Vintage Airplane - Mar 1979

8/12/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 1979

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STRAIGHT ND LEVELBy Brad Thorn as

The Antique/Classic Board of Directors, followingthe resignation of J. R. Nielander, Jr. as President ofthe Division, has appointed me to serve as your President for the unexpired term. The hours and hours oftime, thought, preparation, planning, and executionby J. R. throughout the past years are obviously plantedand the seeds have grown into the expansion of ourDivision. It is my utmost desire to increase this growth.

With the excellent guidance available from the Officers, Directors, and Advisors of our Division, we willstrive to serve the membership, EM and all aviationwith the expertise available to fulfill the purpose ofthis Division:1. to encou rage and aid the retention and restora

tion of antique, historical and classic aircraft;2. to establish a library devoted to the history ofaviation and to construction, repair, restoration,maintenance and preservation of aircraft, particularly antique, historical and classic aircraftand engines;3. to hold and conduct meetings, displays and educational programs relating to aviation with emphasis on restoration, maintenance and care ofantique, historical and classic aircraft and engines;4. to improve aviation safety and aviation education.

The Vintage irplane has been acclaimed by manyto be the best publication available - devoted entirely to the functions and history of antique and classic aircraft, historical events of aviation interest, restoration and maintenance of antique and classic aircraft, and a library of useful information. We plan toexpand and add to the Vintage irplane new and exciting items of interest to antique and classic buffs.This is your publication and we solicit your thoughtsand suggestions about contents.As your new President, I feel you should be givena brief background, so I introduce myself as a hosierymanufacturer by trade, who soloed in 1938 at the ageof sixteen in a J 3 Cub - as so many have - attended

a prep school, and completed one year in collegebefore the advent of World War II attracted my attention. Volunteering into the Army Air Corps cadetprogram, I reached Maxwell Field, Alabama to betransferred into British Flying Training School #5 inClewiston, Florida, earned both Air Corps and RAFwings; was then moved to Great Falls, Montana as aferry pilot with the Air Transport Command, flyingfighters, twins and multi-engine aircraft throughoutthe World War II period.

Following the war period, I returned to NorthCarolina, married, completed college, and establisheda hosiery manufacturing business in Pilot Mountain,North Carolina, where I continue to reside with myfamily.

Aviation is my hobby, beginning in the early thirtieswith model building and progressing to the present,with my spare time devoted toward EM, our Division,and maintaining my homebuilts, single engine travelling aircraft, and my most recent project, a 1937D-17R Beech Staggerwing. My interest in aviation continues to increase throughout the years. The fellowship, fly-ins, local EM Chapter #8, our Antique Chapter #3 (NC-SC-VA), our EM Antique/Classic Division- all contribute to my high regard for those whoseinterest lies in aviation.

After serving the Division as Chief Classic judgefor the Oshkosh International Convention, as Advisorand member of the Board of Directors, the DivisionSecretary, and now as President, I pledge to serve ourAntique/Classic Division with the best of my abilityand with the effort expected of me.

WILLIAM EHLENMarch 24 1913 - February 11 1979

We were saddened to learn of the death ofour friend Bill Ehlen. Bill was active in the formation of the Antique /Classic Division, had ahand in the development of Sun 'N Fun, tookan ambitious role at Oshkosh, and was seen frequently at fly-ins around the country with hisAeronca Chief. Bill's interest in vintage aircraft and his contributions to the sport aviationmovement as a Director achieved a level of accomplishment that will be deeply missed.


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ditorialtaffPublisherPaul H. Poberezny

(Da ve Gustafson Photo) Editor1949 Bell 47 a Classic belonging to Patri c ia s Heli- David Gustafsoncopter Service.Associate Editors: H. Glenn Buffington, Edward D. Williams, Byron(Fred) FredericksenReaders are encouraged to submit stories and photographs . Associate Editorships are assignedto those writers who submit five or more articles which are published in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE during the current year . Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and a free one year membership in the Division for their efforts. POLlCYOpinionsexpressed in articles are solely tho se of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reportingre sts entirely with the contributor . Directors

Claude L. Gray, Jr. AI Kelch9635 Sylvia Avenue 66 W , 622 N. Madison AvenuePRESIDENTW . BRAD THOMAS, JR.

301 DODSON MILL ROAD Northridge, CA 91324 Cedarburg, WI 530923 4 9 ~ 1 3 3 8 414/377-5886 HomePILOT MOUNTAIN, NC 27041

919/368-2875 Home Dale A. Gustafson Morton W. Lester919/368-2291 Office 7724 Shady Hill Drive P.O . Box 3747Indianapolis, IN 46274 Martinsvillf>, VA 24112VICE PRESIDENT 317/293-4430 703/632-4839 'HomeJACK C. WINTHROP 703/638-8783 OfficeROUTE 1 BOX 111 Richard H. WagnerALLEN, TX 75002 P.O. Box 181 Arthur R. Morgan2141727-5649' Lyons, WI 53148 3744 North 51st Blvd.414/763-2017 Home Milwaukee, WI 53216SECRETARY 414/763-9588 Office 414/442-3631M . C. "KELLY" VIETS Advisors7745 W. 183RD ST. lohn S. Copeland Dan Neum an9' Joanne Drive 1521 Berne C ircle WestSTILWELL, KS 66085 Rob ert E. KeselWestborough, MA 01 581 Minneapoli s, MN 55421913 /681-2303 Home 455 O akr idge Dri ve617/3 6 -7245 6121571-0893913 /681-2622 Office Ro ches ter , NY 14617Ronald Fritz John R. T urgyan71613423170 Ho me1989'Wil son, NW 1530 Ku ser RoadTREASURER 716/3252000, Ex t.Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Trenton , NJ 086 19 'E. E. " BUCK" HILBERT 23250/23320 Office 609/585-27471 453 75258102 LEECH ROAD Stan Gom oll Gen e M orr is Robert A. WhiteUNION , IL 60180 10429 0th Lane, NE 27 Ch andelle Dri ve P.O . Box 704Minn ea polis, MN 55434 Hampshir e, IL 60140 Ze ll wood , FL 32798815 /923-4205 6121784-1172 31216833199 305/88 - 3180

THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091 -694 3) is ow ned exclusiv ely by EAA Ant ique /Classic Div ision , Inc ..and is published m onthly at Hales Corners, Wisconsi n 53 130. Seco nd cla ss Postage pa id at HalesCorners Post Office, Hales Corner s. Wisconsin 53130, and add ition al ma ili ng off ic es. Memb ershiprates fo r EAA Antique/Cla ssic Division , Inc ., are $14.00 pe r 12 month per io d o f wh ic h $10 .00 is fo r thepublication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Membership is open to all who are int erested in a viation .

T I l ~ V I T A C 7 ~ A I l ? V L A ~OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION INC.of THE EXPER IMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATIONP.O . Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130

Copyright O 1979 EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc. , All Rights Reserved .MARCH 1979 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 3

The Co ver . .. Grand Champion Classic Aeronca Chief a t Sun N Fun belongs to I Na se - story next month.(David Gustafso n Photo)

TABLE OF CONTENTSStraight and Level by Brad Thomas . . . , ........... . .. . _.......... . .. , 2Sun 'n Fun '79'by Paul Hopkins , . . . , . . " .. .. . , .. , . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . 4Canti lever Cessnas The " World ' s Most Eff icient"by Gar Wil l iams. , . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . , , . . . . . . , , , , . .. , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8National Stearman Fly-In by Thomas E. Lowe, . . . , . , , , . . , . , . . ,. , , .. , . . . , 20Borden's Aeroplane Posters From The 1930's

by Lionel Salisbury . . . . .. . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . ........... , . . . . . , , . . . _. . . 23New 15 Passenger 1933 CurtiSS-Wright Condor Transport .. . . . . , . . . , .. _.. 24Watkins Sky lark X-470E by Cedric Galloway . . . . . . . . . .. , . , .. . . . . , .. , . , , .. 25Letters To The Editor . . .. . _ . ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . .. , .. , . , , . . . . . . , . . . 26Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,.,', . . . . . , ....... .. . . . . , .. , .. . . . 26EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIPo NON-EAA MEMBER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Class ic Divi sion , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association and separate membership cards.

SPORT AVIATION magazine not included.o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/ClassicDivision , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIP CARD.(Applicant must be current EAA member and must give EAA membership number ,)

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By Paul Hopkins1617 South Florida AvenueLakeland, Florida 803(Photographs y David Gustafson, Editor)

Sun 'N Fun 79 is history, and as usual, Old ManWinter had a bag full of tricks to keep us on our toes .In past years , we have run the gauntlet of everythingfrom tornado alerts and line squalls to snowstorms .This year brought pre-convention low pressure cellsthat tried to funnel the Gulf of Mexico onto the Floridapeninsula . This left the site a near swamp, and createdthe week ' s most common diversion: tractor pulls ofautos , motor homes, and anything else that foundless than sure footing - the stuck aircraft were allextracted by hand by our fast moving repair and emergency crews . By mid-week though , most everyoneknew where the high ground lay , and the weatherhad settled into a pattern of fast moving cold fronts

that usually passed during the nighttime hours ; leaving the days mostly clear and not too cold. Only oneday of forty knot gusts threatened to wreck havoc onour tent city. The most damaging weather for manyhappened hundreds of miles to the north. Recordsnowfalls, ice storms, and just plain unflyable (ordriveablel winter fare kept a great number of convention bound guests far from their destination .

Registration statistics proved the effects of theelements fury. The camp grounds counted 399 unitssheltering 889 people, and the total of 15,103 convention participants were both up conSiderably from lastyear. The FAA traffic controllers also totaled a substantial increase in aircraft movements . Many aircraft flew into the convention site for each afternoon'saerial demonstration, and the fly-by pattern was moreactive than in past years. The big loss in numbers dueto winter's attack upon sport aviation was in the showplane category; only 6 aircraft were on hand. Thiscertainly did not detract from the quality or variety

of tho . that d;d make th9.how - -- mo . about thatlater.The fenced Sun 'N Fun compound was a week longbeehive of aviation activity. The OX-5 Club sponsoreda tent for aviation pioneers which provided a gathering place for these honored guests, as did the Friday evening Gathering of Eagles hosted by theFlorida Sport Aviation, Antique and Classic Association. Our beloved pioneer, Jessie Woods, aided andabetted by Roger Don Rae Big Nick Rezich, Dave Fox,and many others made these two activities standout attractions. The names of the famous fliers, designers, and scientists who were in attendance wouldfill this magazine.Thursday evening's Ground Loop party, dance,and fash ion show as always, was a winner; providinga chance to unwind and warm up. In this same vein,the Ladies Pavilion proved to be a focal point. TheAOPA Pinch Hitter Course , special luncheons, gourmet cooking demonstrations, and v ~ n EAA Head-.

Grand' Champion Antique: Dolph Overton's CommandAire from Orlando, Florida. Restoration work was doheErnie Webb of Charlotte, North Carolina.


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Air show tim e in the Antique/Class ic area. No te the shortslee ves and bare grass

artin Propet of Ja cksonville,-airchild 24 .

Class ics from Headquarters: Pres ident Paul 'sf s s taff hauler DC-3.

quarters' Airspace Action presentation. On the educational level, four days of forums and workshopshad something of interest for everyone. The qualityof content and the caliber of the lecturers, too numerous to mention, are a tribute to the EAA and toJohn Shinn and lyle Flagg who put the forums together.

Coc kp it area of Bill Dodd 's shin y Buhl Pup res toration.No te the w ing windows. (How about a story on that rebuild, Bill ?

P-5 1D and

Also of great interest was the Flea Market wheremany articles of use to aviators changed hands. Thiswas rivaled by the huge commercial circus tent withover one hundred vendors of aeronautical ware, andthe EAA Headquarters merchandise tent with a beautiful red blimp tethered high overhead . The EAA alsomanned membership huts near the registration pointsfor individuals desiring to join our organization . Anew Sun ' N Fun Headquarters building combiningstaff coordinat ion, FAA Flight Service, announc ingstand, and fly-by briefing functions proved its wortheven before the convention began . Also new thisyear was a much needed convenience store for campers. located in the rear of the shower house, whichitself sported a new and unseen , but most necessary,overload drain field which can accommodate constant maximum usage, the Country Store packedan amazing variety of camping needs into a small area.More of note was the food service . located in a largecentrally located tent, this Boy's Club concessionserved good food in a comfortable, sit-down environment. Not once did this writer hear a complaint concerning quality or pricing.We have not mentioned many names so far during this narrative because over eighty chairmen withtheir hundreds of co-chairmen, judges, and volun teers would fill a book , and we don ' t want to showany partiality . Fly-In Director , Bill Henderson, andSun 'N Fun President, len McGinty have put togethera smooth, well oiled operation . To them, and to allwho got involved , ou r hats are off.

And now (you were about to give up hope?) a fewwords about the aircraft that drew us all to the EAAin the first place . As mentioned earlier, the afternoonaerial demonstrations provided spectators with someof the finest air show acts in the world: EAA PresidentPaul H. Poberezny, with an ultra smooth performancein the P-51D, ACA President Ron Cadby in the new260 hp Pitts S2S doing impossible vertical maneuvers,concluding with a six revolution torque roll, Bud Judy,Vice-President of the lAC, in the two place Acro Sport,making the whole event look so easy, Jim Stanton withthe S1S Pitts, doing likewise with the little red hornet, Maurice Seree, factory demonstration pilo t , making the STOl RalLye do the impossible , and many,many more . They' re always a high point of the fly-inday. On the flight line, and in snow fence protected

~ o m p o u n s within the spec tator area, we found a greatabundance of rare and unusual craft. The groundsand fly-by pattern seemed overrun by ultra light craftof many types - John Moody surely started something . Quite a number sported twin power sourceswhich seemed to cut down on noise.

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In the Antique/Classic sphere, the aircraft ran thegamut from DC-3 s to a Buhl Bull Pup and C-3 Aeronca.The beautiful EAA DC-3 which brought the Headquarters crew to Florida, and a machine owned by Hawthorne College way up in Antrim , New Hampshire,and boasting of over 84,000 hours in the log books,sort of gave an overall perspective to the show planes .Bill Dodd's Continental powered Buhl, and Dan Araldi's1936 C-3 represented the low powered antiques, whileMorton Lester s red DGA-15P Howard and Bob Allen sLockheed 12A showed the class of aviation from fortyyears ago. Even older were the great names in biplanes. Dean Tilton s beautiful OX-5 Travel Air, I'msure caused many a throat to choke up as it made itsdaily flight around the patch from the hangar it callshome on the north side of the field. Ken Rickerts 41Aeronca Chief, Red Smith s 108 Stinson, joe Araldi sCommand Aire, and son Dan s C-3 and Stampe SV4 Ccovered similar mileage. The 220 Continental powered Command Aire and another Warner equippedship from Dolph Overton's reincarnated Wings andWheels museum in Orlando International Airport ,

Mike Turner s 1947 Navion was flown down from Frankenmuth, Michigan. It won the Best Custom Classic Awardand clearly deserved it.

William T. Gorman of Cape Coral came to Sun N Funin his Ranger powered Fairchild 24.

are the only two airworthy craft of this type in operation and both turned up . Side by side they broughtback many a memory, no doubt. On this same rowcould be found john Dekel's 220 Travel Air fromThomasville, Georgia, an immaculate machine , DickDursts Fleet 9; another only surviving type powered by a 160 hp Kinner , and Bob White's UKC-5 WacoCabin. Bob test flew the ship the first morning of thefly-in and finding that everything worked, continuedon to Lakeland from his Zellwood, Florida airport.Rounding out the notable antiques was a fantastic1936 90A Monocoupe fitted with a big four cylinderLycoming for aerobatic work, a handful of Stearmans,Beech Staggerwings, T-50 Cessnas, and j-3 and -4 Cubs.Merle jenkin s newly restored Aeronca L-3 in full wartime regalia was an attention getter, and a couple ofhomebuilts were of interest to older airplane buffs .Dick Durst s Redfern-built, Ranger powered GreatLakes was flown in an air show by Dave Fox, and thefirst machine to arrive at the fly-in was Fred Quinn'sWoody Pusher, dressed up to resemble its Curtissjunior ancestor.

The classic area was also equally graced with beautiful machines . Deadlines prevent us from connectingmore aircraft with their owner's names. The Ercoupe(Aircoupe-Alon-Mooney) line drew 17 aircraft at onecount. The always plentiful Swifts showed a trendtoward highly polished metal and stock appearingcowling - sometimes even stock engines - fine aircraft. The 170 Cessna population was sort of low, butseveral nice 120-140-140A craft were counted. The190-195 contingent took up where the 170 s left offthough - thank goodness for airline pilots. A verywell finished Fairchild 24W made a brief appearancefrom St. Augustine. Several excellent Pipers, PA-11,PA-12 , PA-17 , PA-20 and PA-22 were scattered throughthe parking area, as were a few Luscombes.It was a successful Sun N Fun. A great excuse tobring a lot of fantastic people together, and a challenge to make next year s event even better. Y allcome back real soon.Most people come t fly-ins to look at airplanes someshow up t play in the mud.

This beautiful Cabin Waco UKC-5 belonging to Bob Whiteof Zellwood, Florida was completed just prior to the fly-in.


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Ah h h h

NTIQUE W RD WINNERSGRAND CHAMPION ANTIQUE - Command-AireN970E Dolph Overton Wings and Wheels Museum , OrlandoANTIQUE CHAMPION - GOLDEN AGE - T ra vel ai re2000 , NC6117, Dean Tilton LakelandANTIQUE CHAMPION - PLATINUM AGE - WacoUKC-5, NC15214, Bob White Zellwood FLANTIQUE CHAMPION - WW ERA - Stearman PT-17,NC57917, Ted Andros Coral GablesBEST ANTIQ UE BIPLANE -American Eagle, Jack Brown

Seaplane Base, Winter HavenBEST ANTIQUE MONOPLANE - Lockheed 12A, NC25628, R. R. Allen , Fayetteville, NCBEST ANTIQUE - OPEN COCKPIT - Travelaire 4000,NC4952, John Dekle Thomasville, GABEST ANTIQUE - CABIN - Cessna UC-78, NC69072,

J. Cramer, Boynton BeachBEST CUSTOM ANTIQUE - MonocoupeLADIES CHOICE ANTIQUE - Aeronca C-3, NC17449;Dan Araldi, Plant CityMERITORIOUS AWARD - Taylorcraft BC 120 NC39222; Aeronca L-3, NC46924, Merle Jenkins, Lake

land; Aeronca Chief N33731, Ken Rickert, LakelandCL SSIC W RD WINNERSGRAND CHAMPION CLASSIC - Aeronca Chief ,N85829; AI Nase, Rehoboth Beach, DE

BEST CLASSIC RESTORED - Up to 100 hp - PiperPA-17, N4699H, George Bickel, Raleigh, NCBEST CLASSIC RESTORED - 101 to 165 hp - FairchildF-24 N81222, Martin Probst, JacksonvilleBEST CLASSIC RESTORED - Over 165 hp - Cessna 195,N3484V, Donald Sutherland, Miami LakesBEST CLASSIC CUSTOM - Up to 100 hp - Ercoupe,N24AP, Don Stretch, Fallington, PABEST CLASSIC CUSTOM - 101 to 165 hp - SwiftN10SS, Bill Shepherd, New Orleans LABEST CLASSIC CUSTOM - Over 165 hp - NavionN4043K, Mike Turner, Frankenmuth MICLASSIC BEST OF TYPE - Ercoupe N3081H, FredBest, Safety HarbourCLASSIC BEST OF TYPE - Aeronca Champ N2300E,Bill BondCLASSIC BEST OF TYPE - Swift, N46GS, Joseph Ranson, Hollywood FLCLASSIC - LADIES CHOICE - Cessna 140A, N9476A,Dave/Linda Grow Gloucester Point, VAMERITORIOUS AWARD - Ercoupe, N94806 , MarvinFunk Peachtree, GA; Aeronca Champ N3408E,Charles Hughes Pansy, AL; Bellanca, NC86748,

Tom Leahy, Brooklyn OH7


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Cantilever CessnasThe WorldMostEfficient

y Gar Williams9 5 135 Aer Drive

Route 1Naperville, Illinois 60540

How many homebuilders and even aircraft manufacturers would like to lay claim to such a title Undoubtedly one airplane could have earned that reputation. Push time back to 1936 and you'll find such atitle bestowed upon an airplane design that won somany contests for speed and efficiency that it wasdeclared the "World's Most Efficient Airplane " . Cessna, with good justification, capitalized upon this titleand soon this slogan accompanied their advertisingfor their very popular "Airmaster".

The Airmaster story has its beginnings many yearsearlier - in fact , it all started in Iowa in 1880 with thebirth of Clyde Cessna. Apparently, Clyde quickly became quite a mechanic for early reports indicate hewas known for his repairman abilities on farm machines. And (eventually) automobiles . Clyde's interestin mechanics quickly led to airplanes and, at 3 , hedecided that he should join the ranks of the homebuilders. n the late spring of 1911, Clyde started tolearn to fix - and to survive crashes. After many lessons in the rebuilding of his homebuilt, Clyde madeone successful take-off and landing - and promptlywent into the air show business Many years and original designs transpired with Cessna's interest pinnedon the monoplane . It's hard to imagine an aircraftdesigner and current day company - with records

as far back as 9 - not having a biplane hangingin the family tree That actually is the case for theCessna Aircraft Company . Cessna went "ful ly cantilever" in 1927 and regressed to " struts " , eighteenyears later with the introduction of the 120 140 series.Design evolution of the Airmaster series goes veryobviously back through the DC-6 and the "A" seriesto Clyde's 1927 "design number one" - the second" Comet" . The catalyst for the transformation of thedetails of these earlier designs into the sleek newfour place C-34 was Clyde's son Eldon. Eldon 's interest in racing led to a number of design improvements on his personal AW - " Old 99" - NC7107.Various photos show improvements in the windshield- cowling - and f in al ly wheel pants specifically forthe reduction of drag. Clyde and Eldon Cessna con8


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tinued updating the AW design and quickly emergedwith the C-3 late in 1933. This was a rebuild of a modelAA (serial 124) and included a fully cowled 125 Warner,an enlarged cabin, and the incorporation of a DC-6series gear neatly faired with wheel pants. Early Cessna publications indicate this ship was the first product of the late 1933 reorganization while Bob Pickotand Mitch Makburn 's excellent book essna Guide-book Volume One points out conclusively that thiswas actually the fourth and last product of the C. V.Cessna Company - formed by Clyde while the Cessna Aircraft Company was dormant. (Author's Note This book, essna uidebook is an excellent history of Cessna's early years. It's a must for every antiquer 's library. The book is number 2 in the AmericanAircraft Series published by Flying Enterprise Pub

cessna C-165 NCI13) sin 484 and C- 145 N85 for c.A.A. September 1939.

lications, 3164 Whitehall, Dallas, Texas 75229 .)These two ships - Old 99 - and the C-3 obviously had considerable influence on the C-34 design.The basic fuselage and wing design of the AW wereused with rather minor changes. The C-34 wing incorporated a built up solid spar and trailing edge wingflaps whereas the earlier wing had a very complexbox spar with no flaps. The airfoil was changed froma modified M-12 to the NACA 2412 and the wing spanwas shortened six feet. The remaining portions ofthe wings are identical in detail design and construction . The steel tube fuselage on the AW was widenedand deepened to enlarge the cabin area. One righthand entrance door giving access to both front andrear seats was substituted for the AW's rather awk-

Inse t picture taken 1927 .

ward front and rear cabin doors. Fully cantileveron the C-34 applied to everything - the main andtail gear became internally sprung cantilever struts- the steel tube strut braced AW tail surfaces weredesigned to be a strutless wooden structure .As with many famous designs a great deal of controversy has surrounded the Airmaster regarding thedesign responsibility for the C-34. Obviously the overall design and construction was a team effort althoughthere is no question in the author s mind that the Airmaster series was primarily the result of Eldon Cessna' s engineering expertise . Cessna literature creditsthe design to other individuals. The author has personally reviewed the original Cessna Company Scrapbook which includes pictures and newspaper arti

C-165 s in formation . Cess na Airmaster Reun ion 1975Wich ta, Kansas. NC237E - Ken Co le, Pleasanton CA;25485 - C. Williams.

9

des relating to Eldon Cessna's new design. Eldon per


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sonally test flew the prototype in the fall of 1934, significantly earlier than the June 1, 1935 manufacturedate warranty recognized by the Cessna archives.The background on the title of the World's MostEfficient Airplane is interesting although somewhatmisleading. As Eldon Cessna relates the story , airracing was not necessarily the road to glory, just oneof the better ways in the Depression Years to keep thefamily from starving. One of the Detroit News Trophyevents used a formula of load capacity, speed, takeoff and landing distances, as well as fuel consump-tion as parameters for determining efficiency. Eldon'spilotage and ld 99 agility easily garnered theDetroit News Trophy.Cessna Aircraft Company entered their second pro-duction C-34 series number 301, NC15462 in the sameevent at the 1935 races . With George Hart at the con-trols, the new monoplane brought the trophy homefor the second time. The following year Dwane Wallace swept the efficiency event with serial number320, NC15852. Since a Cessna Monoplane had wonthe event three times, the decision was made to bestow the title of the Wo rld 's Most Efficient uponthe cantilever creation of Eldon Cessna. Of course,the factory applied the title to their current produc-tion C-34's although one third of the award actuallybelongs to an AW and in reality should have creditedthe designer as well. Prior to the award, Clyde andEldon Cessna had given up control of Cessna Aircraftwith Clyde retiring to farming and Eldon moving toNorthrup Aircraft in Los Angeles so in reality the designer was no longer associated with Cessna Aircraft .The World's Most Efficient slogan was used t)1roughout the six years of Airmaster production.During the forty plus years that have passed sincethe Detroit News Trophy was won for the third timeby a cantilever Cessna the three airplanes thatbrought the bacon home have gone their separateroutes into oblivion. The AW, Old 99 NC7107, serial#146 eventually found its way into Oklahoma whereit appears to have been destroyed in a windstorm.At this writing there is only rumor as to its disposition - it has been struck from FAA's records and thenumber 71 7 was assigned to AW serial #196 whichis currently being rebuilt by a very ambitious youngantiquer - with a project like that one ust be youngat the start - Dave Rawlings of Rio, Wisconsin . Ifthe real Old 99 ever turns up, its existence wouldbe easy to prove. During the construction of the ship,Eldon Cessna had the fuselage lengthened to com-pensate for the lighter Warner Engine . This airframewas the only one so modified. Hence, easy identifica-tion.

First Cessna C-34, cln 254, Ju/y, 1935 . _prototype of series still f/y/ing - owned by WKen Mux ow , Mmneapo , Minnesota.Notice deep cowl,fin and rudder.

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Cessna s first cantilever wing A se ries prototype wing on October 1927.Airmaster paint shop. C 37 production.

The second winner of the coveted Detroit NewsEfficiency Trophy has returned from oblivion at thecapable hands of Clyde Boureois, Santa Ynez, California. Clyde 's rebuild of this ship has been recognized as superb by judges at Watsonville , Oshkoshand many fly-ins between those points. It 's beautifully preserved for posterity.The third capture of the contest was made by serialnumber 320, NC15852. This ship eventually went toCanada as CR-BDI. On April 13, 1952, serial 320 wasforced down by reasons unknown on Mcinnis Lake,near Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. As far as isknown to date, the ship is still there. Either in thelake or on the shore. There must be a fisherman /antiquer that visits that area of Canada. Just remember, antique airplanes aren ' t beirig made anymore .Have at itTo fully understand the development of Cessna'sca ntilever airplanes one mu st first examine the modeldesignations assigned to their first production airplane, serial #113, through the last single engine prewar ship, serial #591 . Clyde Cessna's first ship was amodel A equipped with an Anzani Engine (which madeit an AA). Engine variants in the A generated the AC,AS, and AW. The second design , the model B was amodel A with heavier spars and gear. The 13 modelB's were all produced with the J-5 Wright and appropriately called BW's . The third model - theC - was an enlargement of the NB series. Severalwere built but not type ce rtificated . Appropriatelythe fou rth Cessna design was labeled the D series.All of the D models were actually labeled DC-6 Curtiss Challenger Engine. A majority of this series wasbuilt with the Wright J-6-9 and J-6-7 as the DC-6A andDC-6B. The next design produced by the Cessna Aircraft Company was the C-34; the prototype of theAirmaster series. A number of aircraft were designedand built by Eldon Cessna between the DC and C-34series. These experimental aircraft contributed to thevirtues of the C-34 but were products of the ClydeV. Cessna Company, a Kansas partnership betweenClyde and Eldon . The C-34 model number was simplyCessna, 1934. This was the production year of theprototype design of which 43 were built between late1934 and January 1937. Re f inements of the de5ignresulted in the C-37 (Cessna 1937) first producedDecember 8 1936, the C-38 (Cessna 1938) producedfrom October 11, 1937 through August 31, 1938, theC-145 (Cessna 145 horsepower) built from September24, 1938 through April 28, 1941 , and finally the C-165(Cessna 165 horse power) which was built from April22, 1939 through August 12, 1941 .Production of th i s World 's Most Efficient Airplane" totaled 184 copies. The breakdown is 42 C-34's;

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. . . ..... , u ufinish on th e Airmaster. C-7 45/C-7 65


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wing production. 39 7940;;;. ' M iiiiIiir

Static test of Cessna AW cantilever wing. February 1928

46 C-37's; 16 C-38's; 42 C-145's; and a total of 38 C-165's.Over the years, engine changes have been made updating the 145 powered ships to the more reliabl e165 horsepower Warner, but by far the majority ofaircraft (146) were built with the 145 horsepower Warner as standard equipment. Only one factory installation of an engine other than a 145/165 Warner wasmade - in 1940 General Motors ordered one C-165to be built with their experimental 175 horsepower,liquid cooled, 2 cycle engine for power. This ship(serial 568) subsequently was converted to the 165Warner and even later to a spring steel gear: Bothconversions were accomplished by the Cessna factory . The design and production of the Airmasterseries can logically be broken into two phases. Thestraight or narrow gear versions include the C-34'sand 37's. In January of 1938, the C-38 was introducedwhich featured the wider , bowed gear - the nameAirmaster . Although all versions now carry thatlabel, technically the C-34's and C-37's are not Airmasters . A number of other changes were incorporated into the C-38, enough to make a definite break.in the description of the details of models producedfrom 1934 through 1941 .Th e early versions of the C-34 included severalfeatures that added to the rather delicate groundhandling qualities of these ships. The narrow gearwas placed well forward of the center of gravity whichmade directional stability marginal. Add to that a setof Johnson bar brakes , a non-steerable tailwheel heldcentered by a shock cord, a very small fin and rudderand you have all the ingredients for head spinninghorizontal reversements. A number of the early shipsthat have survived have been modified to steerableor at least locking tailwheels as well as hydrauli cbrakes. Only a few of the C-34's are now flying withthe original small fin and rudder.The first few production C-34 s had crank operatedflaps. This method was quickly modified to a chainand cable system powered by an electric motor.Through the end of production in 1941, Cessna retained electric operation of the flaps except for th e 16C-38's which utilized a hydraulic belly flap . All theC-34's and C-37's had wooden structure trailing edgeflaps. The flaps were hinged on the bottom surfaceand worked in principle similar to the post-war 120/140and 170/170A flaps. With the advent of the bowedgear C-38, Cessna engineers developed a large hydraulically actuated belly flap quite similar to the RutanVariEze mechanism. Starting at serial number 450 the first C-145 - and through serial number 591 the last Airmaster - Cessna built the Airmaster with

a third type of flap assembly . This was a drag flap


13/28

mounted on the underside of the wing just forwardof the rear spar and inboard of the ailerons . This flapdesign was carried forward to the post-war 19 1195series airplanes.

The reason for Cessna's flap variations are apparent once you fly the ship. The airplane has a veryflat glide . Once in ground effect, airspeed bleeds offslowly causing a float that reminds you of a Taylorcraft. The trailing edge flaps of course added dragand steepened the approach . Unfortunately, theseflaps also added significant lift which in turn did nothelp decrease the tendency to float. What the airplane really needed was pure drag. To accomplishthat, Cessna engineers deleted the trailing edge flapsand added a large hydraulic hand pump actuated bellyflap to the C-38 series. The aerodynamic purpose waswell served but the operation added another handoperation to the pilot's duties - stick, Johnson bar,and hydraulic pump. The extra handle cluttered analready cramped cockpit. The advent of the underwing drag flaps starting with NC14464, the first C-145,was the ultimate solution. Plenty of drag, steeper approaches, no floating, as well as a simple, lightweightoperating mechanism.Except for the landing gear change to the 12 inchwider bowed gear with the introduction of the 1938C-38, the other variation between the first C-34 andfinal C-165 were subtle and should be consideredminor in nature. Many minor changes occurred inthe cabin to facilitate pilot and passenger comfort.The C-37 featured a four inch wider cabin than thepredecessor. With the C-38, the structure supporting the instrument panel was moved forward fourinches giving the appearance of a larger cockpit. Thischange caused the size of the windshield and forward side windows to vary. The size and shape ofthe other cabin windows were also noticeably different. Factory records indicate improvements incabin upholstery with the later copies being furnished with plush mohair and bedford cord wools.Other mechanical changes included a locking tailwheel on the C-37 and subsequent models and shockmounted removable engine mount. Starting with theC-38 the welded, non-removable mount of the earlierseries, and hydraulic brakes introduced on the firstC-145.Options available to the customer on all seriesAirmasters include either: wooden or Curtiss Reedmetal fixed pitch propellers and variations of fueltankage for 35, 45, or V gallon capacity. Exteriorand interior colors were also left to the customer's

essna C-37 sin 346 pril 1937.Still licensed and flying in SpokaneWashington.

essna C-145 panel. October 1938.


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15/28


16/28

Bob Cummings and his C-37. sin 36 9. Th is s Bob s fi rstA irm as ter. Currentl y own ed by Bill Koelling, Grea t Bend ,KS. Bob's second Airmas ter was SN588 NC3 455 whichis still flying n the No rthwest.

Bob Cummings in his C-37 Spinach //".

discretion and resulted in a veritable rainbow ofcolors. Many Airmasters were outfitted with the latest in electronic equipment and were often navigatedby the beeping A-N ranges through the worst of weath-er. All of these "World's Most Efficient airplanescame normally equipped with electric starter , gen-erator, and night flying equipment.At this writing , approximately fifty of these fine6

Second winner .of Detroit News Trophy sin 307 C-34.Restored by Clyde B Bouozgeois.

old birds have survived the ravages of time, incom-petency and neglect. Airmaster owners have looselybonded themselves together through the AntiqueAirplane As sociation sponsored Airmaster Club . Thisclub offers social and mechanical support for thesurvival of the breed . A majority of Airmaster ownersare fiercely proud of their possessions and , as a result, the ownership turnover is quite slow . One own-

er, a very competent engineer , feels sure that his shiprepresents one of the finest combinations of airframe,engine and propeller ever produced. On the oppo-site side , one currently popular aviation writer hadthe audacity to suggest that the airplane flies like atruck. We Airmaster owners know he would say aCorvette rides hard


17/28

SPECIFICATIONSC 145 L NDPL NE -

PERFORMANCE: English MetricHigh speed, at sea level . 162 m.p .h . 261 k .p.h .'Cruising speed, at optimum altitude (8,200 ft.) . . . . . . . . . 151 m.p.h. 243 k. p .h.'Cruising speed, at sea level . 14 3 m.p.h. 230 k .p.h .Landing speed, with flaps extended 49 m. p .h. 79 k.p.h.Climb first minute . . . . . . 1,000 feet 305 metersCruising Radius (with 52 / 2 U. S.gallon capacity) . . . . . . . . . . . . 785 miles 1,263 kilometersCruising Radius (with 4 5 U . S. gallon capacity) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 675 miles 1,086 kilometersCruising Radius (with 35 U. S. gallon capacity) . . . 525 miles 845 kilometersGasoline consumption at cruisingspeed (sea level) . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . 9 1/ 2 gal. / hr. 36 liters / hr.Air mileage per gallon at cruisingspeed (sea level) . 15 miles 24 kilometersService ceiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,000 feet 5,486 meters'Cruising speeds at 75 % Horsepower.WEIG HT DATA :Gross weight 2,3501bs. 1,066 kilograms'Empty weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,380 Ibs. 626 kilogramsUseful load . . . . . . . . . . . 970 lbs . 44 0 kilogramsPay load . .. .. . . . . .. . . . . . . 57 4 lb s. 260 kilogramsWing loading . 13 lb s./ sq . ft. 63 .4 kilo . / sq .m.Power loading . 16 .2 lbs. / h.p. 7.35 kilo. / h .p.'Empty weight guaranteed not to exceed this figure by over 2 %.AIRPLANE DATA :Type . . . . 4-place Cabin MonoplaneNumber of engines . 1 1Length . 24 ft. 8 in. 7.5 metersSpan (wing) . 34 ft. 2 in. 10.4 metersHeight . 7ft. 2.1i5metersWing area . . 181 sq. ft. 16.8 meters

STANDARD EQUIPMENTGENERAL EQUIPMENT:

Fuselage, complete with Engine Mount, Windshield, Windowsand Door (Door Lock and Keys provided). (Pertinent floatFittings are attached and entire Structure Corrosion Proofedfor Seaplane use.)Wing, complete with Statically and Dynamically BalancedAilerons. (All Metal Parts are Corrosion Proofed for Seaplane use.)2 Wing Flaps.I Wing Flap Electrical Operating Mechanism.1 Fin and Rudder.I Stabilizer and Elevator.I Set Longitudinal Trimming Tabs (on Elevator) .1 Parking Brake System.

I Pilot Individual Foot Brake System.I Automatic Tail Wheel Locking Mechanism.I Landing Gear with Oildraulic-spring Shock Absorbing Mechanism, 7:50x10 Goodyear Wheels, Hydraulic Brakes .Tail Wheel with 8-inch Streamline Tire and Oildraulic-springShock Absorbing Unit.1 Set 6:50x10 Tires and Tubes.1 Pilot Seat with Safety Belt.I Co-pilot Seat with Safety Belt.I Rear Passenger Seat with Safety Belt (2 Passengers).4 Cabin Ventilators (all adjustable from Pilot's Seat) .

Curtiss Fixed Pitch Metal Propeller.Propeller Spinner.Eclipse, Type Y-150, Direct Electric Starter.Complete Set Pressure Type Cylinder Cooling BafHes.Gasoline Fuel Strainer.I Complete Engine Tool Ki t .I NACA Cowling.I Inner Motor Cowl.I Engine Crankcase Cowl.1 Mixture Control.I Spark Control.1 Engine Primer.I Throttle .4 Lord Rubber Engine Mount Bushings.Stainless Steel Firewall.Steel Exhaust Collector.I Engine M anual.

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT:Exide, Type 6-TS-7-1, Electrical Storage Battery (19 AmpereHour Capacity).I Cessna Electric Master Switch.I Cessna Ignition Switch.1 Wind Driven Generator 3 112 to 8 Ampere Capacity).1 Instrument Light Rheostat.3 Grimes, Type C, Navigation Lights.Complete Set Airplane Wiring.Complete Set Airplane Conduiting and Junction Boxes.Complete Set Electrical Switches.Starter Solenoid Switch.Complete Set Airplane Bonding and Shielding.

INSTRUMENTS:Compass. 2 Fuel Quantity GaugesAltimeter. (Electric).Airspeed. Ammeter.Airspeed Pitot Static Tube. Oil Pressure Gauge.Tachometer. I Oil Temperature .Gauge.' Not included in standard weight of 1,380.C 145 SE PL NE -

PERFORMANCE: English MetricHigh speed, at sea level 145 m.p.h. 233 k.p.h.'Cruising speed . 130 mp .h 209 k.p.h .Landing speed, with flaps extended 50 m.p.h. 80 k.p.h.Climb first minute . 650 feet 198 metersCruising Radius (with 52 1 2 U. S.gallon capacity) . 700 miles 1,127 kilometersCruising Radius (with 45 U. S. gallon capacity) . 600 miles 966 kilometersCruising Radius (with 35 U. S. gallon capacity) . . . 460 miles 740 kilometersGasoline consumption at cruisingspeed (sea level) . 9 1/ 2 gal./ hr . 36 liters/ hr .Air mileage per gallon at cruisingspeed (sea level) 13.7 miles 22 kilometersService ceiling . . . . 14,000 feet 4,268 meters'Cruising speeds at 75 % Horsepower.WE IGHT DATA:Gross weight 2,550 lbs . 1,159 kil ograms' Empty weight . 1,635Ibs . 74 3 kilogramsUseful load . 915 lb s. 4 16 kilogramsPay load . 574 1bs. 260 kilograms


18/28

Fittings are attach ..d and entire Structure Corrosion Proofedfor Seaplane use. )1 Emergency Exit, left side cabin.1 Pair Edo Model 2425 Floats, complete with Water Rudders.1 Water Rudder Lift Control.1 Complete set Water Rudder Control Cables and Rudder LiftCables.1 Complete set Float Attachment Struts and Wires .1 Set Strut Steps.1 Complete Float Strut Fairing Assembly.1 Auxiliary Seaplane Vertical Fin.1 Wing, complete with Statically and Dynamically BalancedAilerons. (All Metal Parts are Corrosion Proofed for Seaplane use).2 Wing Flaps . .1 Wing Flap Electrical Operating Mechanism .1 Fin and Rudder.1 Stabilizer and Elevator.1 Set Longitudinal Trimming Tabs (on Elevatoc).1 Parking Brake System.1 Pilot Individual Foot Brake System.t Automatic Tail Wheel Locking Mechanism . (For auxiliary land

plane use.)1 Landing Gear with Oildraulic-spriag Shock Absorbing Mechanism, 7: 50x 10 Goodyear Wheels, Hydraulic Brakes (for auxiliaryLandplane use).1 Set 6: 50x 1 0 Tires and Tubes (for auxiliary Landplane use).1 Tail Wheel with 8-inch Streamline Tire and Oildraulic-springShock Absorbing Unit (for auxiliary Landplane use).1 Pilot Seat with Safety Belt.1 Co-pilot Seat with Safety Belt.1 Rear Passenger Seat with Safety Belt (2 Passengers).4 Cabin Ventilators (All Adjustable from Pilot's Seat).Fuel System with two Wing Tanks - total fuel capacity bothTanks, 35 gallon.1 Oil System complete with 3 1/2gallon Tank.1 Quart Pyrene Fire Extinguisher."I Bauer & Black First Aid Kit.1 Set Cabin Wall Upholstering (Laidlaw).1 Set Cabin Seat Upholstering (Laidlaw).1 Airmaster Styled Instrument Panel.1 Set Dual Controls.1 Complete Set Tie Down Lugs."I Engine Log Book."I Aircraft Log Book ."I Airplane Manual.

POWER PLANT AND ACCESSORIES:1 Curtiss Fixed Pitch Metal Propeller for Seaplane use.(Other Power Plant Accessories same as C-145 Landplane.)ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT- (Same as C-145 Landplane . )INSTRUMENTS - (Same as C-14 5 Landplane.)

"Not included in standard weight of 1,635 .C 14S PHOTOPL NE -

PERFORMANCE: Eng ishHigh speed, at sea level. . . . .. . . 162 m.p .h."Cruising speed, at optimum alti 151 m.p.h.

etric261 k.p.h .243 k.p.h.

WEIGHT DATA :Gross weight. . .. . . .. 2,350Ibs. 1,066 ki log ra m s*Empty weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,400Ibs. 635 kilogramsUseful load . 950 Ibs. 431 kilogramsPay load . .. .. .. .. . . .. . . . . . . .. . . 5741bs. 260 kilogramsWing loading 13 Ibs. / sq. ft. 63.4 kilo. / sq.m.Power loading . 16.2Ibs./ h .p. 7.35 kilo . /h.p.*Empty weight guaranteed not to exceed this figure by over 2 %.AIRPLANE DATA:Type . . . 4-place Cabin MonoplaneNumber of engines .Length . . .. . 24 ft. 8 in. 7.5 metersSpan (wing) . 34 ft. 2 in . 10.4 metersHeight . 7 ft. 2.125 metersWing area . 181 sq. ft. 16.8 sq. meters

STANDARD EQUIPMENTGENERAL EQUIPMENT:

Fuselage, complete with Engine Mount, Windshield, Windowsand Door (Door Lock and Keys provided). (Pertinent FloatFittings are attached and entire Structure Corrosion Proofedfor Sea plane use.)Wing, complete with Statically and Dynamically BalancedAilerons. (All Metal Parts are Corrosion Proofed for Seaplane use).2 Wing Flaps .1 Wing Flap Electrical Operating Mechanism .Fin and Rudder.Stabilizer and Elevator.Set Longitudinal Trimming Tabs (on Elevator).Parking Brake System.Pilot Individual Foot Brake System.Automatic Tail Wheel Locking Mechanism .Landing Gear with Oildraulic-spring Shock Absorbing Mechanism, 21-inch Hayes Streamline Wheels, Hydraulic Brakes.Set 21-inch Streamline Tires and Tubes.Tail Wheel with 8-inch Streamline Tire and Oildraulic-springShock Absorbing Unit.1 Pilot Seat with Safety Belt.*' 1 Co-pilot Seat with Safety Belt.**1 Rear Passenger Seat with Safety Belt (2 Passengers).4 Cabin Ventilators (All Adjustable from Pilot's Seat).Cabin Hearer.Set Camera Floor Apertures (Arranged to Customer's Specifications).1 Cameraman's Seat.3 Auxiliary Pilot Vision Windows.1 Fuel System with two Wing Tanks and one Auxiliary 171/ 2U. S. gallon Gasoline Tank - total capacity 52 liz gallons.Oil System complete with 3 12 gallon Tank.Quart Pyrene Fire Extinguisher.*1 Bauer & Black First Aid Kit .1 Set Cabin Wall Upholstering (Laidlaw).1 Set Cabin Seat Upholstering (Laidlaw).1 Airmaster Styled Instrument Panel.1 Set Dual Controls.1 Complete Set Tie Down Lugs.*1 Engine Log Book.*1 Aircraft Log Book.1 Airplane Manual.


19/28

SPECIFICATIONSC 165 L A N D P L A N E WEIGHT DATA: nglish Metric

Gross weight . .. . . . .. . ... . 2,550lbs. 1,159 kilograms*Emptyweight ....... . .. .... . 1,655lbs. 752 kilogramsUsefulload .... .... .... .... ..... 895lbs. 407 kilogramsPay load ........................ 549 lbs . 250 k i l o ~ r m sWing loading .................. . 14.1lbs. / sq .ft. 68 .8kilo ./ sq.m.Power loading .. .......... ... 15.45lbs ./h.p. 7.03 kilo./h.p.*Emptyweight guaranteed not to exceed thisfigurebyover 2%.AIRPLANE DATA:(SameasC-145Seaplane)

STANDARD EQUIPMENTGENERAL EQUIPMENT:(SameasC-14 5Seaplane)

POWER PLANT AND ACCESSORIES:1Curtiss FixedPitch MetalPropeller for Seaplane use.1Warner 7-Cylinder Radial Air Cooled Engine, 165 H.P. @2,100 r.p.m.(Other PowerPlant Accessories same asC-145Landplane.)

ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT:(Same asC-145Landplane)

INSTRUMENTS:(SameasC-145Landplane)

C 165 PHOTOPL NE -PERFORMANCE:(Sameas C-165 Landplane)AIRPLANE DATA:(SameasC-165 Landplane)WEIGHT DATA: nglish MetricGross weight . . . . . . ... . . .. . 2,350Ibs. 1,066 kilograms*Emptyweight. ... .... .... ...... 1,420 Ibs . 644 kilogramsUsefulload ..................... 930 Ibs. 422 kilogramsPay load .......... ........ ...... 5741bs. 260 k i l o ~ r m sWing loading . . . .. . .. . .. . . . ... .. 13.lbs. / sq. ft. 63.4 kilo. / sq.m.Power loading ................. . 14 .2 Ibs. /h.p. 6.45 kilo . jh.p."Emptyweight guaranteed not to exceed thisfigurebyover 2%.

STANDARD EQUIPMENTGENERAL EQUIPMENT:(SameasC-145 Photoplane)POWER PLANT AND ACCESSORIES:1Warner 7-Cylinder Radial Air Cooled Engine, 165 H. P. @2,100 r. p.m.(Other Power Plant Accessories same asC145 Landplane.)ELECTRICALEQUIPMENT:(SameasC-14 5Landplane)INSTRUMENTS:(SameasC- 145 Photoplane )

PERFORMANCE:**H igh speed,at sea level... . . .. .*Cruising speed, at optimumalt itude (8200 ft . ) . .. . . . ... .*C r uising speed,at sealevel... ...Landingspeed ,with flapsextendedClimb firstminute . .. . . . . ..Crui sing radius (with 5 1 z U. S.ga llo n capaci ty). . ..Crui sing rad ius (with 4 5U.S. gal-Io n capacity) . . .. .. . . ... .. ..Cru ising radius (with 35U .S.gal-Io n capacity) .. .Gaso line co nsumption at cruisingspeed (sea level) ..............Air mil eageper gallonatcruisingspeed (sea level) ..............

nglish165 m.p.h.157 m.p.h.149m.p.h.49m.p.h.1,125 feet725miles620miles485 miles

10 .8gal. /hr.13 .8milesServ iceceiling . . . . . . . . .19,300 feet*C ru ising speeds at 75 % horsepower.**Placarded Vv actual highspeed 169 m.p.h.

WEIGHT DATA:Gr ossweight . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . ..*Emptywe ight . .. . . ... .Us efulload . . . .. . . . . . . . .Payload .. .. . ... . .. . . . ..Wi ng load ing... . . . . .. . . . . ..Power loading .. . .. . . . . . ... .AIRPLANE DATA:Type .. . .. . . . ... . .. .Number o feng ines . . . . . . ..Leng th . .. . . ... . . . ... . .. . . . . . . . ..Span (wing) . . . . . . . . ..He ig ht . . ... .. .. . . . ... . ..W ing area . . ... .. . . . . . . . . ... . .. .

PERFORMANCE :High speed, at sea level. . . ... . .. .*Cruising speed . .. .. . . ... . . .Landing speed, with flapsextendedClimb firstminute .. . .. . .. .Cruising radius (with 521 Z U. S.gallon capacity).. .... ..Cruising rad ius (with 45U.S. gallon capacity) . ... .. . . . . ..Cruising radius (with 35U. S. gallon capacity) . .. .. . .... . . .. .

2,350 Ibs.1,400Ibs .9501bs.574 Ibs.13Ibs . /sq. ft.14.2Ibs./h.p.4-placeCabinMonoplane25 ft.34 ft. 2 in.7 ft.181 sq.ft.

STANDARD EQUIPMENTGE NERAL EQUIPMENT:

Same asC-145 Landplane)POWER PLANT AND ACCESSORIES:

n li sh151m.p .h .135 m.p.h.50m.p.h.730 feet650 miles560 miles4 30 miles

Metric266 k.p.h.253 k. p.h .240 k.p .h.79 k.p.h.34 3meters

1,16 1kilometers1,000 kilometers

777 kilometers41 liters/hr.

22.2 kilometers5,885 meters

1,066 kilograms635 kilograms430 kilograms260 k i l o ~ r m s63.4 kilo. / sq .m.6.45 kilo /h.p.

7.62 meters10.4 meters2.125 meters16.8 sq. meters

1Warner 7-Cylinder Radial Air Cooled Engine, 165 H.P. @ 2100r .p.m.(OtherPower Plant Accessories same asC-145 Landplane.)ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT:(SameasC-145 Landplane)INSTRUMENTS:(SameasC-145 Landplane)

C 165 SE PL NE -Metric243k.p.h.

217 k.p .h .80.5 k.p .h.222 meters1,0 45kilometers

900 kilometers693 kilometers

By Th omas E. LoweStearman Res torers Association, Inc.


20/28

StearmanatlonaPhoto by Kenneth D. Wilson)Stearman PT-27, N66442, restored to Canadian markingsby Charles Andreas and Byron Fredericksen received theSRA award for the Best Stearman PT. .

2

823 Kings ton LaneCrys tal Lake, IL 60014

The 7th National Stearman Fly-In was held at Galesburg Illinois during September 6-10, 1978 and enjoyedthe greatest success since its inception with a total of64 Stearmans attending from all corne rs of the U.S.In addition , numerous other antique, warbird homebuilt and modern aircraft swelled the ranks to helpprovide an interesting and diverse fly -in for everyone . All previous Stearman Fly-Ins had been threeday affairs, but since a larger number of Stearmansalways seemed to arrive one or two days early eachyear , it was decided to expand the 1978 event tofive days. However this year was no different as thefirst arrival was John McCormick and John Hooperfrom New Orleans, Louisiana who landed their Stearman N2S-5 at Galesburg on Saturday, September 1, afu ll five days before the fly-in officially opened. Theylater flew to Harvard , Illinois to spend some time atDacy Airport the home of numerous Stearmans andother antiques, and then returned again on Tuesday.By Tuesday evening ten Stearmans were already atGalesburg getting the fly-in off to another great earlystart.

Wednesday was the fir st official day of the fly-in ,however no special events were scheduled except forwhatever flying anyone cared to do . There was quitea bit of local flying buddy rides , formation flightsand throughout the day more Stearmans arrived including several groups of Stearmans that had flowninto Galesburg together. By that evening 2 Stearmans were lined up in the grass.

Thursday morning was spent in local flying andin renewing old friendships and making new ones. Atnoon most of the Stearmans flew the short distancewest to Monmouth to eat lunch at the Prime BeefFestival in progress on the airport grounds and towatch or participate in the first Stearman aerobati ccontest scheduled for that afternoon . The Stearmanaerobatic contest was planned to be a low-key , funaffair not restricted by the usual requirements of aformalized lAC type contest . It was to be a free styl eevent , the pilot flying whatever combination of maneuvers that he wished , with the onl y requirementbeing to remain above 1500 feet AGL. Only five pilotscould be talked into displaying their skills , John McCormick, Jack Ruhlin , Dick Baird, Jim Leahy, and TomLowe, three of which had never before flown in anykind of aerobatic contest whatever. The airplanes

represented the entire range of Stearmans, stock Continental and Lycoming powered models plus a 300

(Photo yKenneth D. Wil son)Custom 3 Ly


21/28

hp and 450 hp modified Stearman. Several Stearmanpilots volunteered to se rve as the judges and eachpilot put on an interesting display of aerobatics. Itturned out to be a fun event and hopefully more pilotswill participate in the future .At 6:00 P.M . ten Stearmans flew a formation flightover Galesburg and by sundown 39 Stearmans werepresent. Later that evening a cocktail party was heldat the Holiday Inn where the socializing wa s enhanced by wild flying stories that grew more unbelievable as the evening wore on. Movies and slidesof previous Stearman Fly-Ins were shown and enjoyed by all.The beautiful weather that had graced Galesburgand most of the re st of the country continued on Friday and the day was filled with local flights fly-bys ,formation passes, photo sessions and all the associated activities that normally ensue during a fly-in.By evening the grass area of the airport was virtually overflowing with Stearmans and when the lastprop swung to a halt , 57 Stearmans were countedreposing together in the grass. That evening all thefly-in participant s enjoyed a fine fish and chickendinner at the Galesburg American Legion Post.

Saturday began bright and early with the traditional dawn patrol flight to Monmouth Illinois forbreakfast at the airport co mpliments of the Monmouth Pilots Association. In the cool damp darkness of pre-dawn pilots and passengers alike struggled to shake off the effects of a too short night ssleep as they removed cockpit covers, pulled propsthrough added oil and hunted for the gas truck.Soon the intermittent sputtering of a radial enginebroke the silence as it was coaxed into life and quicklysettled into a quiet, smooth rumble as all the cylinders began working together. One by one the engines turned over and precisely at official dawn theStearmans began rolling down the runway into thecool air to be pleasantly surprised at the warm airinversion that was encountered just a few hundredfeet above the earth. In all, 45 Stearmans circled overGalesburg and flew to Monmouth. What a sight tosee numerous groups of four or five Stearmans winging together forming a larger gaggle that seemed todarken the sky against the bright orange glow of therising sun.The return flight to Galesburg was made in smallflights of several airplanes together and in somewhatof a hurry as early morning haze and fog was beginning to thicken and there was concern that the control zone at Galesburg could possibly go IFR How

coming poweredStea rm an N2S-5 ,N77636 , wasflown from NewOrleans LA byHarry Thomas.

(Photo yKenneth D . Wilson)Stearmans in flightover the Galesburgco u ntryside includeDick Schlegel s Stearman PT-17, N59737Tom Lowe s StearmanN2S-3, N66417, andGary Austin s Stea r-man N2S-3, N4GA.

(Photo yKenneth D . Wilson)Sam Saxton and DonDickert flew their allwhite Stearman PT130 from Allentown,Pennsylvania.

21


22/28

ever, the visibility remained VFR and on the fl ightback AI Stix earned for himself and his Stearman PT-17,N5521 N, the unwanted Hard Luck Award when hisengine began throwing oil all over and the oil temperature went sky high. He landed safely at Galesburg and subsequent inspection found that the frontbearing on the crankshaft had failed, necessitating anengine overhaul. During the afternoon the flying contests were conducted and almost all the Stearmanpilots participated. At 4:00 P.M. another mass flightof Stearmans was made over Galesburg and at 5:00P.M. the airport was closed for a mini-air show featuring Stearmans only. A good exhibition of lowlevel aerobatics was given by Dr. Art Lindquist in his300 hp 1937 Stearman, Jim Leahy in his stock 220 Continental N2S-3, and Bob Heuer in his 450 hp customStearman.

The evening was completed with dinner and awardspresentation in the Galesburg Aviation hangar. Guestspeakers were Brigadier General John Conaway, Deputy Director of the Air National Guard , and JessieWoods , who with her husband owned the Flying AcesAir Circus during the 1920s and 30 s which was thelongest continuously operating barnstorming air showin history.

Sunday again began with a dawn patrol, but onlyten Stearmans were blessed with pilots who wouldstruggle out of bed so early in the morning two daysin a row. Another warm air inversion greeted themshortly after becoming airborne and after touring theGalesburg area they joined the others for breakfastin the hangar . Throughout the morning many of theStearmans departed beginning their long treks home ,but one new arrival did land Sunday morning to bring

the attendance to 64 , an all time high. That afternoona fine professional air show was presented for thepublic featuring Frank Price, Pete Myers , Jim Leahy,Bob Heuer, Dick Willetts, J T. Hill and Darwin McClure.

By evening most all the Stearmans had departed,but a few diehards remained for a couple more days.Five days had been spent having fun and in payinghomage to the history and contributions made byone of the greatest airplanes of all time. Ex-WW-IIStearman pilots, students and instructors alike, werereunited with the airplane that had meant so much tothem during man s greatest conflict and a lot of newfriends had been made. The 8th National StearmanFly-In is scheduled for Galesburg , Illinois on September 5-9; 1979. Anyone with any interest whateverin Stearmans is cordially invited.


23/28

BORDEN'S AEROPLANE POSTERSROM THE 1930'S

,Article Number 2 Poster Number 2 e ries Number 1The New 15 Passenger Cu rtiss-Wri ght Condor TransportBy Lionel a lisbur y7 Harper RoadBrampton , OntarioCanada L6W 2W3

Imagine A passenger aircraft that includes a lavatory complete with mirror , hand basin with runningwater and a vanity case That's what the Curtiss-

Wright Condor Transport offered its passengers in933.This is poster number two , from series number

one , of the Borden Company posters, that were published in 1936. The three-view drawing is reproducedfull size from the back of the poster. The descriptionreproduced is also from the back of the item . Theoriginals were printed on a stiff card , approximately19 x 1 , and were published in black and white .

Collectors obtained their posters by submittingproofs of purchase of tins of Borden ' s Malted Milk .A total of 19'photos were offered. Reprinted throughthe courtesy of the Borden Company.

NEXT MONTH - Poster number 3 of se ries number 1 -Captain Frank Hawks No rthrop Gamma Th e Texaco SkyChief.23


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INEW 15 PASSENGER 1933 CURTISS-WRIGHT ONDOR TRANSPORT

82 '0 HEW 15 PASSENGER1933 CURTlSS WRIGHT CONDOR TRANSPORT

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The new Condor has been designed and built tomeet the requirements of transport operators whotoday are demand in g more speed and comfort forthe flying pub lic. In addition to supp lying additionalspeed , the Curtiss Wright Airplane Company in build ing this new Transport have likewise increased thecomfort and safety of air travel.

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The power p lants used consist of two of the newgeared 9 cylinder air coo led Wright Cyclone R 1820Fengines, rated at 700 horsepower each at 1900 rpm.These engines recently placed on the market weighonly 1.22 pounds per horsepower and have a diameterof 53 34 inches . These new li ghtweight per horsepowerengin es give the Condor a top speed of 170 miles an

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hour and a cruising speed of 145 miles an hour whilethe landing speed is approximately 10 miles slowerthan that of current tri motor transports .Entering the cabin from the side, the passengerfinds the seats arranged in three rows abreast andfive deep facing forwa rd . There is a twelve inch aislebetween the seats which are high backed and re

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clinable with deep upholstering . Cabin walls are fittedwith sockets for tables to be used for serving meals,


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writing letters , or for businessmen in writing reports,etc., while enroute. Some of the chairs in the cabinmay be reversed in order to play bridge or to carryon conversation with greater ease. Safety belts provided are of a new type adjustable to the girth of thepassenger and readily openable. The cabin interioris finished with a combination of fabric and leather.Refinements in passenger accommodations includea lavatory complete with mirror, hand basin with running water and vanity case. Each seat has a call bellfor steward service, and there are ash trays, coat racks,and magazine racks. Tables for writing or card gamesmay be fitted into the wall sockets mentioned previously and provision is made for serving meals enroute .The pilots ' compartment in the extreme nose ofthe ship is entered through the passengers' cabin.Location and large windows give unsurpassed vision.Side and front windows slide fore and aft, giving freevision in rain . The instrument board, containing allinstruments required by the Department of Commerce,is mounted on rubber to insure vibrationless operation. Blind flying aids include the Sperry artificialhorizon and direction gyro. The wing area, includingailerons, is 1208 square feet. Wings are of all metalconstruction with ribs of duralumin spaced about teninches. Mail and baggage is carried underneath thefuselage, not in the wing. Ample space is provided forradio equipment to the rear of the pilots ' seats. External lights include two landing lights and threenavigation lights. Inside lighting comprises both domelamps and individual reading lights'.A su mmary of the performance data and characteristics of the new Condor is as follows:Length Overall . .. .. . 48 ft. 10 in .Height Overall .. .. . .. . 16 ft . 1 in .Wing Span .. .. . . . . 82 ft.Climb at Sea Level . . . 850 ft. per minuteService Ceiling .. 15 ,500 ft.Absolute Ceiling .. .. .. . .. .. .. 17,500 ft.Top Speed . . .. 170 mphCruisi ng Speed . .. . . 145 mphRange at Cruising Speed . 560 milesGasoline Capacity . .. . .. .. .. .. .. 300 gallonsPower Plants .. .. 2-700 horsepower R-1820FWright CyclonesCarries 15 passengers, 2 pilots, 450 Ibs. of baggageand express and 200 Ibs. of mail , a total payload of3200 pounds.

W TKINS SKYLARK X-470EBy Cedric lloway14624 Willow StreetHesperia, CA 92345

Photo Provided by the uthor)

A visiting aircraft to any airfield is bound to createa great deal of interest. When this unusual low wingopen cockpit monoplane landed at the Braley Schoolof Flying field in Wichita, Kansas, I grabbed mybrownie box camera and was on hand as he taxiedup to the flight line. In 1930 such an airplane was notseen very often .The pilot had stopped in for gas and a stretch before continuing his cross-country flight. Having beenat the school but a short time , I didn't know that theSkylark had been built right there in Wichita.A notice printed in the Wichita Eagle describesthe plane:

Another new airplane being produced at Wichita ,Kansas, is the Watkins Skylark, a two-place open cockpit monoplane manufactured by the Watkins AircraftCompany. This ship , a low-wing land monoplane , ispowered with a 5-cylinder LeBlond radial air-cooledengine rated at 60 horsepower at 1,900 revolutionsper minute.

The fuselage is of reinforced shell and steel tubing construction, fabric covered. The wings are ofthe conventional type - two box spars and built-uptruss ribs. The wings are likewise covered with fabric.The plane has a fuel capacity of 20 gallons and anoil capacity of 3 gallons. The Skylark was designed byWallace C. "Chef ' Cummings.

WATKINS SKYLARK X-47 E SPECIFICATIONSSpan . . . .. 37 ft.Length Overall . . . .. . .. .. . 23 ft. 6 in .Height Overall . . . . 6 ft. 5 in.Chord . . . . .. 4 ft. 9'in.Total Wing Area . . .. 175 sq. ft.Elevator Area 13.8 sq. ft.Weight Empty .. 885 Ibs.Useful Load . . 465 Ibs.Gross Weight Loaded . 1,350 Ibs.Wing Loading . . 7.7 Ibs. per sq. ft.Power Loading .. .. . . . . 20.7 Ibs. per hpHigh Speed . . . .. . . . . .. 103 mphCruising Speed .. . 80 mphClimb . .. . . . 725 ft. per min.Service Ceiling . .. . 13,000 ft .Absolute Ceiling .. . .. . 16,000 ft .Fuel Consumption . 20 mpgIt has been stated that about 10 Skylarks were built.

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Officers 8 Members of EAA Chapter 610Good morning :It is an accepted fact that the EAA has amost outstanding exhibit of historical aircraftrepresenting the pioneer development of aeronautics and it would seem most appropriateat this period of the EAA in its effort to keepthe history of aviation accurate, to now consider the proper recognition of those aviationpioneers who truly contributed to the tech-nical design and construction of the airplaneand its power plant and not neglecting to recognize those who contributed and s parkplugged " the airplane by the fantastic bookswhich have been compiled covering the technical factors of the airplane and its enginethrough the progressive development stages.There are many who have noted with muchinterest the omission of so many contribu-tors to the development of the airplane in national recognition which surely has beenstrangely neglected.The EAA consists of a strong membershipand if perhaps EAA Chapter #610 could present to acceptance by the Official EAA that anational recognition program on a sophisti-cated status could be established , then aviation pioneers could be selected for recogni-tion by those who have a knowledge of aviation contribution.The following names are only a few of theneglected aviation pioneers who greatly contributed their know how " to the design andconstruction of aircraft.Henery Kleckler, right hand man of G. H. CurtissCharles L. Lawrance, Aero EngineerAlfred Verville, Aero EngineerEd Heath Pioneer l ight plane designer andbuilderCharles Kirkham, Aero EngineerL. E. Rausenbesger, Aero Engineer (Designerof first 12 avo engine in U.S.)Alfred Lawson, " Spark Plug " behind the firstreal for sure airl iner in U.S.John B. Rathbon, Technical Books on aviationVictor Page, Technical Books on aviationEdward P. Warner, Aero EngineerHolden C. Richardson, Aero EngineerCharles H. Day, Aero Engineer

A study would be required regarding theprocedure of a proper recognition , placing iton a sophisticated basis and recognizing ofaviation pioneers who contributed to aviation 'sfantastic development.EAA Chapter #610 members ' interest in therecognition for aviation pioneers surely is aninterest that coincides with the EAA preservation of yesterday's fantastic aircraft.Here is wishing EAA Chapter #610 luck inpresenting the plight of aviation pioneers tothe Official EAA Board.Best of good wishes,Ray A. Watkins

AERONCA 0-58B, 1943 " Defender" 3000TI, Good Con-dition , Fabri c Poor. Continental 65 hp recent over-haul. Licen se d until August 1979. Asking $3500.00.Call 319-267-2721 days or 319-267-2673 nights and week-ends or write Jim Shepard, 503 N . Main St., Allison,Iowa 50602.Wanted: 3-D, 35mm slide projector or viewer. Con-tact David Gustafson, EAA Headquarters , Box 229;Hales Corners, WI 53130 414 425-.4860).

Calendar f EventsMAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON , NORTH CAROLINA - Spring Fly-In. Planesto be judged should be on the field by 2 P.M. on the 5th. Awards din

ner Saturday evening. Sponsored by EAA Antique Classic Chapter #3 .For further information contact Geneva McKiernan, 5301 FinsburyPlace, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211.MAY 20 - ROMEOVILLE, ILLINOIS - 1st Annual Fly-In Breakfast of theyear at the EAA building at Lewis University Airport. 7 A.M . to 1 P.M.For further information contact J. P. Fish , P.O. Box 411, Lemont , il-linois 60439 :MAY 25-27 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA - 15th Annual Antique Aircraft Fly-In and Air Show at the Watsonville Airport. Co-sponsored bythe Northern Ca lifornia Chapter , Antique Airplane Association andWatsonville Chamber of Com merce. For further information contactEarl Swaney, 525 Saratoga Avenue # 3, Santa Clara, Ca lifornia 95050 ,(415 ) 645-3709 '(days) , (408) 2%5632 (evenin gs).JULY 8 - EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA - 3rd Annual Aeronca Fly-In at theEaston Airport . Any and all Aeroncas invited. 10 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.(Rain Date July 15). Contad Jim Polles, (215) 759- 3713 nights and weekends.JULY 14-15 - ROMEOVILLE, ILLINOIS - 19th Annual Midwest Fly-Inan d Air Show at Lewis University Airport. Shows theme and featurewill be W.W. I aircraft. Airport will be re-named to add to the illusionof the era. Sponsored by Chapters 15 and 86. For further informationcontact J. P. Fish , P.O. Box 411 , Lemont , Illinois 60439:JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 27 th Annual EAAFly-In . Plan now - it s the greatest show on earth .OCTOBER 1214 - CAMDEN, SOUTH CAROLINA - Flyln. All division s,awards will be presented . For further information contact GenevaMcKiernan, 5301 Finsbury Place, Charlotte, North Caroli na 28211.Sponsored by EAA Antique Classic Chapter #3.SEPTEMBER 59'- GALESBURG, ILLINOIS - 91h Annual Stearman Flyln .Anyone with any interest in Stearmans is cordia lly invited. For furtherinformation contact the Stearman Restorers Association , Inc., 823Kingston Lane, Crystal Lak e, Illinois 60014.SEPTEMBER 2730 - T ULLA HOMA, TENNESSEE - 1st Annual Flyln. Plannow for the greatest show on ea rth .

FOR TH COMPLETEAVIATION LIBRARY

THEFLYING AND GLIDER MANUAL

FOR: 192919301931193219331929-1933 MISCELLANY$2.50 Each Post Paid

ORDER FIVEAND GET THE

SIXTH ONEFREETotal Cost For All Six

12.50

Order From:EAA AIR MUSEUM FOUNDATIONBOX 469HALES CORNERS, WI 53130

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