Vintage Airplane - Mar 2011

8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2011

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2 Straight & Level Planning ahead by Geoff Robison

4 News

6 VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign by H.G. Frautschy

8 Curtiss Robin . . . a few barnstormers. . .and a young girl named Pearl by Sparky Barnes Sargent

14 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part VI The Aerospace Years by Robert G. Lock

18 Wheel Landings Magnified Fine tuning an art by Eric Gourley

22 Light Plane Heritage The Ford Flivver by Robert F. Pauley

26 The Vintage Mechanic Landing gears and shock struts by Robert G. Lock

30 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

32 The Vintage Instructor Things learned on the first real cross-country by Steve Krog, CFI

35 Classified Ads

36 It’s a Buyer’s Market . . .

But what are you buying? by Norma Joyce

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1

A I R P L A N E M A R C HC O N T E N T S

S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod Hightower

Director of EAA Publications Mary JonesExecutive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy

Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman

Photography Jim KoepnickCopy Editor Colleen Walsh

Senior Art Director Olivia P. TrabboldEAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny

Publication Advertising:Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson

Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected]

Fax: 920-426-4828

Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz

Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]

Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke

Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: [email protected]

Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012

Interim Coordinator/Classified, Alicia CanzianiTel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected]

C O V E R S

Vol. 39, No. 3 2011

FRONT COVER: 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of EAA’s Antique/Classic Divi-

sion, now the Vintage Aircraft Association. Throughout the next two years we’ll highlight some of the

people, airplanes, and events that have been a part of our history. This shot of Ed “Skeeter” Carl-

son’s Curtiss JN-4C Canuck, the Canadian version of the venerable Curtiss Jenny, was taken in front

of the Red Barn while it was a part of the “Jennys to Jets” celebration during EAA Oshkosh 1989. EAA

photo by Jim Koepnick.

BACK COVER: Continuing our series of old magazine covers, this issue of Air Trails , like last

month’s issue, features cover artwork by Frank Tinsley. Tinsley’s well-drawn art must be consid-

ered “interpretive”; the final details don’t always match the real aircraft! The Aeronca on floats

on this July 1937 issue, like the illustration on last month’s issue, is a great example. It’s a

combination of a C-3 nose and a pre-war Chief tail, with a bit of the K model mixed in. See page

34 for our attempt at identifying the airplanes on this issue. (Except for the little one on the left

side, in the center. If defies identification!)

8


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2 MARCH 2011

With the Centennial of Naval

Aviation and of U.S. Air Mail service,

EAA and VAA are putting together

celebrations for AirVenture where you

can visit some amazing displays of

aviation history. The Centennial of

U.S. Air Mail display will be set up in

the Vintage area, and the lineup of

aircraft will include everything froma Jenny to a Stearman mailplane. The

Bleriot XI planned for this display is

a recently completed replica aircraft

built by EAA volunteers and staff, and

it looks likely that we’ll have a second

original Bleriot on display as well!

There are plans being made to fly

the EAA Bleriot during AirVenture;

that will be a sight to see and hear!

Other aircraft to be included in this

display are EAA’s Pitcairn Mailwing,

the Swallow, a Fairchild FC-2,and Ron Alexander’s C3B Model

Stearman. We encourage owners of

antique aircraft having a direct link

to early air mail who may wish to

participate in this event to contact us

at [email protected] .

These early aircraft played a

significant role in the advancement

of aviation. There will also be many

other attractions and activities

planned around this celebration

with volunteers dressed in periodclothing re-enacting the business

of air mail. A special Theatre in the

Woods program is also being planned

to provide unique insight into the

exciting world of early air mail

activities. Our volunteer construction

crew in the Vintage area is planning

the construction of an early air mail

station where young and old alike

will have an opportunity to send a

commemorative letter or card from

Oshkosh to their family members

back home via air mail that will

actually be flown in an antique air

mail aircraft.

Also on our list of celebrations

this year is the 75th anniversary of

the Lockheed Electra Junior Model

12 aircraft. This may well be the

classiest aircraft to ever hit the skies.

Seventy-five years ago the 12 flew for

the first time in June 1936, and thismilestone will also be celebrated at

AirVenture 2011.

L e s W hi t t l e s e y o f C h i no ,

California, owner of one of these

beauties (NC18906), is leading the

effort to bring as many of these

aircraft as possible to Oshkosh. Les

tells us that he is hoping for an in-

trail mass arrival of 12s, and the goal

is to convince anywhere from six

to 12 of their owners to participate.

Twelve 12s would be a pretty cooldisplay. These guys will all be parked

together in the Vintage aircraft

display area, and I’m sure they will

be easy to spot. Les’ L-12 was the

2006 Grand Champion Antique

award winner at Oshkosh, and that

same year it was also awarded the

Paul Garber Trophy in Reno.

Some significant amendments

t o Se na t e B i l l 2 2 3 , t he F A A

reauthorization bill, are being touted

as good measures that deserve ourattention. EAA is encouraging its

members to urge their congressional

representatives to support these

initiatives. These amendments

include measures to authorize

through-the-fence agreements at

GA airports based on local airport

sponsor authorization, and call for a

release of abandoned type certificate

and STC data. The vintage aircraft

data release legislation EAA and VAA

have been working on is included

in the Senate bill, and identical

language is in the House version.

This language would authorize the

FAA administrator to make available,

upon request, engineering data

for aircraft, engines, propellers, or

appliances to a person seeking to

maintain the airworthiness of an

aircraft. The administrator can release

the data after determining that:(i) The certificate containing the

requested data has been inactive for

three or more years;

(ii) After using due diligence, the

administrator is unable to find the

owner of record or the owner of

record’s heir of the type certificate or

supplemental certificate; and

(iii) Making such data available

will enhance aviation safety.

To ensure aircraft data remains

available, the bills also includelanguage to require the FAA to

maintain the type certificate/STC

data in its files. Contact information

for your U.S. senate representatives

is available at www.Senate.gov/general/

contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.

Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri),

chairman of the House GA Caucus,

and Tom Petri ( R-Wisconsin),

chairman of the House Aviation

Su b c ommi t t e e , a r e w ork i ng

together to include language thatis GA friendly in the House’s FAA

authorization bill. Please participate

in this initiative that will go a long

way to realizing the success of these

critical amendments.

Do yourself a favor and ask a

friend to join up with us. Remember,

we are better together. Join us and

have it all.

GEOFF ROBISON

PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Planning Ahead


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4 MARCH 2011

AirVenture to Celebrate 75th

Year of the Lockheed 12

One of the world’s classic air-planes, the Lockheed Model 12

Electra Junior, flew for the first time

on June 27, 1936—75 years ago—

and that milestone will be cele-

brated at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

2011. Les Whittlesey, of Chino,

California, owner of an award-

winning Model 12A, is leading an

effort to get as many L-12 owners as

possible to bring their airplanes to

Oshkosh this summer.

“The plan is to get together,maybe even arrive at the same time

in trail, and all park in the Vintage

aircraft area,” said Whittlesey, EAA

409631. Special presentations at

Oshkosh on the L-12 will be an-

nounced as they are confirmed.

Whittlesey’s Model 12, the

product of an extensive three-year

restoration, won the 2006 Grand

Champion Antique award in Osh-

kosh as well as the Paul Garber Tro-

phy in Reno that same year.Only 126 Electra Juniors were

made between 1936 and 1941,

when production stopped at the

outbreak of World War II. The all-metal, twin-engine planes were

designed for use as small feeders

for airlines, but most were used by

companies for executive travel, as

well as by government officials and

wealthy individuals.

All Politics Are Local

The FAA Reauthorization bills

currently being drafted in both the

House of Representatives and Sen-

ate will, once approved, authorizethe revenue collection and activi-

ties of the FAA over the next period

of years.

Legislative initiatives as large and

seemingly impersonal as the reau-

thorization bill represent signifi-

cant efforts by EAA and lawmakers.

Ultimately, these initiatives have

a direct effect on you, your flying

freedoms, and the aviation com-

munity. EAA is currently working

many issues within the proposedFAA reauthorization bill.

Vintage Aircraft Data Re-

lease—One provision would re-

quire the FAA to retain data for

early vintage aircraft and releasethat data to the public when the

type certificate is no longer being

supported. This will help vintage

aircraft owners and restorers to

maintain, repair, and restore their

aircraft. EAA has been working

closely with the FAA and Congress

on this language for years.

Through-the-Fence Agree-

ments (TTF)—A proposed revi-

sion to TTF regulations, partially

drafted by EAA, would allow resi-

dential (noncommercial) through-

the - f ence opera t ions a t the

discretion of the local airport spon-

sor (rather than at a national level)

without compromising the abil-

ity of the airport to receive federal

funds. Residents would be required

to maintain the access at their ex-

pense and pay the going rate for

similar on-airport access.

Unleaded Aviation Fuel Re-search Program—EAA is help-

ing Congress develop language that

would raise the priority of the un-

leaded avgas research program at

the FAA. This program supports all

EAA members, regardless of aircraft

or engine type by ensuring a viable

and sustainable supply of aviation

fuel well into the future.

Volunteer Pilot Liability Pro-

tection—An EAA-supported amend-

ment in the Senate version of the billwould provide personal liability pro-

tection for pilots conducting medical

airlift and similar flights, affording

protection to members who extend

their talents and resources for the

betterment of society.

These initiatives have a direct

impact on individual EAA mem-

bers and large segments of the avia-

tion community. EAA’s presence in

Washington, D.C. advances issues

like these that have significant lo-cal/individual impact.

VAA NEWS

Les Whittlesey’s award-winning Lockheed Model 12A NC18906 will be at Air-

Venture to mark the type’s 75th anniversary.

B O N N I E

K R A T Z


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Sun ’n Fun Fly-In

Lake land L inder Regional A i rpor t (LAL)Lakeland, Flor idaMarch 29-Apr i l 3, 2011www.Sun-N-Fun.org

AERO Friedrichshafen

Messe Fr iedr ichshafen, Fr iedr ichshafen, GermanyApr i l 13-16, 2011www.AERO-Friedrichshafen.com/html/en

Virginia Regional Festival of

Flight

Suffo lk Execut ive A irpor t (SFQ)Suffo lk, V i rg in iaApril 30-May 1, 2011www.VirginiaFlyIn.org

Golden West Regional Fly-In

and Air Show

Yu ba Co un ty Ai rp or t (M YV )Marysv i l le , Cal i forn iaJune 10-12, 2011www.GoldenWestFlyIn.org

Arlington Fly-In

Ar l ington Munic ipal A i rpor t (AWO)Arlington, WashingtonJuly 6-10, 2011www.ArlingtonFlyIn.org

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

Wit tman Regional A i rpor t (OSH)Oshkosh, WisconsinJuly 25-31, 2011www.AirVenture.org

Colorado Sport International Air Show

and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In

Rocky Mountain Met ropol i tan A irpor t (BJC)Denver, ColoradoAugust 27-28, 2011www.COSportAviation.org

Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In

Gr imes F ie ld A irpor t (I74)Urbana, OhioSeptember 10-11, 2011http://MERFI.com

Copperstate Fly-In

Casa Grande Munic ipal A i rpor t (CGZ)Casa Grande, Ar izonaOctober 20-22, 2011www.Copperstate.org

Southeast Regional Fly-In

Middleton F ie ld A irpor t (GZH)Evergreen, AlabamaOctober 21-23, 2011www.SERFI.org

For details on hundreds of upcoming avia-

tion happenings, including EAA chapter fly-ins,

Young Eagles rallies, and other local aviation

events, visit the EAA Calendar of Events lo-cated at www.EAA.org/calendar .

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

Upcoming Major Fly-Ins

Fly EAA’s Ford!EAA’s 1929 Ford Tri-Motor heads back on tour in late spring, pro-

viding 12 cities in fi ve Midwestern states an up-close look at the

iconic aircraft from the early days of commercial air travel. It begins

in Racine, Wisconsin, on May 26, then continues through July 10

with additional stops in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.

The Ford Tri-Motor, nicknamed the Tin Goose , was built by the

Ford Motor Company in the late 1920s. EAA’s airplane underwent a

12-year restoration beginning in the 1970s and since the mid-1980s

has been based at historic Pioneer Airport.

Tour visitors can reser ve 15-minute fl ights aboard the aircraft at

the Fly the Ford website, or call 800-843-3612 for more information.

Dates City Airport

May 26-30 Racine, Wis. John H. Batten Airport

June 2-5 Bloomington, Ind. Monroe County Airport

June 6-8 Terre Haute, Ind. Terre Haute International Airpor t –

Hulman Field

June 9-12 Urbana, Ill. Frasca Field Airport

June 13-15 Greenwood, Ind. Greenwood Municipal Airpor t

June 16-19 Columbus, Ind. Columbus Municipal Airpor t

June 20-22 Urbana, Ohio Grimes Field Airport

June 23-26 Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati Municipal Airpor t –

Lunken Field

June 27-29 Akron, Ohio Akron-Canton Regional Airport

June 30-July 4 Sandusky, Ohio Griffing Sandusky Airpor t

July 5-7 Jackson, Mich. Jackson County Airport – Reynolds

Field

July 8-10 Elkhart, Ind. Elkhart Municipal Airport


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Each year at EAA AirVen-

ture Oshkosh the larg-

est single space for

the display of enthu-

siasts’ aircraft is the

Vintage parking and

camping area. For four decades it’s

been not only a picturesque scene of

the finest restored airplanes in this

country, but also a gathering place for

aviation people and their magnificent ma-

chines to share knowledge and friendship.

Each day during the convention, we get

to see the widest variety possible of air-

planes, including a few one-of-a-kind air-

craft. Don’t forget the special Type Club

parking area, where we host many exam-

ples of a particular manufacturer’s airplane.

From replica race planes to the American

Barnstormers Tour, the amazing colors and

outlines of the golden age of aviation are

on display for all to see each year. All of

this is possible through the efforts of the

nearly 500 VAA volunteers, the volunteer

VAA board of directors, and the VAA staff.

It’s why so many visitors and aviation

enthusiasts come back year after year to

work, relax, and enjoy aviation’s premier

event. It’s a place to rekindle old friend-

ships and make new ones. A time to relax

and enjoy aviation, learn something new,

and rub elbows with our fellow aviators.

As you can imagine, it takes some fairly

substantial financial resources to under-

write such an event, and the Vintage area

at EAA AirVenture is no exception.

The Vintage Aircraft Association has,by necessity, elected to underwrite a

portion of its yearlong activities with

funds other than members’ dues. The

proceeds from this fund pay for all sorts

of volunteer activities and improvements

to the VAA area, as well as supporting

VAA advocacy efforts and educational

endeavors. It serves as working capital

for improvements such as the Vintage

Hangar, the new VAA Flightline Safety

Operations Center as well as for up-

keep of many structures. There’s never

a shortage of windows that need caulk-ing, doors that need to be replaced, and

roofs that need to be repaired. To be

certain, almost all of the labor involved

is performed by our dedicated and tal-

ented volunteers, but what about the

cost of supplies and hardware?

That’s where our Friends of the Red Barn

campaign comes in—it provides all of us,

who wish, the opportunity to assist in the

vital financial support of the VAA’s activities.

We’re most appreciative of the contri-

butions made by hundreds of VAAers who

see the tangible benefits of supporting

their fellow VAA members in this manner.

As a critical part of the VAA budget, the

fund pays for such diverse items as VAA

awards presented during the annual EAA

Vintage aircraft awards program, special

recognition for our many volunteers, and

expenses associated with our special

displays, forums, and educational areas

such as the VAA Workshop and Type

Club areas in the Vintage Hangar.

Your annual contribution made in the

first half of 2011 will directly benefit this

year’s convention activities and VAA pro-

grams throughout the year.

Please consider actively participatingin the 2011 VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Campaign. Your donation may be tax-

deductible to the extent allowed by law,

and you can enhance your participation

if you work for a matching gift company.

You can do so by copying and filling out

the form included on these pages or by

donating online at www.VintageAircraft.

org/programs/redbarn.html . If you de-

sire more information concerning the

VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign,

feel free to call us at 920-426-6110.

We’d be happy to speak with you!Many services are provided to vin-

tage aircraft enthusiasts at EAA

AirVenture Oshkosh. From parking

airplanes to feeding people at the

Tall Pines Café and Red Barn, vol-

unteers do it all. Some may ask,

“If volunteers are providing the ser-

vices, where is the expense?”

Glad you asked. The scooters for

the flightline crew need repair and bat-

teries, and the Red Barn needs paint,

new windowsills, updated wiring, and

other sundry repairs, plus we love to care

for our volunteers with special recognition

caps and a pizza party. The list really could

go on and on, but no matter how many

expenses we can point out, the need re-

mains constant. The Friends of the Red

Barn fund helps pay for the VAA expenses

at EAA AirVenture, and it’s a crucial part

of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget.

Please help the VAA and our nearly

500 dedicated volunteers make this an

unforgettable experience for our many

EAA AirVenture guests.

Your contribution now really does

make a difference. There are seven lev-

els of gifts and gift recognition. Thank

you for whatever you can do.

Here are some of the many activi-

ties the Friends of the Red Barn fund

underwrites:

•Red Barn Information Desk Supplies•Participant Plaques and Supplies•Toni’s Red Carpet Express and

Radios

•Caps for VAA Volunteers

•Pizza Party for VAA Volunteers•Flightline Parking Scooters andSupplies

•Breakfast for Past Grand Champions•Volunteer Booth Administrative

Supplies

•Membership Booth AdministrativeSupplies

•Signs Throughout the Vintage Area•Red Barn’s and Other Buildings’

Maintenance

•Tall Pines Café Tent Rental andKitchen Updates

•Flightline Safety Operations Center•And More!

V ’s Friends of the

VAA’s Friends of the

Red Barn CampaignRed Barn Campaignby H.G. Frautschy

6 MARCH 2011


9/44

VAA Friends of the Red Barn

Name______________________________________________________________________EAA #___________ VAA #___________

Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone___________________________________________________E-Mail______________________________________________

Please choose your level of participation:

■ Payment enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) ■ Please charge my credit card (below) Credit Card Number _____________________________ Expiration Date _________

Signature_________________________________________

*Do you or your spouse work for a matching-gift company? If so, this gift may qualify fora matching donation. Please ask your human resources department for the appropriate

form.

Name of Company __________________________________________________________________

The Vintage Aircraft Association is a non-profit educational organization under IRS 501c3 rules. Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Income tax forcharitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value of any property other than money) contributed exceeds the value of the goods orservices provided in exchange for the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent to you for IRS gift reporting reasons.

Mail your contribution to:

VAA FORBPO Box 3086

OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

Please help the VAA make EAA AirVenture Oshkoshan unforgettable experience for our many guests.

ecome a Friend of the Red arn Become a Friend of the Red Barn

____ Diamond Plus $1,250.00

____ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00 ____ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00 ____ Gold Level Gift - $500.00

____ Silver Level Gift - $250.00

____ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00 ____ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) ____ Your Support $_______

DiamondPlus$1250

Diamond$1000

Platinum$750

Gold$500

Silver$250

Bronze$100

LoyalSupporter$99 & Under

EAA VIP Center2 people/Full

Week

VIP Air Show Seating2 people/2

Days2 people/1

Day

Close Auto Parking Full Week Full Week 2 Days

Two Tickets to VAA Picnic ★ ★ ★

Tri-Motor Certificate 2 Tickets 2 Tickets 2 Tickets 1 Ticket

Breakfast at Tall Pines Café2 PeopleFull Wk

2 PeopleFull Wk

2 PeopleFull Wk

1 PersonFull Wk

Special FORB Cap ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Two Passes to VAA Volunteer Party ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Special FORB Badge ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Access to Volunteer Center ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Donor Appreciation Certificate ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Name Listed: Vintage Airplane Magazine, Website, and Sign at Red Barn ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

✃

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7


10/44

8 MARCH 2011

David Mars discovered

the 1929 Curtiss Robin

(serial number 237)

during an estate sale

a couple of years ago.

He says, “It was about as near to a

‘barn find’ as any airplane I think

I’ll ever find. I purchased the plane,

took the plugs out, cleaned it up

pretty good, and changed the oil.

Then I flew it out of there.”In his genteel, southern bass

voice, David explains, “I’ve always

been enamored with the Curtiss

Robin, because I grew up within

30 miles of where the Key broth-

ers set their endurance record in

a Robin, and I actually knew one

of the brothers. I really fell in love

with it; it’s not very much of a per-

former and doesn’t fly very respon-

sively, but I kind of like the Ar t

Deco looks of it, and this is the eraof aviation that I’m most interested

in. This originally had an OX-5,

then it had a Challenger engine in-

stalled, and then this 220-hp Con-

tinental R-670 was installed. It was

registered in Mexico, and I can only

imagine what exotic thing it was

used for down there!”

The Robin was designed and

built by Curtiss Aeroplane & Mo-

tor Company of Garden City, New

York, and manufactured at Cur-tiss-Robertson Airplane Manufac-

turing Company in Anglum, St.

Louis County, Missouri. In 1929,

Curtiss Aeroplane and Wright Aero-

nautical merged and became the

Curtiss-Wright Corporation. All

told, more than 750 Robins were

manufactured before production

ended in 1930, and today there are

51 Robins listed on the FAA Reg-

istry. The Robin was touted for its

durable construction, along with itsin-flight stability and ease of han-

BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

Relegated to the back of a large

hangar full of old airplane parts in

Georgia, N3277G’s once-brilliant

red paint was nearly camouflaged

by a mottled coating of opaque dust.

Nevertheless, it was the first Cur-

tiss Robin that David Mars had ever

seen outside museum walls, and it

won his heart instantaneously. That

was fortuitous, for the Robin hadbeen destined for static display in

the foyer of the Merrill Lynch office

building in New York. Mars had no

inkling of it then, but his deep af-

finity for the old Curtiss monoplane

would lead him to fulfill a significant

role in sharing the inspiring story of

Pearl Carter Scott, a Chickasaw girl

who learned to fly in a Robin and

became the country’s youngest cer-tificated pilot.


11/44

dling. Ground operations were fa-

cilitated by a steerable tailskid.

Aviation HeritageDavid is proud of his familial avia-

tion heritage, which is a bit unique

in several respects. Elaborating on it,

he shares, “My dad was a bombar-

dier on a B-17 in World War II, and

then he bought a J-3 Cub when he

got out of the service, so I grew upin the 1950s flying off a grass strip

in Mississippi. And one of the rea-

sons I’ve always been a fan of Cur-

tiss is because I have an ancestor,

named J.C. ‘Bud’ Mars, who was an

exhibition pilot for Curtiss.” Indeed,

J.C. “Bud” Mars was taught to fly by

Glenn Curtiss, and he made numer-

ous first-time flights in a wide variety

of locations during 1910, including

Curtiss biplane flights in Fort Smith,

Arkansas, in May; Sioux City, Iowa,in June; and Hawaii in December.

One of David’s outstanding

childhood memories is his first time

at the controls of a Cub—without

proper supervision. “Now this is a

true story,” declares David, explain-

ing, “in 1953 my dad was going to

take my sister and I flying in this

Cub. I tell people that I have the

world’s record for being the young-

est person to ever fly a plane. I

know they think there was an olderperson in the plane when it took

off, and I was just manipulating the

controls—so then I tell them that

the older person was my 5-year-old

sister. My dad propped off the Cub,

and I was standing in the front

seat. The stick was secured in the

aft position with the seat belt, and

he reached his hand in the window

and idled the throttle up, before he

went back to untie the tail. Appar-

ently the minute he got the tail un-tied, I gave it the power, and they

say the Cub went about 20 feet

and jumped off the ground. One

wing dropped, and it cartwheeled a

couple of times and ended up in a

pile of wreckage maybe a 100 yards

from where my dad was. When he

got to the wreckage, my sister said,

‘Well, Dad, I thought you were go-

ing with us!’”

Since that time, David has con-

tinued to have many adventures inaviation. He has owned a Cessna

180 for 35 years and has flown

it frequently in his business ven-

tures—but if you ask him what his

profession is, he’ll simply state that

he is a barnstormer. “I’m in my fifth

decade selling rides in biplanes—

ranging from a Stearman in the late

1970s and 1980s, and in a Travel

Air in the 1990s and this decade.

I’ve been flying with the American

Barnstormers Tour for a few sum-mers now.”

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

a Few Barnstormers…

. . . and a young girl named Pearl


12/44

10 MARCH 2011

Making—andRevitalizing—History

As David mentioned, brothers Al

and Fred Key set an endurance re-

cord over Meridian, Mississippi, in

1935. They flew Ole Miss, a highly

modified Robin, and stayed aloft

for 653 hours and 34 minutes.

Their record far surpassed Dale

Jackson and Forrest O’Brine’s 1929

record of 17.5 days aloft in the St. Louis Robin. Additionally, Douglas

“Wrong Way” Corrigan made his-

tory while flying a Robin in July

1938, when he flew from New York

across the Atlantic to Ireland.

N3277G has made its own mark

in more recent history—at least

twice. The first occasion was about

17 years ago, just after Glenn Cruz

had completed a partial restora-

tion of the monoplane at Gillespie

Field in San Diego. He and his bridejust couldn’t resist the opportunity

to fly the grand old Robin to their

own wedding reception. The sec-

ond event was its role as lead air-

plane in the movie Pearl, which was

independently produced by the

Chickasaw Nation and Media 13.

It all started during 2008, when

the Chickasaw Nation decided

to produce its first feature film—

a movie about Pearl Carter Scott’s

early flying career. Pearl was born

in 1915 and learned to fly a Cur-

tiss Robin in the late 1920s, in Mar-

low, Oklahoma. She had her very

first flight with Wiley Post when

she was 12, and he sensed that this

passionate and inquisitive young

girl was a natural-born flier. Afterhearing Wiley’s observations, along

with repeated insistent pleas from

his daughter, George Carter, a suc-

cessful blind businessman who

dearly loved Pearl, declared that if

Wiley would find an airplane and

hire a good teacher for her, he’d

build a landing strip and a hangar

on his property. It wasn’t long until

Wiley found an OX-5-powered Cur-

tiss Robin (which Carter purchased)

and a teacher for Pearl. After learn-ing to fly, she earned her way as a

barnstormer and stunt pilot at lo-

cal air shows. (In 1995, she was in-

ducted in the Chickasaw Nation

Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma

Aviation and Space Hall of Fame.)

Hence, Donna Carlton, head

screenwriter for Pear l, started a

modern-day quest for a Robin

that could be flown for the movie.

Donna and her husband conducted

some online searches, and then shecontacted the American Barnstorm-

David Mars with his Robin, which was the “leading aircraft” in Pearl .

The Robin’s tail is rather angular.

A glance at the Robin’s front seat

and panel.

S P A R K Y

B A R N E S

S A R G E N T P H O T O S


13/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

ing Tour about shooting some foot-

age of their airplanes, with the

pilots and bystanders dressed in pe-

riod clothing. “We contacted Clay

Adams,” recounts Donna, in her

soft, gentle tone, “and he indicated

that another movie was supposed

to be shooting their barnstorm-

ing tour that summer. So I checkedback with them a few weeks later,

when I was sure that we had the

green light for the project. Clay said

they hadn’t heard from the other

movie company and invited us to

come on up. And still at that point,

we weren’t sure if we were going to

be able to pull it off—but as soon

as [our production people] went up

there and saw all the planes, they

knew this was a done deal!”

David recalls that the producersmet the American Barnstorming

Tour in Great Bend, Kansas. “They

asked if we had a Curtiss Robin in

our midst, and it was known that I

had the only Robin in our group—

I don’t barnstorm in it, but I did

have it, so it worked out fine,” he

says. “And that fall, we went to El

Reno, Oklahoma. Ted Davis and

Chris Price brought their New Stan-

dard, and Clay Adams brought his

1929 Travel Air 4000, and I took myRobin there, where we filmed the

scenes that required flying.”

Ted Davis explains that the New

Standard’s role in Pearl was that of

portraying Wiley Post’s airplane.

“I took the actress up in it, with

a cameraman in the front, and

since the New Standard holds four

people in the front cockpit, it was

great. The cameraman could shootback and get some footage of the

actress riding in it, and the pilot as

well, so I think that worked out real

well for them in that respect. Chris

Price did a little flying in the Robin,

with a wig on to look like Pearl,

and he flew in the Standard a little

bit. I did most of the New Standard

flying, and Dave did quite a bit of

the Robin flying. It was neat, it re-

ally was. It’s a neat movie, and it’s a

neat story.”Perhaps only the discerning an-

tique airplane buffs will detect a

misstatement in the movie, when

an actor gestures to the Robin’s

220-hp Continental engine and re-

fers to it as an “old reliable OX-5.”

Donna shares that even though she

and the director, King Hollis, knew

that David’s Robin didn’t have the

OX-5, “He wanted to use the line

as written because it accurately de-

scribed the plane that Pearl flew.”Donna talked with literally

hundreds of aviation enthusiasts

at the Pearl booth during AirVen-ture this past summer, gleaning in-

sight from them about the movie

and the nature of aviation itself.

“Some of the people that came to

our booth at Oshkosh have said

that aviation people are very pas-

sionate about flying—but you can

only go so far with a bunch of

planes in the air; you have to have

a story, and there’s a real story

here that is touching people,”

shares Donna. “Those who haveseen Pearl tell us the final scene

Ted Davis takes actress Angela Gair and head writer Donna Carlton up for a ride over Blakesburg,

Iowa, in his New Standard.

Ted Davis flew his New Standard

biplane for the movie.

S P A R K Y

B A R N E S

S A R G E N T P H O T O S


14/44

12 MARCH 2011

of the whole movie

i s the i r f a v o r i t e ;

it’s very touching.

We worked on that

scene the longest—

that’s how impor-

tant it was to get the

final scene right.”

Bringing theStory to Life

The experience of flying his

Curtiss Robin for the movie and

helping to bring Pearl’s story to

thousands of individuals has been

extremely rewarding for David.

“The thing I’ve enjoyed the most,”

he shares, “is bringing Pearl’s

story to life. All of us in the movie

are really passionate about this era

of aviation, and we want to keep

aviation history alive—whether

it’s about the airplanes or the pi-

lots. I consider myself somewhat

of an aviation historian, and I’d

never heard of Pearl’s story. And

when I heard that a Curtiss Robin

was involved, that was great! So I

enjoy helping keep history alive

by bringing this story to life, and

of course, I enjoy the camaraderie

of being there and flying with myfriends in the movie. That was a

lot of fun; I enjoyed it so much.”

As an interesting side note,

when the movie premiered on May

4, 2010, at the historic Warren The-

atre in Moore, Oklahoma, David

flew his Robin to Moore, and the

airplane was showcased in the the-

atre’s parking lot. “They found a

750-foot patch of grass close to the

cinema that they thought I could

land in, so I went up and lookedat it, but it was just too unsafe.

We found a field 3 miles south of

there, where I could land and then

taxi on the highway with a po-

lice escort to the cinema parking

lot. As preparation for the land-

ing, Chet Peek [a local pilot and

aviation historian] and I walked

over the field. We marked all the

bad spots in the field with toilet

paper, but there was one spot that

was a foxhole—so we agreed thatChet was going to stand in that

foxhole when I landed, so I’d be

sure to miss it. I turned final, and I

kind of fishtailed a couple of times

when I landed, and I planned to

roll out just to the east of him.

I thought I was doing just fine,”

says this southern aviator with a

laugh, “until I looked out the side

window and I saw Chet bolt and

run, leaving the field. So then I’m

on my rollout, and I’m thinking

maybe I’m going in the hole, since

he’s running away! So I kind of put

it into a right turn and got it to

a stop—I think he thought that I

was going to run over him. I saw

him; he just didn’t know that I saw

him!” Defending his actions with

characteristically good-natured

humor, Chet explains, “When you

see a big Curtiss Robin headedstraight at you from a hundred

yards away, you don’t ponder the

situation . . . you bolt and run!”

For screenwriter Donna, the

creation of Pearl was an especially

gratifying experience. “It was very

special, and the pilots spread the

word about the movie, and now

everyone wants to see it. We want

to have family movies that we can

show that are educational, that

are true, an d are a good stor y.Pearl had a real passion for avia-

tion, and we did receive her fam-

ily’s stamp of approval for the

film,” shares Carlton. “In fact, the

family came on the set as well,

and they’re actually extras in the

movie. We were excited a bout

screening Pear l at Oshkosh, be-

cause some of the staff and the

crew joined us there, and it was

like ‘old home’ week for us.”

Additionally, the Taylor familyinvited the crew to hold a screening

in Blakesburg, Iowa,

during the 2010 An-

tique Airplane As-

sociation/Air Power

Museum Invitational

Fly-in, and pilots Da-

vid Mars, Ted Davis,

Chris Price, and Clay

Adams attended withtheir airplanes, along

with Donna and ac-

tress Angela Gair, who played Lucy

Carter. Now that the movie is near-

ing the end of its promo tour, Pearl

should be available on DVD by

early November. As an extra perk

to the AAA/APM fly-in screening,

David’s Robin won the Antique

Pre-1936 Sweepstakes Award.

Phenomenal AviationCommunity

Just as the spirited young Pearl

discovered more than 80 years ago,

powerful and transformational

events can unfold when one’s life

is touched by aviation. Donna dis-

covered this for herself during the

production and screenings of the

movie and conveys this message: “I

have to say that the aviation com-

munity has been absolutely phe-nomenal: fun-loving, passionate,

genuine, warm, welcoming, and

generous. I never knew such a large,

unified group of good-hearted peo-

ple existed. It’s very encouraging

to know that there are so many

people like this at the core of this

country. They love God, America,

and the principles on which it was

founded. My trips throughout the

Midwest have brought me so much

joy, because the aviation enthusi-asts I’ve met seem to stand for all

that’s good and right. How unfor-

tunate for the future of our country

that the mainstream media, by and

large, ignores this huge segment of

our population.”

A refreshing and uplifting ex-

perience yielding new perspec-

t ives—that ’s just part of the

transformation that occurs when

you bring together a Curtiss Robin,

a few barnstormers, and a younggirl named Pearl.

SPARKY BARNES SARGENT


15/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Pearl was filmed in Oklahoma

during September and early

October 2008 and has mar-

velous cinematography de-

picting the era of the 1920s

and 1930s. The scenes easily transition

from the Carter family’s everyday life to

colorful flights aloft. At times tender and

touching, the film illustrates Pearl’s spe-

cial relationship with her father, as well

as her flying mentor, Wiley Post. The cast

was carefully selected, and lead actress

Elijah DeJesus looks remarkably like the

historical photographs of Pearl, a Chicka-

saw girl who at 13 became the youngestcertificated pilot in the United States. Eli-

jah (who, coincidentally, was 13 years old

when the movie was filmed) easily con-

veys Pearl’s contagious enthusiasm and

exhilaration—passionate feelings with

which most aviators will identify. In Pearl’s

own words, “Once you have known the

freedom of flight, it never leaves you—

even with your feet on the ground . . ..”

Pearl was independently produced by

the Chickasaw Nation and Media 13,

and several key figures involved in themovie’s production are Chickasaw, in-

cluding the producer, David Rennke; the

head screenwriter, Donna Carlton; and

several actresses and actors. Though An-

gela Gair (who plays Lucy, Pearl’s mother)

isn’t Native American, she received the

high honor of being specially recognized

as Best Supporting Actress at the Inter-

national Cherokee Film Festival for her

portrayal of a Native American woman.

Many of the staff wore several dif-

ferent hats throughout the production.Donna smiles warmly as she explains,

“We all did a lot of different things; I

helped facilitate the pre-production pro-

cess, I was head writer and a photogra-

pher, and I did whatever else needed to

be done. First of all, Pearl was just an

amazing person, and after she retired

from aviation, she helped the Chicka-

saw people as a community health rep-

resentative and as a legislator. Through

her work with the tribe, she got to know

Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoa-

tubby really well, and the governor al-

ways wanted her story told. A few years

after Pearl passed away in 2005, we

finally had the resources and staff in

place to produce this movie. There was

a lot of research involved, and we visited

with the family. At first, it was supposed

to be a nice little movie to show in our

cultural center, but it got such a warm re-

ception, and people were asking to see

it, that we brought it to EAA AirVenture in

Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where more than

3,000 people came to watch it. During

production, everybody was pulling triple

duty, because we all believed in the proj-

ect. So much could have gone wrong but

didn’t. We called that the ‘Pearl

mojo.’ Many people sacrificed a lot for

it, there were a lot of things we did onour own, and a lot of obstacles that

we faced. But we never worried about

it, because we knew the ‘Pearl mojo’

would kick in, and we’d get around

that obstacle.”

Their efforts culminated in an inspi-

rational movie about a young girl whose

heart soared high in the sky on Robin

wings. Pearl has won nine awards to date

and has been shown at nearly two-dozen

film festivals across the country—in ad-

dition to screenings at aviation venues

including AirVenture and the AAA/APM

Invitational Fly-in. While each award is

significant, Donna, in her eloquent man-

ner, shares, “The two awards we brought

home from the Trail Dance Film Festi-

val in Duncan, Oklahoma [Best in Fes-

tival, Best Native American Film], were

deeply meaningful because we were

in the heart of ‘Pearl Carter country.’

Many people at that screening already

knew who Pearl was, and a good per-

centage of the audience had personally

known her. As the head scriptwriter, that

was a validation that touched my heart.

When you pour your heart and soul into

a project, as we all have, there’s no bet-ter feeling than being told by the people

who were closest to Pearl that they

approve of the final product.” For

more information about Pearl , visit

www.PearlTheMovie.net .

Conveying Pearl’s Passionfor Aviation

Donna Carlton, head writer for themovie Pearl .

E li jah D eJesus mast er f ull y p or t r a y s t he d ar ed ev il P ear l as t he y oung av iat r ix g r ow s int o ad ult hood .

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S P A R K Y

B A R N E S

S A R G E N T


16/44

14 MARCH 2011

FRANK REZICH WAS ABOUT TO

become a member of the

Mach 3 team at North

American Aviation (NAA).

In 1959, a concept proposal

was being developed for a manned

bomber that could cruise at 80,000

feet at a speed of around 2,000 mph.

Now known as the XB-70, two

test vehicles were constructed by

the El Segundo, California, fac-

tory and eventually assembled at

North American’s new Plant 42

facilities in Palmdale. The XB-70

was an advanced bomber conceptthat featured new technology of

stainless steel/brazed honeycomb

structural components.

When Frank arrived at the Palm-

dale facility, he was told about a

small group of people working on

a black aircraft located in one cor-

ner of the hangar. It was somewhat

like a clandestine operation. No-

body but the people involved knew

exactly what was going on. This

project turned out to be the NorthAmerican X-15 that was being as-

sembled for the first time.

For the XB-70, cruising at 80,000

feet for extended periods of time

on long missions required pressur-

ization of the cockpit area, which

was unique. Frank said the NAA

pressurization requirement was for

13.0 psid (pounds per square inch

differential). In other words, the

maximum pressure inside the cock-

pit would be 13 times greater thanthe pressure outside (ambient pres-

sure). If the cockpit was pressurized

to 8,000 feet mean sea level (MSL)

and the aircraft was operating at

80,000 feet, then the differential

pressure would be slightly more

than 11 psid. To assure design in-

tegrity, the cockpit section of the

aircraft had to be proof-tested.

This i s where Frank enters

the picture, and his story of this

proof-testing is both serious and

funny. It all took place at the

Palmdale NAA plant.

The focus of this story is the nose

section that houses the pilot andcopilot. Take a look at Photo 2. The

escape capsules are another story,

and Frank was not involved in that.

Picture the small forward fuselage

section that included the wind-

screen; this is the section we are

talking about. A full-scale cockpit

section was constructed and moved

to the Palmdale plant for testing.

The story of pressure testing the

crew cabin goes something like

this. Frank recalls the incident likeit happened yesterday.

“It’s a funny thing how that

generated. I had been assigned as

assistant to the vice president of

manufacturing. And we used to go

down to the shop every day. He was

a ‘floor’ man.

“He was basically an electrician

that had come up through the

ranks, so he was a hands-on guy.

We’re down on the floor one day

and we’re checking progress andthe nose section was by itself. And

we had what we called the ‘six

pack,’ that was in another building

[the engine bay and engines]. Well,

the general foreman [responsible

for] the crew building for the nose

section got sick.

“The boss said to me, ‘Frank, you

go to Palmdale tomorrow morn-

ing. You take over the nose and fin-

ish building it.’ Okay, so the next

morning I go up there and started

going through all the manufactur-

ing orders. Now the airplane has

got two capsules, not just seats, but

capsules, and we had to install therails. We were just finishing up the

rails, and the boss comes by one

day to check the progress. For some

reason the pilot’s rails are different

than the copilot’s rails, and he said,

‘What the heck did you do?’ I said

it looks like we screwed up, but we

got it approved. ‘Okay,’ he says,

‘Get it done—get it ready for pres-

surization check.’

“I guess a couple days later we

moved it to where we had hangardoors we could open. Of course en-

gineering is all over there, so we

started the pressurization. And they

only let us do it from midnight un-

til 6:00 in the morning—‘Safety’

would only allow this test at night

and the doors had to be open. So

we put a wire screen around it [ac-

My Friend

Frank Rezich

Part VI The Aerospace YearsBY ROBERT G. LOCK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REZICH FAMILY COLLECTION

Top photo: The Mach 3-capable

North American XB-70 on takeoff,

possibly from the Palmdale Plant42 facilities.

NASA/USAF


17/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

tually a heavy chain link fence]. Be-

fore we started pressurizing we all

got behind a row of stock bins. We

had transits set up with ‘dobs’ on

the fuselage so we could see how

far things bend and expand. Well,

it would take almost all night to

pump it up, and the boss would

come in about 3:00 a.m. and ask if

we were done yet. ‘No.’

“The first time, we blew the

windshield out.

“Engineering had to make a

change to tie the windshield roof

to the floor. We made that modifi-

cation, put it back together, and go

to the next time. I think we blew a

side window.

“And the boss kept pestering me

about making the test go f aster.

The only thing I knew—maybe we

can get some ping-pong balls to

fill the cabin. So he goes to Safety

and Safety says no—the ping-pong

balls would come out of there like

they were shot from a cannon.

Okay, we’ll see what Safety will

say about Styrofoam. We could get

8-foot planks of Styrofoam; we can

cut them up to fill the cabin. That

will lessen the volume and may cut

down the time. Well, that’s what

we did; we cut them up and stuffed

them in the cockpit area.

“When we pressurized again we

were watching the transit point and

now the top hatch looks like it’s go-

ing to blow. Sure enough, the fuse-

lage expanded enough so the top

hatch blew out. When the hatch

blew, all that foam came out. Styro-

foam got strained through the wire

The XB-70 nose section.

To get an idea of the volume inside the cockpit, an NAA photograph shows the XB-70 cockpit ar-

rangement. This is the volume with which Frank was dealing and why it took so long to pump thecompartment with compressed air.

U S A F

N O R T H

A M E R I C A N

A V I A T I O N


18/44

and blew all over the hangar like

snow! Have you ever tried to sweep

up Styrofoam? It’s almost impossi-

ble. It moves away from the broom.”

Frank remembers, “We tried vac-

uuming, but finally settled the prob-

lem by spraying water on the foam

from Hudson sprayers; then we

swept it up. It was a mess. We never

reached the 13-psid requirement.”

Now, that’s a funny story. AsFrank recalls, to build an aluminum

structure that could withstand 13

psid back in those days was un-

heard of: “I don’t remember what

we finally got to, maybe around

11 or 12 psid. But we kept blowing

something. I just knew the airplane

was supposed to fly at 70,000 to

80,000 feet.” At 80,000 feet the at-

mospheric pressure is just a fraction

of 1 psi. Frank couldn’t remem-

ber what altitude the crew cockpitcabin was pressurized to, but if it

were 10,000 feet the pressure differ-

ential would be around 10.

The North American XB-70 was

rolled out of the Palmdale Plant 42

facility May 11, 1964. Although the

contract to build 60 aircraft had been

canceled, the flight-test program

continued, first by the Air Force and

then by NASA. The first flight was

September 21, 1964. The first Mach 3

flight was January 3, 1966. A mid-aircollision June 8, 1966, destroyed the

number 2 air vehicle, killing two pi-

lots over the Mojave Desert.

The Air Force lost interest in the

XB-70, and the remaining aircraft

was turned over to NASA for con-

tinued flight-testing for data that

could be useful for the future super-

sonic transport (SST) design com-

petition. The final flight for NAA

XB-70 was February 14, 1969, when

the first aircraft was flown fromEdwards Air Force Base (AFB) to

Wright-Patterson AFB for display

in the Air Force Museum of Flight.

The NASA test pilots were Fitz Ful-

ton and Don Mallick.

As a side note, Fitz is a personal

friend, and I can recall I asked him

what the most unusual trait was of

the XB-70. He said, “. . .it was when

you taxied the airplane. You sat so

far in front of the nose wheel that

it took an army of vehicles andground people to guide me to the

runway. When we made a turn the

nose was way over the edge of the

taxiway. If you turned too short the

nose gear would go off the taxi way

into the sand.”

I was attending A&P mechanic

training at Northrop Institute of

Technology in Inglewood, Califor-

nia, from May 1960 to April 1961,

and the talk around campus was this

new Mach 3 bomber that was beingbuilt at nearby North American Avia-

tion, on the southwest corner of the

Los Angeles International Airport.

There were stories of large heat-

treating ovens and a new stainless

steel honeycomb structure. I also

remember my uncle, Earl Lock, an

aeronautical engineer for Goodyear

Aerospace, coming to the area from

Akron, Ohio, on a business trip.

When we met he said he had seen

the most amazing airplane. He saidit was top secret, and he couldn’t

discuss any details. He drew a sim-

ple sketch of a rectangular box and

said it was the engine inlet and that

a man could stand inside it. He had

seen the mock-up of the XB-70!

When the XB-70 contract was can-

celed, Frank was reassigned to Rock-

etdyne, a division of North American

Aviation. Rocketdyne was a sprawl-

ing complex that began in Canoga

Park as North American’s TechnicalResearch Laboratory after World War

II, funded to develop guided missiles

and to test Germany’s V-2 rocket de-

signed by Werner von Braun.

The company was later renamed

Rocketdyne, and a secluded area in

the Santa Susana Mountains became

the country’s first liquid-propellant,

high-thrust rocket engine test site.

Here they designed, built, and tested

Atlas, Thor, and Jupiter engines. The

massive F-1 rocket engine was laterused in the Apollo program.

16 MARCH 2011

Look at this photograph of the XB-70 taxiing and look where the nose gear is located on the air-

craft. Then look at where the cockpit is located in relation to the nose wheel.

N A S A


19/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

During this phase of Frank’s ca-

reer, as any person who worked inthe aerospace industry can attest,

layoffs became a way of life. There

were periods when he was out of

work for up to two years. The Rezich

family moved from a home in Ca-

noga Park to nearby Woodland

Hills, both cities located in the San

Fernando Valley, where summers are

warm and winters are mild. Frank

recalls, “There was a time when I

was laid off for two years that I man-

aged an engine overhaul facility andbuilt boat engines to keep money

flowing into the family.”

Frank was there during Apollo8 through Apollo 13 launches.

Apollo 8 launched December 21,

1968, and Apollo 13 launched April

11, 1970, so he was at Rocketdyne

during the Apollo 13 crisis. Frank

recalls, “I ran the test lab that did

all the around-the-clock battery

testing. Our battery engineer was

a great big gal about 6 feet tall; she

was up for 24 hours making calcu-

lations on how to conserve power

to get them back safely.”When Rockwell bought out

North American Aviation, Frank

stayed with Rockwell. They trans-

ferred him from airplanes to space,

back to airplanes, then back to

space. Frank didn’t like that very

well, but it brought in money and

he was living in a very desirable

spot on the West Coast.

Frank recalls, “Near the end I

didn’t have a lot to do, and Rock-

etdyne was having a problem withthe company who manufactured

the turbo pump for the space shut-

tle main engines. They were build-

ing and testing the big engine for

the shuttle but couldn’t get the

turbo pump. So Rockwell manage-

ment knew I had a manufacturing

background, so they sent me to see

what was wrong, to find out why

the pump was not being delivered

on time. I did a lot of traveling,

working with contractors to locateand solve problems.”

Frank recalls spending much of

his time in Rockford, Illinois, repre-

senting the Rockwell B-1B program

at the Sunstrand Corporation. “They

were manufacturing the mechanism

for the B-1 wing swing mechanism.”

Next month, we’ll feature an-

other interesting st ory about

Frank’s career with Rockwell. Frank

retired from Rockwell and Sun-

strand to enjoy life to its fullestwith the airplanes he loves.

In this photograph, one last look at the North American XB-70A on a flight out of Edwards Air Force

Base on the Mojave Desert. Fitz Fulton and Don Mallick are in cockpit. Chase aircraft is in background.

The inside of the F-1 and J-2 engine build-up center in Canoga

Park, California.

N A S A

N A A / R O C K E T D Y N E


20/44

18 MARCH 2011

Last summer I had the

opportunity to hop 221

rides in Rod Magner’s

gorgeous 1929 Travel Air

D-4000. After 50 years of

flying tailwheel airplanes, I learned

to fine-tune the art of the wheel

landing as never before.It is more effective to land some

tailwheel airplanes on the main

wheels instead of a three-point, full-

stall landing. The Travel Air is one of

those airplanes, as is the Twin Beech.

There are certain advantages to this

technique. One is that it gives the

pilot a better view over the nose dur-

ing the landing and early portion of

the rollout. In many tailwheel air-

planes such as the Travel Air, there is

little to no view over the nose in thethree-point attitude. This improved

view over the nose aids the pilot in

judging and correcting for any side-

ways drift that is occurring during

the landing.

It also allows the pilot to push for-

ward on that stick and maintain a

negative angle of attack, keeping the

aircraft firmly planted on the groundso it will not want to pop into the air

again, especially in a gusty wind.

Most importantly, there is plenty

of airflow over the rudder, giving it

maximum effect. All of this is well

and good until the airflow over the

rudder decreases and it has to come

down. It is at this moment when the

wheel landing becomes the most

challenging in an aggressive cross-

wind. There are many other facets

to landing taildraggers than the onesaddressed here. It is the tail-up to tail-

down transitional phase that con-

cerns us in this article.

Whatever kind of landing a tail-

dragger pilot chooses to make, as

much as possible he should always

land into the wind. The most impor-

tant goal is to keep airflow over the

rudder to maintain directional con-trol to the very last second. Because

the center of gravity (CG) is aft of the

main gear, its moment greatly exacer-

bates the need to stay on the rudders

and keep the plane going straight.

Maintaining directional control is

paramount. On some taildraggers

the rudder is less effective during the

transition from tail high to tail (rear

wheel) on the ground. Remember, in

crosswinds, it is imperative that the

pilot maintain a straight line. Whenthe rudder is high in the air it is more

WheelLandingsMagnified

Fine tuning an art

BY ERIC GOURLEY

PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY AUTHOR, CREDITED SANDY KENYON, COURTESY RON MAGNER, WWW . MAGICAIR.COM


21/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

effective because of increased airflow.

In the three-point attitude the fu-

selage and wings block airflow past

the rudder; in some cases the airflow

blockage renders it totally useless.When the rudder becomes ineffec-

tive, the tail wheel must be down

for directional control or some other

means of control becomes necessary.

At some point even full rudder may

not be enough corrective action. This

is where rapid corrections with dif-

ferential braking may save the day.

On taildraggers this period be-

tween when the tail comes down

and touches terra firma is critical.

The rudder will become ineffectiveat some point. If it is a prolonged pe-

riod of nanoseconds before it does,

in a direct crosswind, the pilot has a

serious problem to deal with. Unable

to maintain directional control, the

plane will begin to weather vane and

swerve into the wind. If left uncor-

rected for too long, then the impend-

ing ground loop becomes the real

deal, impossible to get under con-

trol. A wingtip may hit the ground,

or worse yet, the side load on thegear may cause it to collapse. In more

forgiving airplanes the critical mo-

ment is brief enough that it may re-

sult only in a tailwheel shimmy and

some embarrassing zigzagging down

the runway.Then how does the hapless pilot

keep the tail from swerving during

this phase? Pulling back on the stick

rapidly and forcing the tail to come

down may cause the plane to lift off

again barely under control. It may

also cause damage to the tail wheel,

especially on heavier aircraft.

The solution is to maintain direc-

tional control during this phase by

using differential braking when rud-

der is simply not enough. Brakingin such a manner is an art. It adds

a dimension to aircraft control that

requires quick attention to not only

steering straight but also applying

judicious use of the elevator.

For example, in a right crosswind,

the pilot must not only be using

more left brake and rudder to coun-

ter the yaw (tail swerve), but also

be careful not to let the nose pitch

forward. This requires not only the

correct amount of brake action butalso careful attention to what the at-

titude of the nose may be by correct-

ing with elevator. Too much braking

and inattention to the nose pitching

forward may cause the plane to catch

the prop or, worse yet, nose over.The Stearman, which has a lighter

tail than the Travel Air, is particularly

prone to this condition.

On the other hand, even with

very effective brakes, the Travel Air

has more aft CG and is less likely to

pitch forward suddenly. It is a deli-

cate balance—a crucial moment for

the pilot.

The Travel Air actually behaves

better if steady forward pressure is

kept on the stick, as the tail will comedown anyway. Sudden up elevator

will result in a resounding “bang” on

the tail wheel. The Stearman needs

to have the stick coming back as the

tail wheel touches. This peculiarity

made for a challenging transition for

this pilot when flying the Travel Air

for the first time after many hours in

the Stearman.

Add to all of this the fact that as

the tail comes down, that magnifi-

cent unobstructed view of the run-way disappears. In the Travel Air,


22/44

20 MARCH 2011

as with many older taildraggers, it

all but disappears. The Stearman

affords a trifle more view. While

this is happening, the pilot mustbe keenly aware of any yaw. This is

much easier said than done. It helps

to have a runway wide enough to

have some side view of the small

piece of pie visible on each side just

forward of the leading-edge wing

root. Keeping this symmetrical, i.e.,

each piece looking identically the

same, will help.

Failing all else, the pilot must feel

the tail swerving and/or the plane

drifting. More than at any otherphase of flight, it is here that the per-

son at the controls must fly by the

seat of his pants. It is also another

reason the Federal Aviation Regula-

tions mandate that pilots must make

all three landings to a full stop

when maintaining their 90-day cur-

rency for conventional gear aircraft.

During this phase of the wheel land-

ing, tail up to tail down, the pilot

must be acutely aware of yaw and

sideways drift. In a phase wherenearly imperceptible changes in

yaw are hardest to see (feel), the pi-

lot must step up to the plate quickly.

Performed correctly, taildraggers that

have greater lag time until the tailwheel touches can be wheel landed

effectively in a crosswind. If the pilot

is unaware and not deft on all the

controls, then the proverbial ground

loop may well occur.

A word on drift here. Drift and

yaw corrections must be caught and

made instantaneously. The greater

amount of correction necessary to

overcome excessive yaw or drift will

almost always end up in increasingly

greater corrections, and it is best togo around if this starts to occur. It

is not a pretty sight to see a resplen-

dent antique starting to sway back

and forth getting more and more

“phugoid” every second, ultimately

ending in a nasty ground loop. Even

the best brakes in the world will not

save the day. Better to be ahead of

the game all the time or go around.

The post phase after the tail

wheel touches is also critical. Make

sure to keep the stick back so thetail stays on the ground for direc-

tional control. This is also requires

finesse, for some aircraft need just

enough up elevator to keep the tail

on the ground without shimmy-ing. Others require that the stick

be firmly planted in the gut to

maintain positive steering. And in

a strong, gusty crosswind, the pilot

should not forget to continue using

those differential brakes. This is the

phase where the pilot all too often

relaxes with the early thought that

“Ah-ha, it’s down,” and a gust of

wind, a pebble, or a divot on the

runway can send them briskly into

the weeds. It is prudent to S-turnduring taxi and position the con-

trols correctly for that gusty wind.

If the rudder and brakes are not

sufficient enough to accomplish the

mission, then cancel flying until the

wind backs off. The pilot flying the

airplane must never relax his vigi-

lance until the aircraft is tied down.

Double-check to make sure the mix-

ture, mags, and master are off before

calling it a day. Then breathe a sigh

of relief.


23/44


24/44

22 MARCH 2011

Light Plane Heritage

published in EAA Experimenter April 1991

Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts

related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se-

ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF

THE FORD FLIVVERBY ROBERT F. PAULEY

In January 1927, the Ford Mo-

tor Company displayed its Model

2A Flivver in the New York show-

rooms, the prototype for a sin-

gle-seat private airplane. The

press devoted a lot of copy to thisventure into the field of private

flying by Henry Ford, and the

Flivver was hailed as the “Model

T of the Air.” “Old Henry,” they

said, “would have America flying

their own plane the same way he

had put wheels under us with his

Model T.” Ford insisted that he

was merely interested in proving

to his satisfaction if a plane of

that type had any future, and he

was especially anxious to avoid

creating the impression that it

was ready for production. Thepublic knew better! Soon every-

body would be flying! Rumors be-

gan to spread that Ford had plans

to put the “Air Flivvers” into

quantity production!

The Ford Motor Company had

entered the aircraft business in

July 1925 when Ford bought out

the Stout Metal Airplane Com-

pany. This aviation division was

kept as a separate organization

under the parent company and

under the direction of William

B. Stout, who built the single-engine Ford 2-AT transport plane.

Later, in 1927, the company Stout

founded built the familiar 4-AT

Tri-Motor, and production of

America’s first successful airliner

began on a larger scale.

One day in 1926 Henry Ford

came into Stout’s office and sug-

First Ford Flivver powered with

the Anzani engine.


25/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

gested that they build a small

plane that anybody could fly—

a model of the air. Stout wasn’t

too receptive toward this idea and

asked Mr. Ford, “How would it be

possible to teach anyone to fly in

a single-place airplane without

killing himself?” As an alternative

he proposed a two-seat plane asmore practical, one in which the

owner could be taught to fly. Ford

dropped the subject, and no fur-

ther discussions with Stout were

held. Sometime later, Maj. Schro-

eder, then Ford’s chief test pilot,

recommended to Mr. Ford that

a friend of his be brought in to

head the Flivver project, and so,

in early 1926, Otto Koppen was

hired. This young engineer, who

had designed several gliders while

a student at the Massachusetts In-

stitute of Technology, started work

on the project in great secrecy be-

hind locked doors in the old Ford

tractor building. Mr. Ford’s speci-

fications for the new plane were a

record of brevity—he merely said

that he wanted a single-place air-

plane that would be the size of his

office. Koppen began the project

by actually measuring the office!

In August 1926 the finished

product was first seen by the pub-

lic during the Ford Reliability

Tour that originated at the Ford

Airport. It was a chubby-looking

little plane with a low wing of

cantilever design. The fuselage

was of wooden construction withsteel wire bracing, fabric-covered,

and with the pilot’s seat located

so that he sat up high, which gave

excellent visi bility. The wings

used wood spars and ribs, employ-

ing the thick, high-lift Gottingen

387 airfoil section, and were fab-

ric-covered. The unique full-span

ailerons served as flaps when land-

ing and were operated by pulling

back on the stick, which not only

raised the elevators in the normal

manner, but also depressed the

ailerons to serve as flaps. This ar-

rangement compensated for the

change in center of pressure loca-

tion caused by lowering the flaps,

which still operated differentially

as ailerons. At a later date this de-

sign was changed from the full-

span aileron to the 6-foot-long

inset type.

The landing gear was sup-

ported by a steel tube divided

axle, hinged at each side of the

fuselage, plus vee struts attached

to the main and rear wing spars.

The vertical member of this vee

took the landing loads through

five rubber discs in compression.

These discs were molded to brassrings, to take wear, and were simi-

lar to the shock struts used on the

tail wheel of the big tri-motors. A

large-diameter Palmer tail wheel

was used that incorporated a fric-

tion device to serve as a brake-

was used, and this wheel was

connected to the rudder to give

ground control.

Power was supplied by a three-

cylinder French Anzani engine

that developed 36 hp at 1700 rpm.

At first the lubrication system of

this powerplant gave a lot of trou-

ble, but the addition of a scavenge

pump solved the problem. The

propeller, specially designed by

Otto, was carved by James Lynch,

who was responsible for building

the major portion of the plane. A

great deal of development work

was conducted in an attempt to si-

Second Ford Flivver powered by the special Ford engine.


26/44

24 MARCH 2011

lence the engine. One experiment

involved an inverted “U” exhaust

manifold that led from the three

cylinders to two outlets below the

wing leading edge. At each outlet

a standard Ford Model T muffler

was fitted, and this reduced en-

gine noise by 50 percent. No re-

cords are available indicating howmuch power was lost!

Test flying the Flivver was the

responsibility of Harry J. Brooks,

the 25-year-old chief test pilot

for the aviation division. Brooks

had learned to fly in his teens and

later toured the county fairs cir-

cuit in his Jenny, selling rides and

doing parachute jumping. Tiring

of barnstorming, he joined Ford

as a riveter, did engine assem-

bly work, and eventually became

a company pilot flying the air-

mail routes to Chicago and Cleve-

land. Eighteen months after being

hired, Brooks replaced “Shorty”

Schroeder as Ford’s chief test pi-

lot. In December 1927 he was as-

signed to fly Lindbergh’s mother

to Mexico City in a For d Tri -

Motor, where she joined her son,

who was touring Central America

in the Spirit of St. Louis.B rooks d id a cons ide rab le

amount of spectacular f lying

in the Flivver, demonstrating it

whenever possible. He often com-

muted between his home, where

he kept the plane in his garage, to

the Ford field in Dearborn, prov-

ing the practical, everyday use of

the plane. He raced Gar Wood in

the Miss America V on the Detroit

River during the Harmsworth Tro-

phy Races, to show the plane’sspeed. When Lindbergh visited

the Ford Airport in August 1927,

after his famous flight, he was

given permission to fly the Ford

product. He found it necessary

to remove his shoes to reach the

rudder bar without his knees hit-

ting the instrument panel, but fly

it he did! Aside from Lindbergh,

however, no other person except

Brooks ever flew the Ford Flivver.

The plane was reported to be easyto fly, landed slowly due to the

flaps, and had good visibility be-

cause of the high seating position.

The top speed of the 500-pound

ship was approximately 90 mph,

and the landings were made at 30.

During 1927 a second version

of the Flivver was built, specifi-

cally designed for an attempt to

break the world’s long-distance re-cord for lightplanes in the third

category (single-seaters with an

empty weight between 440 and

880 pounds). This new plane

had a greater wingspan with

wing struts, a rounder and more

shapely rudder, and a longer nose

with a new Ford engine. This en-

gine, designed by the chief en-

gineer of the aviation division,Harold Hicks, was a two-cylinder,

Ford Flivver

35-hp Anzani

span 22 feet

length 16 feet

wing area 100 square feet

empty weight 350 pounds

gross weight 580 pounds

top speed 85 mphrange 250 miles


27/44

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

opposed, air-cooled four-cycle de-

sign using parts from a Wright

Whirlwind. The bore and stroke

were 4.50 inches, giving a dis-

placement of 143 cubic inches,

and it weighed 118 pounds dry.

The overall width was 35 inches,

and it was 25 inches long.

The crankcase and cylinderheads were made of aluminum,

while the cylinder barrels were of

steel with turned fins. Forged mag-

nesium pistons were connected

to the crankshaft through tubular

connecting rods, and the crank-

shaft ran on a roller bearing at the

rear end and had a Babbitt front

bearing that also took the thrust.

The overhe

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