Vintage Airplane - May 1983

8/12/2019 Vintage Airplane - May 1983

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STR IGHT ND LEVEL

The old adage "April showers bring May flowers"should be translated to mean When it rains, it pours" forApril not only brought showers but torrential downpoursboth in the west and in the south and east. The flowersmay be few and far between because they were probablywashed away in the floods and downpours. The fall of 1982was basically mild; early winter was better than normaland then when things were expected to break for spring,all heck broke loose.Books have been written about weather, schools teachthe basics as we know them today, but it is still difficultto accurately forecast these abnormal conditions that continue to plague us. Of course excellent advancements havebeen made in reporting and forecasting weather conditionsfor both pilots and farmers.Information can be obtained from Flight Service Sta-tions, the National Weather Service, the local continuousreporting stations now in operation, the early morning AMWeather on TV, and, oh yes, The Farmer's Almanac. Manywho fly are strictly VFR pilots, while several of us are IFRrated and have to work hard at staying current. Corporatepilots are able to stay current as they and the airline andcommuter crews fly daily under most conditions . Mostairlines have their own weather reporting facilities andtheir routing managers have their own reporting information to verify the current conditions .

The corporate crews and we other IFR pilots mustdepend upon the FAA facilities to advise use while plan-ning our flights. Without fail, we must file and get aclearance from an FAA facility before proceeding on anIFR flight .

If a VFR flight plan is initiated, certain o n i t i o n s mustbe met at the beginning and completion of the flight . AVFR flight plan is not mandatory but should be used asan aid to safety; if a problem arises, the FAA is keeping

By Brad ThomasPresidentAntique/Classic Division

What type of weather reports are we going to obtain?First we should obtain a complete briefing from a FSSspecialist for each leg of the route , and then file aVFR orIFR flight plan. If you have access to the AM Weatherprograms on TV on Mondays through Fridays , it is a goodidea to follow them for a few days before your departure,and pay particular attention to the extended forecasts .This will present a fairly accurate picture of the movements offronts and pressure systems that develop. Do not,under any circumstances, depend upon the forecasts without alternative plans for each leg of the flight; you shouldalways have an alternate destination in mind. Never beafraid to make the 1800 turn and return to satisfactoryconditions when the need arrises . And when you are reallygetting into trouble, do not wait until the last minute tocommunicate via radio with the nearest facility. Many ofus must admit that, at some time during our flying careers,we have been temporarily disoriented or just plain lost,and this is no disgraceThe fly-in season is now upon us and it appears thatspring has finally arrived. Those who plan fly-ins haveselected and published the dates, and are on needles andpins during the few days preceding the opening date. Totry to predict the weather months before is impossible soyou rely on past experience" and good 01 guesswork.When dawn breaks on the first day of the fly-in and thelocal weather conditions are clear and mild, it is time to


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PUBLICATION STAFF

MAY 1983 Vol. 11, No.5COPYRIGHT 1983 EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION , INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

PUBLISHERPaul H. PobereznyEDITORGene R. Chase

MANAGING EDITORPat Etter

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTNorman PetersenFEATURE WRITERGeorge A. Hardie, Jr.

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION, INC.OFFICERS

PresidentW. Brad Thomas, Jr.301 Dodson Mill RoadPilot Mountain, NC 270419193682875 Home9193682291 Office

SecretaryM. C. " Kelly" VietsRoute 2, Box 128Lyndon, KS 664519138283518

Vice PresidentJack C. WinthropRoute 1, Box 111Allen, TX 75002

214n 275649

TreasurerE. E. "Buck" HilbertP.O. Box 145Union, IL 601808159234591

DIRECTORSRonald Fritz15401 Sparta AvenueKent City, MI 4933061616785012

Dale A. Gustafson7724 Shady Hill DriveIndianapolis, IN 462743172934430

Robert E. Kesel455 Oakridge DriveRochester, NY 1461 77163423170

Arthur R. Morgan3744 North 51st Blvd.Milwaukee, WI 5321641414423631S. J. WittmanBox 2672Oshkosh, WI 54901414 12351265

Claude L. Gray, Jr .9635 Sylvia AvenueNorthridge, CA 913242133491338

AI Kelch66 W. 622 N. Madison Ave.Cedarburg , WI 53012414377 5886

Morton W. LesterP.O. Box 3747Martinsville, VA 241127036324839

John R. Turgyan1530 Kuser RoadTrenton, NJ 086196095852747George S. York181 Sloboda Ave.Mansfield, OH 449064195294378

Contents2 Straight & Levelby Brad Thomas4 A/CNewsby GeneChase5 Mystery Planeby George Hardie6 Charles H. Hubbell 1899-1971by Bob Wilson9 Calendarof Events1 A. C. "Charlie" Miller - Pilot and MasterCraftsman, Part 3by Ted Businger16 Golden Oldie - Farman Sportby Gene Chase16 Members' Projects17 The Search for "Lady Southern Cross"by Gene Chase18 Otto Heyer and Schellvi lleby Bill Ewertz2 Letters to the Editor

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FRONT COVER . . . This 220 Continentalpowered Great Lakes 2T1 C,N425, SN 6926 received the Grand Champion Antique Replica Awardat Sun 'n Fun '82. Owner is Bob Wilson (EAA 9702, AlC 157), 9420NW. 125th Ave. , Ocala , FL 32671 . (Photo courtesy of Bob Wilson)

BACK COVER . Luscombe 8A, N1288K, SN 4015 received BestRestored Classic Up to 100 hp at Sun 'n Fun '83 for owner Rob


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SUN N FUN '83Weather was the main topic of discussion at the NinthAnnual Sun n Fun Fly-In at Lakeland , Florida, March13-19. The area had been experiencing one of the worstwinters in history and rains and high winds resulted inthree days of IFR weather during this popular event.In spite of these adversities, the Fly-In established new

attendance records, with 25,000 people registering and5,100 aircraft on the airport . Display aircraft totaled over800 including 21 antiques , 140 classics, 41 warbirds , 120homebuilts, and approximately 500 ultralights .Other statistics are: 2,140 people in the campground ,3,642 general admission tickets were sold, and 111 overseas visitors came from 25 foreign count ries .Sun n Fun 83 award winners included:Antique Aircraft

Grand Champion -Stinson SM-6000B, N11170, StinsonEnterprises, Neenah , WISilver Age 1928-1932 - Travel Air D-4000, N5283, FredWare, Lakeland , FLContemporary Age 1933-1945 - Spartan 7W, N97DC, DonCassidy, Martinsv ille, INBest Custom c Howard DGA-15P, N68119, Dan Kumler,Ocala, FLBest Biplane - Stearman PT-13, N14101, David Frederick,Lancaster, PABest Open Cockpit - BoeingStearman , N444TM, Russell L.Wall, Lakeland, FLOutstanding Aircraft - Butler Blackhawk, N299N, LeroyBrown, Zellwood, FL

Classic AircraftGrand Champion - Swift, N2451B,W H. Copp, Lexington,

MABest Restored - Up to 100 hp - Luscombe, N1288K, RHudson, Orlando, FLBest Restored - 101 to 165 hp -Swift, N90373, W. Jennings ,Dalton, GABest Restored - Over 165 hp - Cessna 195, N195PW, Pauland Jean Walter, Waukesha, WIBest Custom - Up to 100 hp - Ercoupe, N2666H, G D.Gallaspy, Oklahoma, City, OKBest Custom - 101 to 165 hp - Swift, N655S, G. Strattner,

CABOT AWARD TO POBEREZNYThe Aero Club of New England has selected EAAPresident Paul H. Poberezny as its 1983 recipient of theGodfrey 1. Cabot Award. Named for Dr. Godfrey L Cabot

and supported by the Cabot family , the award was established in 1952 and is presented each year to an individualor team for outstanding cpntribution to aviation . Lastyears award went to the crew of the space shuttle Columbia, Capt. John Young and Col. Robert Crippen. The 1983award will be presented in Boston on June 3.

1983 CHAPTER DIRECTORYAVAILABLECopies of the 1983 EAA International Chapter Directory listing the active chapters, their presidents , as wellas the time and place of their meetings has been distributedto chapter officers and are now available to members.Please contact the Chapter Office at EAA Headquarters,P.O . Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130 for your personalcopy.

The U S Navy's decommissioned aircraft carrier, the Intrepid,now serves as the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in the HudsonRiver at New York City.

INTREPID SEA-AIR-SPACEMUSEUMThe Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is a museum of

Twentieth Century technology in the sea, air and spacesciences. Her exhibit halls present the Navy story fromlandmark historical events to the modern era and on to


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look at one of the U.S. Navy's floating airports. EAAmember Ben B. Rock is Aviation Curator for the IntrepidSea-Air-Space Museum. For more information contact themuseum at Intrepid Square, New York, NY 10036, 2121245-0072.

OLIVE ANN BEECH HONOREDOlive Ann Beech, co-founder and chairman emeritusof Beech Aircraft Corp. was among six Americans inductedrecently into the Business Hall of Fame . The BusinessHall of Fame was established and is sponsored by JuniorAchievement, the business-education organization. Theinduction ceremonies were held at the Dallas Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dallas, TX.

BRUNNER-WINKLE AIRCRAFTINFO NEEDED

Herbert G. Birnn (EAA 134731 , a pilot since the 1930s,a Grumman retiree, and a member of the Long IslandEarly Flyers Club has been entrusted with the job ofassembling an exhibit pertaining to the Brunner-WinkleAircraft Corporation and their Bird biplane. As a youngster Herbert lived across a farm from Brunner-Winkle onLong Island and has long been an enthusiastic fan of theBird.The exhibit will be displayed in the Cradle of AviationMuseum at Mitchel Field, Long Island, NY . The mainsupporting body for this museum is the Long Island EarlyFlyers Club. The museum is owned by the Nassau CountyDepartment of Recreation and Parks and is provided onlysufficient funding to maintain the exhibit buildings consisting of two of the original Air Corps hangars. The clubhas the resources to transport anything from any portionof the continental United States and to rebuild any aircraft,

all with volunteer help and equipment. Contributions tothe museum are tax deductible.The club is looking for all kinds of donations regardingthe Brunner-Winkle Aircraft Corporation and their Birdbiplane. The ultimate would be a complete Bird airframe ,

but any photographs, data or other information would begreatly appreciated. Contact Herbert at 819 N.W. VictoryLane, Stuart, FL 33494, 3 5/692 9276

LOW COST FUEL FOREAA MEMBERS

Tom Austin, Jr . (EAA 58294, President of DiamondG Aviation is offering 80 and lOOLL @ 35 per gallon offthe regular retail price for members flying to and fromOshkosh '83. This discount will be available if you are flying a homebuilt, antique, classic, or warbird. Present yourvalid EAA membership card and refuel in Greeneville,Tennessee between July 20 and August 16, 1983. Diamond G Aviation is located at the Greeneville, Tennessee Municipal Airport (GCY, just east of airway victor 16 between Knoxville and Bristol , Tennessee. Courtesy car to local motels and restaura nts. Y'all come.

TIPS FOR FLIGHT TOURCOORDINATORS

THE 70 KNOTTERS TOUR PLANNER ANDFRIENDLY TOUR COORDINATOR'S COMPANION byJoe Dickey (EAA 62186 , IC 4169) is a masterful (andhumorous) review of organizing an aircraft tour. The witin Joe 's writing and illustrations make for delightful reading while providing the necessary hard facts and little tip slearned in several years as the F.T.C. (Flight Tour Coordinator). t also includes many suggestions for aircraftcamping. Well worth the paltry $6.50 he asks to have itdelivered to your door. Order from Pea Patch Airlines, 511Terrace Lake Road, Columbus, IN 47201.

MYSTERY PLANEThis month s Mystery Plane is aforeigner as can be seen by the re

gistration on the side of the fuselage .Race fans will probably identify thisone with ease, but answers shouldinclude the name of the pilot, theevent and location, and the yeartaken. Answers will be published inthe Mystery Plane column in the July1983 issue of The VINTAGE


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CHARLES H HUBBELL1899 1971

By Bob WilsonEAA 9702, le 157)9420 N.W 125th venueOcala FL 32671(Photos of Hubbell paintings are by the author withpermission of TRW, Inc.)

It is with great personal pride that I write this briefbiography of Charles H. Hubbell. Charlie was my uncleand dear friend, a man I greatly admired as a boy and whonot only influenced my life with his sketches and paintingsof aircraft but he gave me my first airplane ride in anAeronca C-3 in 1937. Although I was only eight years oldat the time, that was the beginning of my obsession withairplanes and I have spent my life in aviation ever since.Charlie was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1899. As a boyof 10 he became interested in aviation when a friend gave

him an aeronautical magazine and he became an avidmodel airplane builder. Before he completed high school,he had designed and built many models as well as a mansized glider. He graduated from the Cleveland School ofArt in 1923. He traded his early paintings for flight time,soloing in 1925. He received CAA Pilots License number9792.

Charlie worked as a commercial artist for several yearspainting airplanes mostly as a hobby as there was little

1930 - Laird Solution - Charles W Speed Holman, pilot.


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1932 - Gee Bee Model R 1 - James H. Doolittle pilot.

1933 - Wedell-Williams - James R. Wedell pilot.

through 1937) were coyprighted in 1938 and they becamepart of the first Thompson calendar produced by the youngartist and Fred Witt, Advertising Director for ThomsponProducts in 1939.

1934 - Wedell-Williams - Roscoe Turner pilot.

1935 - Howard Mr. Mulligan - Harold Neumann pilot.

During his association with TRW (the company whichThompson had since merged with), Charlie had created 32calendars and more than 375 individual oil paintings .


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1936 - Caudron C-460 - Michel Detroyat, pilOt.

1937 - Folkerts SK-3 - Rudy A. Kling, pilot.

Charlie Hubbell is remembered warmly by his many

1938 - Laird-Turner Pesco Special - Roscoe Turner, pilot.

1939 - Laird-Turner Pesco Special Roscoe Turner, pilot.


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CALENDAR OF EVENTSWe would like to list your aviation event in our calendar. Please sendinformation to the Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 229, HalesCorners, WI 53130. Information must be received at least two months inadvance of the issue in which it will appear.

MAY 13 15 HAYWARD. CALIFORNIA Hayward to Las Vegas Pro ficien cyAir Ra ce. Private Pilots License requ ired . Awards and trophies, cash prize.Kits 3 .00 from Hayward Air Race Committee , 20301 Skywest Drive,Hayward, CA 94541 . For information call Lou Chianese at 415/5812345,ext. 5285.MAY 15 - POINT PLEASANT, WEST VIRGINIA - Fly-In Breakfast sponsoredby Mountaineer Chapter of 99 's at Mason County Airport. Starts at 8:00a.m. Everyone we lcome. Contact Lois A. Fida, # 308 N. York St. , Wheeling,WV 26003.MAY 20-22 - CAMBRIDGE, MARYLAND - Ninth Annual Potomac AntiqueAero Squadron Fly-In at Horn Point Aerodrome. Banquet Saturday evening.Contact Robert K. Graulty, P.O. Box 4013, Arlington, VA 22204, 3 1 /4495346 or Bob Mertin at 3 1 /643-6744 or Pat Merchant at 3 1 /228-4924.MAY 20-22 - COLUMBIA,CALIFORNIA - Seventh Annual Luscombe Fly-In.For information contact Continental Lu scombe Assn , 5736 Esmar Road,Ceres, CA 95307. 209/537-9934 .MAY 21-22 - PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON - Second AnnualRhododendron Grass Roots Air Fair. Ultralights, homebuilts , antiques, hot

air balloon race. For information contact Ken McMillen , P.O. Bo x 719,Hadlock, WA 98339. 206/385-2323.MAY 22 - MOUNDSVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA - Second Annual BombingContest sponsored by EAA Chapter 738 . At Marshall County Airport. Forinformation and entry info contact Marshall County Airport, Moundsville,WV 26041 , 304/845-0200 .MAY 27-29 - ATCHISON, KANSAS - Greater Kansas City Area Chapter,Antique Airplane Association Annual Fly-In at Amelia Earhart Airport. Earlyarrivals will be served supper Friday evening with awards banquet onSaturday night. Dormitory accommodations are available and camping isallowed. 80 and 100 octane gas is available. Contact Bill Hare, 6207 Riggs,Mission, KS 66202 or George Hefflinger, 3510 North 99th Street, KansasCity, KS 66109.MAY 27-29 - WATSONVILLE, CALIFORNIA - Watsonville Antique Airshowsponsored by the Northern California Chapter of the Antique AirplaneAssociation and the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce. Contact RichardBorg, 6515 San Ignacio Ave. , San Jose, CA 95128. 408/226-3603.MAY 29 - SALMON , IDAHO - Fly-In with ultralights, gliders, antiques , etc.For information write P.O. Box 698, Salmon, 10 83467.JUNE 3-5 - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - 3rd National Bucker Fly -In and TigreDays. Vintage National Aerobatic Contest. Contact John Bergeson, 615W. May , Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858. 517/773-3436 .JUNE 3-5 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - 26th Annual Merced West CoastAntique Fly -In at Merced Municipal Airport. For information contact DeeHumann, Registration Chairman, Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In, P.O.Box 2312, Merced, CA 95344. 209/358-3487.JUNE 4-5 - WAUKEGAN, ILLINOIS - Air Show dedicated to PappyBoyington and Black Sheep Squadron at Waukegan Memorial Airport,sponsored by Greater Chicago Area Antiquers. Special tie-down area forflyin guests. Warbird line will highlight EAA's B-17 and Zero. Contact HansHabermehl, Air Show Chairman and President at 31 480-0744.JUNE 5 - CADIZ, OHIO - Third Annual Fly-In Pancake Breakfastat HarrisonCounty Airport. Sponsored by E. F. Aircraft Service and Cadiz VolunteerFire Department. Starts at 8:00 a.m. Rain date, June 12. Prizes for antique

JUNE 18 - TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY - 7tti Annual Antique & Homebui ltFlyln at R. J. Miller Airport, Berekely Twsp. Trophies , flour bombingcontest, plane rides, refreshments. Admission free. Rain date June 19 .Contact Tom or Vivian Tedrow, Box 451 Three Brooks Rd ., Freehold, NJ07728. Phone 201 /780-0765.JUNE 18-19 - FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA - 16th Annual Antique Air craft Flyln and Two Day Airshow at Shannon Airport . Airshow featuringNorthern Kn ights, Republic Airlines Mi crojet and more. For details call703 ,3734431 or write P.O. Box 509, Fredericksburg, VA 22404.JUNE 21 - JULY 11 - HOBBS, NEW MEXICO - 18th Wo rld SoaringChampionships. For information contact Soaring Society of America, Bo x66071 , Los Angeles, CA 90066.2 13/390-4447.JUNE 24-26 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 24th Annual National Wa co ReunionFly-In . Sponsored by the National Waco Club . For information contact RayBrandly, 700 Hill Avenue, Hamilton, OH 45015.JUNE 24-26 - PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA - Pauls Valley , OklahomaFly-In sponsored by Greater Oklahoma City Chapter AAA. Contact BobAkin, Flying A Ranch, Route 1, Box 133-0, Washington, OK 73093. 4051288-6161 .JUNE 25-26 - ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS - 7th Annual New Eng landReg ional Fly-In Sponsored by EAA Chapter 726 . Restricted parking, av iation flea market, commercial exhibitors, seminars, overnight camping, foodand fuel available. Contact Paul Dexter, 15 Sunset Dr. , Orange, MA 01364.Te l. 617/5446412, evenings only.

JULY 2-3 - SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY - 1983 Festival of Flight Fly-In atSussex County Airport. Sponsored by EAA AlC Chapter 7 and EAA Chapters 73 and 238. All invited. Fly market, square dance, food , campingpermitted. Contact Ann Fennimore, 4 Ridge Road, Succasunna, NJ 07876.201 /584-4154.JUL Y 2-4 - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - Second Annual Aeronca Fly-In atAntique Airfield. Aircraft judging, awards, forums and meetings of severaltype clubs. For further information contact Aeronca Club, 1432 28th Ct. ,Kenosha, WI 53140, 414/5229014 or Antique Airplane Association, Rt. 2,Box 172, Ottumwa, IA 52501 , 515/938-2773.JULY 8-10 - ALLIANCE , OHIO - Annual Taylorcraft Fly-ln/Reunion atBarbers Field . Factory tours, many activities. Contact Allan Zollitsch, 37Taft Ave., Lancaster, NY 14086, 716/681-1675 or Bruce Bixler, 12809Greenbower Rd ., Alliance, OH 44601 , 216/8239748.JULY 9 - GEORGINA TOWNSHIP, ONTARIO, CANADA - 3rd AnnualAntique, Sport and Specialty Aircraft Fly-In and Brunch at Georgina CivicCentre Air Park. Contact Dick Shelton, Box 385, Sutton West, OntariO ,Canada LOE 1RO. 4161722-3295 .JULY 15-17 - MINDEN , NEBRASKA - National Stinson Club - 108 SectionFly -In . All Stinson Lovers - 108 and Round Engines welcome. Aircraftjudging, forums, banquet Saturday night. Camping on field or motel 3081832-2750) available. For further information contact George Ackerman,Alliance, NE 308/762-4770.JULY 16-17 - HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA - The Friendly Fly-In sponsoredby EAA Chapter 62. Contact Edward Shaules, 3910 Paladin Drive, SanJose, CA 95124.408/264-5714.JULY 16-17 - NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK. 2nd Annual Fly-In and International Airshow. Classics, warbirds and fly-bys. Two full days of aviation.Contact Joseph Koch, 188 Schoelles Road, No. Tonawanda , NY 14120.716/689-9392.JUL Y 29-31 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - 6th Annual Funk Fly-In. Antiques,classics, homebuilts invited. Contests, trophies , dinner. Contact Ray Pah ls,454 Summitlawn, Wichita, KS 67209. 316/943-6920.JULY 30 - AUGUST 6 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 31st Annual Fly-In


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Pilot and Master Craftsman Part 3y Ted Businger(EAA 93833, AIC 2333)Rt. 2, Box 280WilJow Springs, MO 65793

(Photos from the author's collection except as noted)

Editors Note: This is the third installment ofa four-partstory o the career of Charlie MilJer who spent 45 yearsworking in the aircraft industry, including periodsat Ryanand Douglas. Charlie and his wife currently reside nSanta Monica, California . G.R.C.

DOUGLAS DC1On this first model of the Douglas Commercials, theoriginal rudder was all metal. This design resulted inconsiderable inertial forces due to the weight involved. twas balanced and equipped with a compensating tab. Thiscompensation could be altered and anchored in anyone of

three positions.One Sunday, Carl Cover, Vice President and GeneralManager of Douglas Aircraft, was making some testflights . These tests were to determine the best tab setting.Following the first flight of the day, he said, Not enough,set it over. I was the mechanic and I complied with hisrequest. After the second flight he said, Pretty good, let'stry the third position. Again I followed inst ruct ions .The third flight was nearly a catastrophe. As soon asthe plane was airborne, the rudder started oscillating fromside to side. Mr. Cover executed a tight turn and landedimmediately . The over-compensation had made the rudderalmost uncontrollable. Both Carl Cover and the co-pilotused both feet on one rudder bar, and augmented their efforts with the engines in an effort to regain stabi lity. Carlhad screwed up his back trying to avoid a crash. Thatheavy rudder had actually thrown itself from stop to stop

and very shortly would have torn loose if they had notdone everything they did. We re-set the actuating armpermanently to the number two position and recovered therudder with fabric.Eddie Allen was a wonderful test pilot and a truegentleman. He too was involved in the DC-l test program.On one flight, he was checking the reaction of the gear ina forward C.G. landing, with a new co-pilot on board.One of the co-pilot's duties was to operate the gearretraction and extension lever. At this time retractablelanding gears were a novelty as they were employed onvery few planes. A fraction of a second prior to touch-downEddie realized too late the gear was still up. All he hadtime for was the classic Aw - - - - " comment. Comingfrom him that was very strong language. I roped off andguarded the ship that night at Mines Field.The next morning we propped up the plane then slidboards covered with blankets under the wings. Rampedtrenches were dug under the gear which was then extendedand locked. We installed new props and tracked them bythe old fashioned method of checking each blade positionas it passed a fixed point. The engines were started andchecked for vibration. As everything appeared to be okay,the plane was flown back to Clover Field at Santa Monica.


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Some damage was found in the left side nacelle saddlefittings which sheared during the landing. These fittingswere attached to the lower end of the nacelle frame, withthe gear being drawn up into the saddles in the "up"position. Fortunately the shear was a clean one with noelongated holes, so we just reriveted the fittings back inplace. This incident could have had extremely negativeresults. Instead it turned into a big plus for the companywhen the airlines realized that only minimal damagewould be sustained in gear-up landings .On another early test flight, one engine quit just atlift-off, then came back to life only to have the oppositeengine fail. The pilot, whose name I don't recall, finallygot the plane up to about 1500 feet which allowed themto come around and land . Our investigation ofthis incidentdetermined the carburetors had been mounted in such away that the floats would shut off fuel flow during a climb.e inverted the carburetor mounting and re-routed thefuel lines to solve the problem.Historical Note: Only one DC-1 was built and it was destroyed in Spain in 1937. The DC-2 model followed and itgained much recognition in 1934 whenKLM (Royal DutchAirlines) entered one of its DC-2s in the 1934 MacRobertson Race from London, England to Melbourne, Australia. This plane competed against three specially constructed British racing planes and Jacqueline Cochran'sGee-Bee long distance racer. The KLM DC-2 transport wasfurther handicapped by being obliged to stop at every KLMterminal on the route. t carried its normal crew pluschampaign-sipping passengers, one of whom missed a t akeoff in India. The plane returned for him. Even with allthese drawbacks, the DC-2 finished second and it mighthave won the race if it had not gotten stuck in the mudjust short of Melbourne. The DC-2 had achieved a tremendous moral victory which served as a big boost for thissuperior design. Of course the transcontinental flight across the U.S.by Jack Frye and Eddie Rickenbacker in TWA's DC-2 onFebruary 19, 1934, breaking all existing records alsobrought well deserved recognition to the Douglas DC-2.

(Roy Russell Photo)The first 20 DC-2s were delivered to TWA. This is NC13719, SN

YB-ll (bomber) in 1933. Later that same year the originalorder was revised, replacing the two 670 hp Wrights with750 hp Wrights, and the designation switched to YO-44(observation).Sometime later the designation was again changed,this time to FP-3 (frontier patrol). In 1935 the engineswere changed to 800 hp Wrights and the plane deliveredas a YOA-5 (observationJamphibian). The plane was scrapped in Alaska in 1943.The Navy version is nearly as perplexing. t was ordered in 1934 with two 1000 hp Wrights as the XP3D-1(patrol). Following navy tests in 1935, it was returned tothe factory to have the pylon-mounted engines re-fittedinto the wings and the wingfloats modified to retract. twas delivered in 1936 as the XP3D-2. As the navy hadchosen Consolidated's fore-runner of the PBY, no furtherorders were placed.Several strange items are unexplained. Why didn't theNavy utilize the Army's rugged Grumman type" landinggear rather than the rather fragile looking beaching gear?What prompted a supposedly financially impoverishedArmy Air Corps to order a long range patrol boat duringthis bleak depression year? Scrutinizing the records showsthis and one other design as the only ones built by Douglasthat did not develop into improved aircraft later

Douglas XP3D 1 built in 1933 for the U.S. Navy. Only two examples of this handsome flying boat were built, the other going tothe Air Corps as the YOA-5. Wing span was 89' 9 .DOUGLAS DF-151

The DF-151s were the last true flying boats ever builtat Douglas. I t was a very clean all-metal design. CarlCover made most of the test flights and he reported excellent handling characteristics. At that time I was stillpretty far down on the "totem pole," so was only familiarwith the specific tasks I was called on to perform.The completed hulls were trucked to Cabrillo Beach,


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California where the wings, tails, power plants, etc. weremated to them. That on-site assembly was troublesome inthe sand.The launching procedure was interesting. Planks werelaid over the sand and a wheeled dolly with the flying boatloaded on it was eased across this man-made ramp andinto the water.Little interest could be generated for this large sizeflying boat in the U.S. at that time. One was sold to Russiaand the other three aircraft, along with the complete designwere sold to Japan .

Under the contract terms, the supervisor of hull construction accompanied the flying boats to the Orient. Onhis return , he stated, "They will never be able to buildthose boats. They don't show any skill or aptitude for it .They knock-off at any time to make tea. Further, theycan't even follow simple directions."Boy, did they have him fooled . Those workmen wereprobably instructed to mislead this representtive of anAmerican manufacturer. They certainly had little troublewith other aircraft they built.

(Roy Russell Photo)1933 Douglas Dolphin amphibians were built for civil use aswell as military. Wing span is 60' and one example is known tobe currently flying.

DOUGLAS 8-18Vladimir Pavlecka was simply called "Pave" by hisfellow workers. In 1929 he had been one of the threedesigners for the only metal-clad airship ever commissioned. t was known as the ZMC-2 in the Navy. He hadpersonally worked out the means to seal the ship (ratherthan use balloonets).Pave started with Douglas in about 1934. My first

consider the build-up in air crews by the Air Corps. TheB-18 adequately filled those needs, and it also carried thefirst airborne radar.Mr. Pavlecka completed the design work of a newaircraft engine in 1935. Douglas forwarded this to Prattand Whitney and they in turn sent it to M.I.T. Many yearspassed with this design finally being marketed as theNorthrop "Turbodyne".In May, 1977 he and 19 other aerospace engineersfounded "Airships International . A short time later abasic design was completed for a new giant metal-claddirigible. While the group was in the process of raisingfunds for construction, Mr. Pavlecka passed away. Withhis loss, it is highly doubtful that the project will ever becontinued.

1936 Douglas 8-18 bomber had a wing span of 89' 6 and waspowered by two Wright R-1820 engines of 93 to 1000 hp each.

ORIGINAL DOUGLAS DC-4The "original" DC-4 was a superlative airplane. t wasfinanced in part by Douglas, with the balance of the funding being provided by several interested airlines . Along

with demands for superior performance, these customersrequested elegant interior appointments, greater seat sizeand spacing, and full sleeper accommodations.The original DC-4 had triple vertical tail surfaceswhich were needed by United Air Lines because the doorson their Denver, Colorado overhaul base could not acceptanything with greater height. A single vertical tail wouldhave been much too tall ).

With government permission, this beautiful airplanewas sold to Japan. t was just too big and heavy for thatperiod. Douglas la ter redesigned the DC-4 and duringWorld War Two it became the C 54. Most of these aircraftwere built in the Chicago plant .One eventful night flight of the original DC-4 standsout in my memory. In those days we ran weight tests by


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The prototype Douglas DC-4, NX18100 was this triple-tailedversion. Its first flight was on June 7 1938.take-off we proceeded to make a two-hour flight over thebeautiful, lighted city.When we landed, things began to happen. The chiefpilot (name withheld) was at the controls. I don't recallwho the co-pilot was, but Benny Howard was test pilot/observer. We opened the door and the ground crew wheeledthe stair ramp to us. A C.A.A inspector was waiting atthe end of the ramp.

After everybody was out of the plane, Benny reallyturned the air blue with his harangue The most startlingremark was "I should hit you over the head with mywooden leg, you dumb s.o.b." Apparently the chief pilotwas unfamiliar with the feel of this plane and once it wasairborne, he just sat there and let it settle back. Bennycould see that they were running out of room, and indesperation he leaned over the pilot, grabbed the controlcolumn and heaved back as hard as he could. That effortgot us over the lines . The C.A.A. inspector pondered theadvisability of pulling the chief pilot's license. It was aninteresting episode.Historical Note: The "E" appendage to the DC-4 designation is never used by those intimates who built the firstone. With them it is the "Original," or the "Triple Tailed"version.There are two stories describing the plane's demise.

One is that it crashed into Tokyo Bay and the other thatit was intentionally put there along with the design paperwork. Both accounts are from reputable sources.There is a 16mm movie film of the first test flight,showing the plane making a perfect three-point landing,but recovering. Apparently the pilot forgot that he had

tricycle gear.DOUGLAS XB-19 HEMISPHERE BOMBER

The construction of the XB-19 Hemisphere bomber wasthe best kept secret of that time. It was the world's largestaircraft and could stay in the air for two days on its internalfuel load.Building the wing was a massive undertaking Itsheight was such that the workers in the experimentaldepartment, where it was assembled, were forced to wearhard hats. The fuel tanks were integral with the wing buta system for sealing them was yet to be developed.We devised a method which did work. The spars wereserrated at the skin attach area and these grooves werethen coated with on y Aluminum foil was then layeredand honey coated, and finally the outside skin was fastenedin place.

SURFACE SKIN

SEVERAL LAYERSOF FOIL SEALED} WITH HONEY

SERATED SURFACEING SPAR " .X8-19 FUEL TANK SEALING METHOD


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The plane's armament included a top turret fitted witha 37mm gun, riding on a very stable platform. Using thisgun against the relatively slow moving planes then in use,it was a very effective weapon.The cockpit command station was an exceptionallyroomy area . The pilot, co-pilot, navigator and engineerwere all situated at a desk. The area had a galley, wardroom, latrine, and sleeping accommodations for off-dutycrew members.I had a terrific flight one day in the B-19, riding in thefront turret. It was hydraulically operated and 'l he actionof the hydraulic system was controlled by gun stock pressure". Control could be slow for distant targets or fast forclose-up combat. Up and down movement on "fast" wasfar better than any roller coaster ride, as the seat rodewith the gun position, and side to side action was wowThe nose area was large enough to accommodate both thegunner and bombardier.On take-off for the B-19's first flight , the ship veeredslightly to the left when it was approaching the halfwaymark on the runway . Later we found that this was due tosloppy controls, as actuation was by cable, and the cablelength involved was long enough to be affected by theambient air temperature.

(Roy Russell Photo)First take-off of the XB-19, on June 27,1941.

Historical Note: The XB-19 was ordered in 1937 and itsfirst flight occurred on June 27, 1941. A great deal of thistime period was spent in building machinery capable offabricating various components as its huge size was beyondthe scope of many normal suppliers. Few runways in theworld could support the plane's 82 ton weight.

The author's late friend, Roy Russell, accompanied theship to Chicago in 1944 to supervise replacing the Cyclones, with more powerful Allison engines. Roy was extremely proud of his part on this project, always gettinga wistful look when disG,ussing"i ts finaLfa,te.. In t h eB-19 was flown to Davis Monthan AFB at Tucson, Arizonawhere it was scrapped.As this was a super secret project, Roy and most otherDouglas workers on the job never discussed it, even withtheir families.DOUGLAS 8-23 DRAGON

The B-23 was an outgrowth of the B-18. It was vastlysuperior to every medium bomber this country had at theoutbreak of WWII. It was dropped from contention for avariety of political reasons. It 's a shame that our boysdidn't have it . Its top speed was 280 mph which was verygood in 1939.

The B-23 had its share of new ideas: first with astringer gun mount in the tail ; first with side window

gunners; and a belly gunner located midway along thefuselage, with the gun mounted on a retractable platform.For emergencies, a fuel dump system was installedutilizing a long snout mounted on a pivot. When thisspecific system was tested, pink colored water was used inplace of fuel. The side gun windows and the cockpit sidewindows were opend to aid the crew in viewing the fueldump. Surprisingly, the "fuel" traveled from the end ofthe spout forward into the cockpit area and then it exitedthrough the gunners' position. The crew landed, no worseoff for the experience, but they were slightly damp andvery pink. On DC-3 applications which followed, we extended the snout to discharge in a further aft position.Historical Note: B-23s made popular conversions intoexecutive transports at the end of WWII hostilities. Of 38planes built, approximately four are still flying. It mustbe a pretty good airplane


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Once airborne he'd hold the plane just off the deck tothe very end of the runway , then executing a semi-chandelle climbing turn. One day he jerked the gear up just alittle too soon. Later, we went down the runway, countingthe nicks in the macadam. No more sensational take-offsafter thatHistorical Note: The DB-7 was constructed only for exportto France and England . The original order was placed byFrance in 1937 and 270 aircraft were delivered by 1939.In 1939 Great Britian ordered 100 of these planes designated as DB-7 As.

One of the 270 Douglas DB 7s built for France. Factory photodated 8/12/39 Aircraft later designated A 20.DOUGLAS A 20

The wartime demands for the A-20 mandated a production rate ?f 312 planes per month . In order for us to approach thIS figure we had to devise an entirely new manufacturing concept.Most aircraft have always been a very complex arrangement of parts that at times seem to be designed to prohibi trapid assembly . t just wasn't possible to get very manyworkers into those relatively small airplanes so we deviseda moving line with a split fuselage concept. The implementation of this novel approach was the result of many ideasof a lot of people, myself included.The crowded working conditions which could result ininjuries were my primary concern. Any sizeable injuryrate would have a devastating effect on morale and eventually the production rate that the country had to have.. Actually the split fuselage was easier to build. RightSIde and left side production lines were run parallel toeach other. Access space was provided in the center. Thesimplicity of the fixtures was unique and essential to thesuccess of this venture. Each installation was carefullyanalyzed to be certain the assigned tasks could be performed properly. Open shelving containing parts led directly to the centrally located stock room. One shelf was

most of them literally ran to the restroom and back so thata replacement would not be necessary during their absence. Those station people just did not want strangers intheir midst, preferring to take up the slack themselves.As soon as an arriving station was near enough theworkers would begin reaching around the jig posts to getthe job going. Usually there was enough time betweenassigned tasks to allow a very short break from the routine.In order to get from one side of the line to the other anoverhead walk-way was built . Once the two fuselage hal veswere completed, including all bracketry cables, hydraulics, controls, etc., the two lines were joined at a "Y",and the fuselage conti'1ued moving as the two halves wereunited. t was a very good system which made possible thehigh production rate.As the war situation became more critical, we added agun shop to the facility, which allowed us to deliver complete, combat-ready ships. Later an accelerated programnecessitated the opening of a final assembly and deliverystation at Dagget, California (near Barstow) with RoyRussell in charge of this operation.We normally made engine test run-ups only until 11 :00p.m. Occasionally complaints would come from those livingnearby and these usually were referred to me. An unforgettable episode took place one night with the callersaying, "How in theh do you expect us to get any sleep,with all that racket going on " As diplomatically as possibleI tried to explain our situation. He shot back, "What theh are you doing there you foreigner?" I was .thenight superintendent and he had detected my Swiss accent,concluding that I was German. Unfortunately Charliestill remembers the hurt, 40 years later . . . uthor)On ground run-ups it was necessary to open the cowlflaps . On the A-20 a large portion of the wing surface waspretty well blanketed out with these flaps open and theyalso increased the drag. The new pilots who came to pickup the planes received a short lecture and then watcheda brief familiarization film . Although adequately warned,they would take off at times with the flaps open. The A-20would just barely get into the air in this condition, but ourtower operators at Clover Field were very observant andthey'd start screaming over the radio to get the cowl flapsclosed. such take-offs could be very excitingA shelf behind the cockpit in the A-20 was a handyplace to stow things. One day a colonel took off with thecockpit enclosure unfastened. As soon as he reached takeoff speed the enclosure opened and away went the colonel'sflight bag and cap . There was no appreciable effect onflight behavior, but there was a very embarrassed officerand some poorly concealed chuckles by the ground crew.Later we began having young women work on the flightline. Fuel pressure adjustments had to be accomplishedthrough the cowling, with the engine running. The cockpitoccupant would either signal thumbs up for okay or thumbsdown on the preceding adjustment. Apparently one lady


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MEMBERS! PROJE(JTSThis section of The VINT GE IRPL NE is dedicatedto members and their ai rcraft projects. We welcome photosalong with descriptions, and the projects can be either

completed or underway. Send material to the editor at theaddress shown on page 3 of this issue.

This beautifully restored 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champ, NC83314,SIN 7AC-1979, has an 85 Continental with C-150 mufflers, ceconite cover, butyrate dope, new seats and interior. Photo furnished by Ernest Seiler (EAA 2247, AlC 2377) and James Becknerof Marshfield, MO , who say the plane flies perfectly

Adolph Albert Pezoldt (EAA 112526, AlC 3149, 1210 FerndaleLane, Springfield, OH 45503 and daughter Kay rib stitch the leftwing of the familys 1950 Piper PA-20-125, N7304K, SIN 213Along with wife Sandra and two fr iends, Joe Wunder and JimCraft, they restored the plane at Mad River Airpor t, Tremont City,OH over a one-year period, from May 1980 to May 1981 . Restoration included an overhaul of the Lycoming engine, new covering and some improvements such as Cleveland brakes, vacuumpump, static system, gyros, radios, wingtip strobes, and anAirtex interior. They never did agree on a paint scheme so theaircraft was painted all white.

GOLDEN OLDIE - FARMAN SPORTBy Gene ChaseThe accompanying photo was provided by ProfessorRobert M. Bob Anderson (EAA 53175), NEO A&M College, Box 15, Miami , OK 74354. t is one of four existingphotos taken in 1929 of his father, Robert L. Anderson,Okmulgee, OK and his aircraft.


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Smithy's Lockheed 8 0 Altair, VH-USB was a modified Lock retractible landing gear.heed Model 8 Sirius. Changes included enclosed cockpits andTHE SEARCH FORLADY SOUTHERN CROSS

By Gene ChaseAustralia's number one aviation hero is Sir CharlesKingsford-Smith, a World War I pilot whose later exploitsincluded the first aerial crossing of the Pacific Ocean. Thisflight was accomplished in 1928 in a flight from Oakland,California to Brisbane in Australia in a Fokker Tri-Motor

named the Lady Southern Cross.Charles Edward Kingsford-Smith was born in Brisbaneon 9 February, 1897 and lost hs life on 7-8 November 1935on another long distance flight. On 6 November 1935 at6:27 a.m. (GMT), he and his co-pilot John ThompsonPethybridge, left England on a flight to Australia in a

Lockheed Altair named Lady Southern Cross. t was aflight impelled by financial necessity. Kingsford-Smithstated he would avoid flying over long stretches of waterwherever possible. He said that any new record resultingfrom the flight would be purely an incidental demonstra-tion of the capabilities of the aircraft.Refueling stops were made at Athens and Baghdad,and they reached Allahabad on schedule about 30 hoursafter leaving Lympne in England. The flight had beenroutine. They left Allahabad at sunset, destination Singapore. At night the Altair was sighted over Calcutta, Akyaband Rangoon. At dawn the following morning, 8 November,airport officials at Singapore waited in vain for the arrivalof the aircraft.An intensive search was launched immediately butproduced no result. Eventually hope was abandoned. Eighteen months were to elapse before the first clue to the

Aye Island, a mere offshore speck nsmg severalhundred feet from the sea, its height shown as 360' insteadof the correct 460' on many locality maps, stood directlyin the path of the oncoming aircraft as it completed itscrossing of the Gulf of Martaban .Mr. E. P . Ted Wixted, librarian and aviation historianof the Queensland Museum in Australia is currently coordinating a project to recover Smithy's Lady SouthernCross, VH-USB. He has made two visits to Burma andfrom his investigation of the area from both the groundand air, he believes he knows where the plane is likely tobe resting on the seabed.A team of divers has been practicing in the BrisbaneRiver and nearby Moreton Bay with special flotation equipment purchased in West Germany. The necessary clearances from the Burmese Government have been obtainedand funds are presently being solicited in both Australiaand England to finance the endeavor to raise the Altairwithout further damage. f successful, this would solve a47-year-old aviation mystery.

Philatelists and other aviation historians may be interested in one method which is currently being used tohelp raise the needed funds. A special series of illustratedenvelopes has been created celebrating historic aviationevents of both Australia and the United Kingdom: thesephilatelic covers are collector's items, being limited innumber, specially postmarked and all flown in aircraftranging from Qantas 747s to a Tiger Moth. A set sells at


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OTTO HEYERBy Bill EwertzEAA 42278, lC 7005)110 Specht RoadSonoma, CA 95476

Photos by Bob McKenzie)

AND SCHELLVILLEOtto who introduced the club to the hazards of

Southern Comfort Manhattans .Otto the dedicated antiquer who built a row ofrental hangars to house our goodies.Otto who traveled to Oshkosh each year takingsome of us with him. And to Ardene who enjoyed hishobbies as he did .To Otto we say goodbye.


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Bill Ewertz in his 1929 Great Lakes.

Saturday, November 13 was the only clear day we hadafter a solid week of rainy misery. The day had to be goodbecause Otto was something special and we just had to dosomething special to honor him.And something special we did The Schell ville Antiquers fielded 32 aircraft to fly a missing man formation.Leading was a three plane vee ofMarquart Chargers (sinceOtto's Charger was his pet project and his was into thefinal painting stage) . Following the Chargers were groupings of antiques, classics and experimentals in formationsof three or more by classifica tions.A continuous circuit of planes made three passes overthe field with one Charger pulling out and heading weston the second pass. At the completion of the third passeveryone landed and grouped together for Otto's AntiqueParty. Jim Lynch put our feelings into words with a toastOtto would have been proud ofSouthern Comfort Manhattans were tipped as we beganour "attitude adjustment hour". Ardene Heyer providedample food to round out the menu. Otto's ashes have nowpermanently joined the Schell ville soil over which he flewand we now fly, dogfight and cut paper.Thanks Otto for just being you

(L-R): Starduster II, Erik Peterson; Marquart Charger, Jim Smith;Marquart Charger, Ray Galeazzi.

Don Carters Ryan STA

Following is a listing of planes and pilots in the formation:Jim Smith - Marquart ChargerRay Galeazzi - Marquart ChargerJeannie Williams - Marquart ChargerBob Brunner - Acroduster IIErik Peterson - Starduster IILarry Haywood - ChipmunkDick Terangio - ChipmunkLee Grabill - Ryan PI'-22Don Carter - Ryan STALeif Ostnes - Fairchild 24 WFrank Ramos - Fairchild 24RJan Ewertz - Aeronca 7 ACRoy Harris - Aeronca 7 ACMike Davi - Aeronca 7 ACKen Copp - Aeronca ChiefGeorge Dray - 1929 New StandardGlenn Lyman - 1931 Travelair 12WJim William - 1929 FleetBill Ewertz - 1929 Great LakesArden Valasek - Waco UPFLen Grantham - Stearman PI'-17

Steve ohnson in his AT S.


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PT-22 and Lee Graybil l Glenn Lymans 1931 Travel Air 12W.

ExPERIMENTALA RCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

Bill Walker - Stinson 108Bill Lawson - Culver CadetBruce McGlocklin - Piper ClipperSteve Johnson - AT-6Pete Weibens - BonanzaBuzz Moll - J -3Lee Schaller - Super CubRon Metcalf - Super CubJ oe Pollyak - J-3Al lint - Cessna 140Tom Thacker - EAA BipeOtto Heyer EAA 2213 was an ardent supporter ofsport aviation and Schellville Airport will not be the samewithout him.

Chipmunk - Larry Haywood. George Drays 1929 New Standard.


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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

1932 Heath Parasol restored by Dr. Ed Garber EAA 38078, Ale162). The colors on this attractive little Heath are black and gold.Dear Gene:Knowing of your interest in the ultralights of the 20sand 30s, I have enclosed a picture of my latest Heath . ThisHeath was originally built by a couple of Minnesota farmers in 1932, and there was a picture of it in one of theAntique Airplane Association magazines during the midfifties.You might remember this airplane the fuselagestood up in the corner of Bob Taylor's hangar at Ottumwa,Iowa for several years. t was owned by John Edgren andI purchased it from him a few years ago.As you will notice, the tail section is somewhat modifiedand the landing gear is a more modern type. I started withthe fuselage and some other pieces , but built all new wings,struts, engine mount, etc. t is powered with a ContinentalA-40 and flies "strongly" as they used to say.We hope to get some in-flight pictures in the nearfuture of both of my Heaths flying together and I shallforward a picture of that event to you.Hope you and all the gang at EAA are doing well, andwe are looking forward to a big week in the summer. Withkindest regards, Sincerely yours,E. C. Garber, Jr., M.D.1641 Owen Drive

Fayetteville, NC 28304Dear Gene:Just a short letter to comment on a few things in theJanuary and February 1983 issues of The VINT GEIRPL NE.

First, your comment regarding the bulge aft of thecockpit on Frank Hawks' Texaco 13 as near as I candetermine from my factory photos (your back cover is one

when he was killed , and I hear that Bill Freeman of StoneMountain, GA now owns it .

Of course you should already know about mine. Theenclosed photo, taken last summer shows it on the gear.Mine will have an R-975-28 Wright with a 2D-30 constantspeed prop. We hope to start the plywood covering thissummer.

Sincerely,Willard and Donna Benedict(EAA 6786, AIC 294129 Cedar St.Wayland, MI 49348

Dear Gene:I enjoyed seeing the pictures of the Stinson Reliant inthe November 1982 issue of The VINT GE IRPL NE.I owned a SR-7B, NC15174 and flew it from 1948 to 1951.t had a Lycoming R-680 245 hp engine with a Lycomingl

Smith manual propeller.I looked at this beautiful airplane at Oshkosh '82 andnoted it was just like mine except for the propeller. Theremust be something wrong with the paperwork. Mine wouldnot do 146 mph . t indicated 85 mph at 15 gal.lhr. andhardly trued about 100 mph. (The writer is comparing hisStinson with Roy Redman s SR-8C powered with a 300 hpLycoming and Hamilton Standard constant speed propeller.)

The blower seal was out on my engine and I couldn'tclose the throttle because it would suck a gallon of oil onevery landing and the smoke would cover the airport. SoI would enter the pattern, cut the ignition opposite therunway, leaving the throttle in . After the touchdown I'dpull the throttle back, flip the ignition on and taxi awaywith no smoke.I flew it that way for a year before I sold it for $500and a Taylorcraft L-2. The guy was going to rebuild theStinson but he just scattered the pieces and that was theend of it.I had a forced landing in it when I was coming homefrom the 1949 Cleveland National Air Races. I was sure Ihad enough gas to get to Hannibal, MO but I encountereda severe shortage of petrol about five miles out, where theMississippi River is three miles wide The prop stoppedstraight up and down and was the only time it ever stoppedwindmilling. I landed it without a scratch but it was a badexperience. With three of us in it, lots ofluggage and only% tank of fuel, it still took a full half mile to get it off andI de-tassled some corn on the way out.

Keep up the good work on VINT GE , Gene.Sincerely,David D Blanton(EAA 10738, AIC 772)President and Chief EngineerJavelin Aircraft Company, Inc .1980 Easy St.Wichita, KS 67230


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You Cub buffs take note this is the original fabric on this1946 Piper J-3 Cub owned and flown by Donnie Jensen (EAA132141, AlC 4286), Rt. 2, Box 288, Albert Lea, MN 56007. Notepositioning and style of the letters and numbers. Photographsat Oshkosh '82 by Norm Petersen.

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

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THE JOURNA L OFTHE EARLY AEROPLANE

FLYING ANDGLI DER MANUALS1929, 1930,19311932,1933 2.50 ea.

SEND CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO:EAA Aviation Foundation, Inc.Box 469 Hales Corners, WI 53130

Allow 4-6 Weeks ForDeliveryWisconsin ResidentsInclude 5% SalesTax

CLASSIFIED ADSRegulartype,45cper word;Bold Face, 50cperword;ALL CAPS,55cperword.Ratecoversoneinsertion ,oneiBSUe; minimumcharge,$7.00.Classifiedadspayableinadvance,cashwithorder.Sendadwith payment to Advertising Department, The VINTAGE AIR-PLANE P.O.Box229,HalesComers,WI 53130.

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable ofunlimited aerobatics.23sheets ofclear, easy tofollowplans,includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings, photos anaexploded views. Completeparts and materials list. Fullsizewing drawings. Plans plus 88 page Builder's Manual- $60.00. Info Pack - $4.00. Super Acro Sport WingDrawing - $15.00.Send checkor moneyorder to: ACROSPORT, INC., Box 462,Hales Corners, WI 53130. 4141425-4860.ACRO - The new 2-placeaerobatic trainer and sportbiplane. 20pages ofeasy tofollow, detailed plans. Complete with isometric drawings , photos, exploded views.Plans - $85.00. InfoPack - $4.00.Send checkormoneyorder to: ACRO SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462,Hales Corners, WI 53130.414/425-4860.POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited inlow.costpleasure flying. Big, roomycockpitfor the oversix foot pilot.VW powerinsures hard to beat 3V2 gph atcruisesetting. 15large instruction sheets. Plans - $45.00.InfoPack - $4.00.Send checkor moneyorder to: ACROSPORT, INC., Box 462,Hales Corners, WI 53130. 4141425-4860.WANTED: PARTS,TOOLS,MANUALS,TECH.ORDERS,SERVICE BULLETINS FOR EARLY WRIGHT 1820 FSERIES, F-50SERIES,MILITARY -04, -78, -17, -19, -20,-25, -30, -37 & -75. ODER, 13102 DAYWOOD DRIVE,HOUSTON,TEXAS77038.713/445 33n.MEMBERSHIPINFORMATION

fAA e Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association , Inc . is $25.00 for one year, $48.00 for 2 yearsand $69.00 for3 years. All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year. Junior Membership (under 9years of age) is available at $15.00 annually. Family Membership is available for an additional $10.00.


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Vintage Airplane - May 1983

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