker.

What a beautiful plane, so shiny and new looking " Iwas hearing that comment for the second time in my lifethat fateful August day one year ago . t felt even betterthe second time around.The first time was October 14, 1947 in Dallas, Texaswhen Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired mefrom the Luscombe Airplane Corp. of Dallas.He used me in his business in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma

when I chartered people to many places and also helpedstudents learn to fly. Then, almost exactly two years later,in October 1949, he sold me to another Paul's Valleyresident.From there I went to Oklahoma City, May , Blackwell ,and Ponca City, Oklahoma before moving to Wichita,Kansas in 1962. By then I was no longer a "new" plane,but wasn't exactly an antique or classic either. During the60's I belonged to several pilots in Kansas .

t was also at this time that I had my biggest adventureto date . We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture .Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely. Ihad seen planes at the airport that had made emergencylandings in rough terrain, and most of them were neverable to fly again.

Jack Brewer airport manager and A P mechanic at MemorialAirpark Grand Haven M checks out N2946K.16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived, however, for we soon discovered we were not alone in the pasture, and the otheroccupant , a bull, didn't appear very friendly. My pilotmanaged to secure some fuel and after assessing the distance, smoothness of the turf, etc . we attempted to take-off. The bull charged, causing my pilot to abort the take-off.

This happened a few more times and we were veryfrustrated , when the bull decided he 'd had enough of theinvasion of his territory . I guess I'd have felt the same wayif he had invaded my runway , but all I wanted to do wasget up and out of his domainNo such luck He darted out in front of me , causing mypilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went Afterall the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survivedin Oklahoma, to be overturned by a bull, was to say theleast, embarrassing.

Fortunately my damage was slight, and the bull 's waseven less. Being hauled out was even more humiliating .In 1969 I made my really big move, to Grand Rapids,Michigan . In the early 70's I moved again , to the easternside of the state .Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender of Jackson,

Michigan. In the winter I was flown on skis which was anice change of pace.In 1981 I was totally dismembered. This was actuallyworse than the bull incident, as I thought I would neverbe whole again, much less fly. But I was over 30 years old,which is pretty old for us. I had hoped for a few more years

and wasn't really ready to accept defeat.People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue,but planes don't have that luxury. We are totally at themercy of the people who own us , even though we controltheir very lives in the airI should have known better than to doubt this personthough . You 've heard of bionic people, who exist in sciencefiction TV shows? Well , I became a bionic airplane , and itwasn 't fiction Every hinge, bolt, nut, bushing, etc. wasreplaced and all new glass, interior, paint, and fairingswere installed. The engine was overhauled.

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep. WhenJay wasn't working on me 'til one or two in the morning(planes need their rest too, you know ), his wife was preparing me for painting. And paint me they did. Not the


17/24

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tomusual blue and white of Luscombes, but bright yellow andbrown. Anyone who doesn't see me in the sky must beblind.By July, four and one-half months after they started ,I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon, Michigan. OnFriday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches wereput on and we were om Now there was an experience. Toget to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southern end of Lake Michigan .

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similarplanes. If I do say so myself, I was the prettiest there. Tothink that I once thought I would never fly again; why somany people fussed over me that I lost count. If only thatbull could see me nowWe returned to Michigan to what I thought would beback to my usual existence. Cavender had logged about300 hours with me and I was looking forward to manymore.

But it wasn t to be. A pilot who had heard about mefrom Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here hewas, signing a check; that means I go to owner number 18Oh well, he can t be any worse than some of them andI am much too pretty to crack up . We immediately tookoff and headed west. Not only was I to have a new owner,but apparently a new home airport as well.On this flight we got acquainted a little bit. I tried totell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures,

but he told me all about himself, and my life seemed kindof dull by comparison.My new owner first learned to fly in the U.S. ArmyAir Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomberpilot. Oh dear, I hope he doesn't have any plans like thatfor meAfter the war he returned to his home town of GrandHaven, Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947Luscombe (just like me) from C. R "Sinnie" Sinclair; alocal flight instructor and plane dealer .He had many happy hours in that plane over the nextyear and a half, then flew it to California, sold it and

re-enlisted in the Air Force, where he served out his 20years, part of which was spent as a test pilot.He told me a lot on our first flight , about lost enginesover the Atlantic and Pacific, and bailing out after hitting

th e top of a mountain in Germany. He said he was an"ace", since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes.Then , two yea rs ago, he accepted an assignment as acontract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co . in

Seattle , Washington where he helped engineer and writeth e management procedures for the new Boeing 767 planeAt the same time, he began building a Coot, an experimental amphibious plane.

At this point, I wa s feeling pretty inferior. Landing inthe water was certainly better than a cow pasture andthose jets It 's a wonder he bothered with me at al l, inspite of my flashy paint job.Then he got to the good part of the story. He hadalways longed to own another 1947 Luscombe, like hisvery first plane, and today that dream had come true .And there was more, he explained as we approachedRunway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven. Todaywe were going to have a very special passenger for a shortflight - "Sinnie" Sinclair, now mentioned in the GuinessBook of Records as the world's oldest pilot

Sinnie, at 93, didn 't walk very well and my firstthoughts were , oh no . . . just repaired and now you'regoing to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplaneVINT GE IRPL NE 17


18/24

He shuffied out to the plane, held up by his wife and Sinnie's whole demeanor was changed when hehis biographer. His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me. Now I know how a psychiatrist mustwritten about this reknown pilot Called "All God's Chil feel with a rehabilitated patient . Maybe I couldn't havedren Got Wings" it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down, but now I felt like one myself.Spring Lake , Michigan. I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake , Michigan where my new ownerpeople, did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer, this time forflight. Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife ad Williams International.monished, "Now, Sinnie, behave yourself and don't try to Since then we've been to many places together, andtake the controls " back to Memorial Airpark, my other home", as well asYes, Sinnie, you see I've gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter, granddaughter and the youngest pilotI'd like a few more good flights . of all , his grandson Davey, age two and a half. None ofMy new owner took off skillfully and we headed north . our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first, how t was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever, and I'm happy to report, we haven't landed in anysank. But a miracle happened, Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either.life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see, a Luscombe can find life and happiness afterMuskegon with no flaws . I've been flown by the world's 35 years after all oldest pilot

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ GIBE 9 1I[V][AGJ OlR9 e O ~ cro crOWN =RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the film's release. EAA and the EAA Aviation~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the public's ~the MGM Picture THE AVIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or-

. te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era U.S. Air Mail pilot ganization and membership. Activities at OSHKOSH '84,based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T. Gann. a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation. ~

. te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviationpromotion will be focused on approximately 50 large, hightraffic shopping malls determined by the professional Wpromotional organization working on behalf of THE AVITOR and EAA. Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~

.te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displaysprovided by the aviation community of the area . Thecenterpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ bitions will be a "1920s type biplane" we hope can be ~provided by the friends and membership of EAA. This.te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August

through September. Shopping malls in the following citiesare vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W~ in their facilities. ~Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh.te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland

Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~.te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~Chicago Miami San Diego W~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~

Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose. te( Columbus Nashville SeattleDallas New Orleans Shreveport~ ~~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~. te( Detroit Omaha TampaHartford Orange County Toledo

Honolulu Pensacola Tucson WHouston Philadelphia Tulsa~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington D.C. ~~

If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh,Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR W 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426 4800 . .

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~18 MAY 1984


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tory and Photos y Gene haseIn 1978 Joseph Flood, Jr. was 17 years old, possesseda brand new private pilot certificate, built scale model

airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane. While doing the latterhe spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief, disassembled, complete except for hardware, and stored in a barn for 10years.

The price seemed right and best of all it was locatedjust 10 miles from his home. Not being familiar withAeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane.Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured thathe could restore it, s the purchase was made and theAeronca hauled home.Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaustsystem on the engine and after doing some research helearned his Chief was somewhat rare. t was a Model50C,the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continentalin fact the original factory-installed engine was stillin his plane.Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months gettingthe Chief into flying shape. He wasn't concerned that itwasn't a cream puff he just wanted something he couldafford to fly .

The plane was test flown in May, 1979 and Joe lovedflying the Chief. At three gallons per hour, it suited hispocketbook just fine. Wherever he flew, it attracted morethan average attention which stimulated his interest evenmore.At a friend's suggestion he contacted John Houser atthe Aeronca plant in Middletown , Ohio and was rewarded

with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief, NC23927,

Joe Flood and his award winning Aeronca SO Chief at Oshkosh'83.

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939. This is theinterior of NC23927.

SIN C-4979. This inspired him to restore the craft again,only this time to do a first-class job.During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembledthe Chief and took it to a friend's 1 f2 car garage just fiveminutes from home. The next five months were spent inrestoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance.He accomplished this by spending every night after workfrom 5-10 p.m. plus every weekend on the project.

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purchased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane. Thewing ribs are all new . The spars are the originals, including a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard,made in 1946.The dark green corduroy interior was custom made byAIRTEX - they don't stock these for '39 Chiefs. Joe fretted about installing this but it was made in seven sectionsin all and the job was easier than he thought it would be.The previous owner had replaced some of the originalinstruments and had added extra ones, but fortunately forJoe, the originals were saved. Only the oil temperaturegage was damaged and had to be replaced.The original factory installed engine has been rebuiltthree times. Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating atotal engine time of 2 ,200 hours .

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconiteenvelopes and Randolph dope. He is pleased with both,especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfectmatch between metal and fabric.Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparing with yellow still on some of the tubing, Joe ordered

the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolphpaying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix.The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero andwere given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present.As with most restoration projects, Joe had assistancewith this one. His father and two friends were dedicated

helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with thetwo-day rib stitching process. Her further contributionwas that of a patient and understanding wife during thefive-month concentrated restoration effort.

Joe's wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was aflight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane rideThey enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins.The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was inJune, 1983, during the same weekend as the 1st AnnualAeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown, Ohio. Joe hated tomiss that event, but his plane wasn't quite ready .But the following month would bring something hewanted even more. He had been dreaming of attendingthe EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five. Afriend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continually talked about it.

Finally, on final approach to Wittman Field and seeingthe spectacle of "wall-to-wall" airplanes, he could hardlybelieve he was about to be a part of Oshkosh '83. Unfortunately his wife had to remain at home with their new sonborn on April 27, but they'll be there for sure in '84.Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautifulAeronca in the Antique/Classic Division's Parade ofFlight , and even more so when he learned his plane wasawarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane"trophy.

Joe's Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania andSouth New Jersey, including stints with the Atlantic CityFlying Club and several others . Joe's total flight time isabout 750 hours, including some 400 in his Chief.As much as he loves flying the Aeronca, he has hissights set on owning a Stearman one day . After just 1:15of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also wonseveral trophies with his radio-control scale model of aPT-17. With all this going for him, it won't be long beforeJoe Flood, Jr. arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winningopen cockpit biplane

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9


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yMorton E. ClarkSTINSON IN E 19947, lC 693)310 Soldier Creek RoadGrants Pass, Oregon 97526C RPORT

How many times have we all heard the tale , "Say,you're in terested in old a irplanes? I have a friend whoseneighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn, etc., etc ."Your eyes light up, your pulse rate increases, and off yougo in search of this elusive pile of junk . All the time yourimagination has run rampant with pictures in your"mind's eye" of exotic airplanes of times past. After mucheffort, expense, and time you come to the realization it'sfutile. A dead endThe finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck- nothing else. This story is living proof.About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSAcaptain from San Diego whose interest in airpark livingparallels mine. Our conversation naturally developedaround this format and he suggested I investigate thearea around Borrego Springs, California , namely FletcherSky Park. December in Oregon always prompts me tothink of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up andheaded south.Now this is probably the driest climate this side ofAustralia and I enjoyed it , but the real estate agent andI could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and begancha tting with the ocal res idents. One gentleman , a Mr .Joe Griffith, had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as amodern Cessna spam can . Also in a carport attached tohis hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage. He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale. His wife,having heard our conversation , took me aside and said ifI really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joewould change his mind . Wives do have a way of convincinghusbands.

After returning home I received a cal l from Joe indicating he would reluctantly part with it . I was content withhi s price and I accepted. Off I went again to BorregoSprings with the assistance of a friend, two pick-ups, andtwo trailers . Believe me , it was a full load for both trucksand trailersWhile loading the airplane I was instructed to takeeverything, which turned out to be extra airframe partsand five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did notknow existed. I must have had a broad grin on my face .Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass, Oregonand squeezed everything into the shop. As it proved later,through FAA records, it was not a Detroiter but a StinsonJr . Model "S", N10886, Serial No. 8058. The 42' span and29' 9" length makes it a huge airplane for four place.

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has ablown cylinder, which happened in 1941 somewhere overColorado. t has never flown since.The tentative completion date of restoration is late1986

Photo by M E Clark)One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr. Model "S" from California to Oregon. Note original 215 hp Lycoming enginestili mounted.2 MAY 1984


21/24

LETTERSTOTHEEDITOR CLASSIFIEDADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 afterfinish. restoration.

Dear Gene,The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the backcover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGEAIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M. Fooseat Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era.When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unlicensed and in need of covering. When Don brought it intoHarlem Airport, the fuselage was a dirty blue color withyellow wings and a very weak Szeke. He rejuvenated thedope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream andTravel Air Blue. He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul.The following year he took the plane down completely,recovered it and replaced all the metal. The Szekely wasmajored with new cables securing the cylinders.New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were appliedto the plane. In those days labor was cheap and they hadten guys wanting to work for just the experience. Boy, howdifferent it is todayThe Eaglet wasn't a bad flying airplane, but in thosedays we all looked down our noses at light planes with"popcorn" engine s considering them as un safe. We usedto call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas "scratch your a in thegrass" airplanes and E-2 Cubs were "grape baske ts".How times have changedRegards,Mike Rezich(EAA 510, AlC 2239)6424 S. LaPorte AvenueChicago, IL 60638

Regular type, 50 per word; Bold Face, 55 per word; ALL CAPS,60 per word. Rate covers one insertion, one issue; minimumcharge, $8.00. Classified ads payable in advance, cash with order.Send ad with payment to Advertising Department, Th.e VINTAGEAIRPLANE, P.O. Box 2591, Oshkosh, WI 54903.ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans,includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings, photos andexploded views. Complete parts and materials list. Fullsize wing drawings. Plans plus 88 page Builder's Manual- $60.00. Info Pack - $4.00. Super Acro Sport WingDrawing - $15.00. Send check or money order to: ACROSPORT INC. Box 462, Hales Corners, W 53130. 4141425-4860.ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sportbiplane. 20 pages of easy to follow, detailed plans. Complete with isometric drawings, photos, exploded views.Plans - $85.00. Info Pac - $4.00. Send check or moneyorder to: ACRO SPORT INC. P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, W 53130. 414/425-4860. .Wanted: February 1973 issue of THE VINTAGEAIRPLANE. Will pay $20.00. Original Luscombe salesliterature and manuals for phantoms, Model 4, Model 8and Post-war models including the sedan. Ron Price,43585 Vista Del Mar, Fremont, CA 94539 or 415/490-5073or 415/657-7200 (office).POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited inlow-cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for the oversix foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3% gph atcruise setting. 15 large instruction sheets. Plans - $45.00.Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money order to: ACROSPORT INC. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 4141425-4860.J-3 Replica % scale LM-2, single place, wood construction,detachable wings empty 345, 30 HP Cuyuna, cruise 65,160 page construction manual $95 .00 from Light Miniature Aircraft, 13815 NW 19th Ave., Opa-Locka, FL 33054,305/681-4068. Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply.1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol, 40 hp Continental or 27hp Henderson, Ceconite covering, excellent condition.Completely rebuilt cost over $12,000.00, make offer.Mr . Dorcas, 419/241-4261.

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is 25.00 for one year, 48.00 for 2 yearsand 69.00 for 3 years. All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year. Jun ior Membership (under 9fAA years of age) is available at 15.00 annually. Family Membership is available for an additional 10.00annually.

E Member - 18.00. Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12 monthlyissues of The Vintage Airplaneand membership card. Applicant must be a current E member andmust giveE membershipnumber. NTIQUE- Non-EAA Member - 28.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division , CL SSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane, one year membership in the EAA and separate membership'cards.SportAviationnot included.lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc . is 20.00 annually which includes 12 issues ofSport Aerobatics.All lACmembersarerequiredto bemembersof EAA. Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is 25.00 per year, which includes a subscription toW RBIRDS WarbirdsNewsletter .Warbirdmembersarerequiredtobemembersof EAA. Membersh ip in the E Ultralight Assn. is 25.00 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULR LIHT ( 15.0? additional or Sport Aviation magazine). For current E members only, 15.00, which includesUltralIghtpublicatIOn FOREIGNMEMBERSHIPS: Pleasesubmit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a UnitedStatesbank payablein UnitedStatesdollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn.

MAKECHECKSPAYABLETO E ORTHE DIVISION IN WHICHMEMBERSHIPISDESIRED.ADDRESSALL LETTERSTO EAAOR THE PARTICULAR DIVISIONATTHE FOLLOWINGADDRESS:WITTMANAIRFIELD- OSHKOSH,WI 54903-2591 - PHONE414/426-4800OFFICEHOURS:8:30- 5:00 MONDAY-FRIDAY

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 2
http:///reader/full/12,000.00http:///reader/full/12,000.00


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Classic ownersnterior looking shabby

Finish it rightwith an irtexinterior

Complete interior assemblies for dO -it-yourself installation.Custom Quality at economical prices

Cushionupholsterysets Wallpanelsets Headliners Carpetsets SAMPLE OF OUR NEW HIGH STRENGTH, LIGHT WEIGHT,

SMOOTH FABRIC STYLES , WOVEN FROM SECONDGENERATION POLYESTER FILAMENT. Baggagecompartmentsets Firewallcovers SeatSlings

Recoverenvelopesanddopes

NEW68 PAGE MANUAL #1, REVISION 13, WITH DETAILEDINSTRUCTIONS FOR FABRIC COVERING, REFINISHINGFABRIC SURFACES, AND PAINTING AIRCRAFT FORCORROSION CONTROL.

FreeCatalog ofcompleteproductline.FabricSelection Guideshowingac tualsamplecolorsandstylesofmaterials:$3.00 .

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STITS POLY-FIBER IS THE WORLD'S ONLY COMPLETE FABRIC COVERINGSYSTEM APPROVED BY FAA UNDER AN STC J ND

MANUFACTURED UNDER AN FAA-PMA. WILL NOT SUPPORT COMBUSTION . WITH POLY-FIBER FINISHES, WILL NEVER RINGWORM,

CHECK OR PEEL. IS THE LIGHTEST COVERING METHOD APPROVED UNDERAN FAA-STC. IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL, CONSIDERING THE YEARSOF TROUBLE FREE SERVICE.

l ~ L I V ~ t eW L ) ~ ~ ~ l A 1A V I A T I ) ~

Jacket - unl ined tan pop lin w ith gold andwhite braid trim. Knit waist and cuffs,zipperfront and slash pockets. Antique /Classiclogopatchonchest.Sizes- XS throughXL .. . ... . . . . . $28.95 ppdCap - pale gold mesh with contrasting bluet>ill, trimmedwithgoldbraid. Antique/Classiclogopatchoncrownof cap.Sizes - Mand L(adjustablerearband) . . . . . . . . ... $ 6.25 ppd 7ntlque/C e Petehe.Large- 4Vz across.. . .. .. . . . . . . . 1.75 ppdSmall- 3v." across... . . .... 1.75ppdAntIque/CI eDecal. 4" across(shown le ft) . ... . . . .75 ppd

AvailableBackIssuesof TheVINTAGEAIRPLANE1973- MarchthroughDecember1974- FebruarythroughNovember1975- JanuarythroughDecember1976- FebruarythroughJune,AugustthroughDecember1977- JanuarythroughDecember1978- JanuarythroughMarch,May,August,OctoberthroughDecember1979- FebruarythroughDecember Send check to:1980- January,Marchthroug hJuly,Septemberthrough December EAA ntiqu /Classic Division, Inc.1981 - JanuarythroughDecember Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, W 54903-25911982- JanuarythroughMarch,Maythrough December Allow 4-6Weeks for Delivery1983- January,Marchthrough December Wisconsin Residents Include 5%Sales Tax1984- JanuarythroughAprilPer Issue. .. ...... . .. ....... . ..... ..... ... . 1.25ppd

22 MAY1984


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THEJOURNALOFTHEEARLYAEROPLANES,\MPLE ISSUE $4

15CRESCENTRD.POUGHKEEPSIE,N.Y.12601

AUTOFUELSTC'sAVAILABLE!

EAA leads the way to more affordable aviation wi th auto fuel STC's for:AERONCA S7EC CESSNA LUSCOMBE

l l CIncludingBe llanca. 120 /140l l CChampion.Trytek. 140A CCWag ner.B&B 150S l l CAviation.Inc. 150Ath rough150H PIPERS l l C50-TC 150J through150MSllCC J-3C-4065-TC (L-3J) A150Kth roughKCA J3C-5065-TAC (ArmyL-3 E) A150M50-C J3C-50SYO-58 18065-C J3C-65(ArmyL-4)0-58B 180A65-CA J3C-65S50-588 180BS-50-C J4Q-58-A(ArmyL-3 A) 180C,D.E.F,G,H,JS-65-C J4A7AC 182.182A.B.C. D,S-65-CA J4A-S7CC M(ArmyL-1 6B) L M.N.P7BCM(ArmyL-16A) E. F G.H,J,K, J4E(ArmyL-4E)lO C J5A(ArmyL-4 F)7EC J5A-80L-4 A7FC INTERSTATE7JC L-4B(NavyNE- l)(IncludingArlicAircrafl L-4H7ECAS7AC Ca llair) L-4J(NavyNE-2)SlO C S- l A PA- l lS7CCM PA- l lS These STC 'swh ich permit the use of less costly. readilyavailableunleadedautogasoline, are nowavailable from the EAAAviationFoundation.Thousandsofaircraftownershavealreadyswitchedtoautogas toflymoreoftenand lessexpensively.TheSTC 'scostonly50< : peryourenginehorsepower- (e xample:85hpCe ssna 140=$42.50).STC 'sarenotavailableforenginesonly.Non-EAAmembersadd$15.00tototal. Formoreinformationwriteorcall.

WittmanAirfield Oshkosh,WI 54903-3065Phone414/426-4800Another example of the EAA Aviation Foundation working for you!Join EAA - S 5_ annually - get your STCat the special member rate_

Watch for more STC's including low wing approvals in near future

It'sExciting!It'sforEveryone!See th is pricelesscollection ofrare. historically significant aircraft. all imaginativelydisplayedin theworld 'sargest.mostmodem sport aviation museum. Er)joythe many educational displaysand audio-visual presentations.Stop by - here's something theentire familywill enjoy.Justminutes away

OURS8:30to5:00p.m.Monday thruSatu rday

1100a.rn. to5:00 p.rn.SundaysClosed Easter. Thanksgiving .Christmasand New Years Day (Guided group tourarrangements mustbe made twoweeksin advance).

CONVENIENT LOCATIONThe EAA AviationCenter is located onWittmanField.Oshkosh. Wis. - justoffHighway 41. Going NorthExitHwy. 26or 44.Going South Exit Hwy. 44 andfollo wsigns. For fly-ins - free bus fromBasler FlightService.E ~

F O U N D T l O NWit tman Airfie ld

Oshkosh. WI 54903-3065414-426-4800VINTAGEAIRPLANE23


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eOlIer E leo~ -at-tOO S prsport ~ 1 1

vintage airplane - may 1984

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