the magazine of the eaa antique/classic division, may...
TRANSCRIPT
The Magazine of the EAA AntiqueClassic Division May 1990
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL
euro 8o
o ~
by Espie HButch Joyce
These deadlines seem to come closer each month It seems that no sooner am I through with one column than another is needed It really makes me appreciate how difficult it must be for our editorial staff to put together a complete magazine every 30 days Sometime when you have a spare moment you might like to drop Mark and the gang a note of appreciation This kind of corshyrespondence is a great morale booster
Sunn Fun I was able to spend a few days at the
EAA Sun n Fun fly-in this year They really had a great turn-out of people and airplanes AntiqueClassic Division Chapter One did an outstanding job of managing the AlC area This chapter is a good example of how the system can work outside of EAA Headquarters There are also a number of AC memshybers from all around the United States who volunteer to help Chapter One during Sun n Funjust as they do during the Oshkosh Convention
EAA Oshkosh 90 Along this line I look forward to
welcoming each one of you to EAA Oshkosh 90 We expect to have an 2 MAY 1990
exceptionally good time this year Well have more on upcoming events in next months issue
White XS The death of an airport is a subject
that has been on my mind for some time and I would like to relate my experience to you My father started flying in 1936 and soon came to love both aviation and aviation people After World War II he bought a farm outside of our small North Carolina community where he built a grass strip airport in 1946 Later he built a house on this farm and we moved there in 1948 when I was four years old I was born into aviation and grew up the same way A man named Charles Bailey opened a combination body shop and fixed base operation on our airport around 1948
Aviation in our community came alive during the next couple of years Almost everyone was learning to fly A Gullwing Stinson was used for charter work and instruction was given in J-3 and J-5 Cubs
My dad opened a Studebaker dealershyship in 1949 We also had a tire recapshyping shop and a welding shop in the same building located next to our runshyway Well you can see the trend The town was getting closer
We took on a Massey-Ferguson dealership in 1950 (it was just Ferguson back then) That same year Charles Bailey was killed in an airshow while flying an airplane he had built He called it The Thing and it had a 12shyfoot wingspan
Interest in the airport hit bottom from that time until 195354 when once
again the airport became a weekend gathering place for locals The field was never again run as a fixed base business but was more like a socia l club with everyone looking after each other We had fuel but it was a self-service honor system and the arrangement worked great My father passed away in 1967 I was 23 years old and conshytinued to operate the airport
Then it happened our first accident This accident took the life of an eightshyyear-old bystander off of the airport property During the next several years the lawsuits flew Finally the one against the airport was dropped but we had paid a lot of money defending ourshyselves Town was getting closer A new high school was being built on one approach end and a senior citizens censhyter was going up on the other end We were now within the citys corporate limits My mind was made up I didnt want to own this airport any longer beshycause the liabilities were too great To make a long story short I sold the property to a manufacturing concern some seven years ago They have alshylowed Mayo Airport to remain open since then but the word came today The white Xs go up next Monday Alshythough I am not located on this airport I am sad that it will finally be closed I grew up there I came to love aviation and aviation people there The memories cannot be bulldozed away They will live with me forever
Grass Airports like this one are beshycoming a rarity so let s respect them and treat them safely Lets all pull together in the same direction for the good of aviation Join us and have it all
bull
PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT MARKETING amp COMMUNICATIONS
Dick Matt
EDITOR Mark Phelps
MANAGING EDITOR Golda Cox
ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks
ADVERnSING Mary Jones
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Norman Petersen Dick Cavin
FEATURE WRITERS George A Hardie Jr Dennis Parks
EDITORIAl ASSISTANT Isabelle Wiske
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Koepnlck Carl Schuppel
Jeff Isom
EM ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC
OFFICERS President Vice President
Espie Butch Joyce Arthur R Morgan 604 Highway SI 3744 North 51st Blvd
Madison NC 27025 MilwaukeeWI 53216 919427-0216 414442-3631
Secretary Treasurer George S York EE Buck Hilbert
181 Sloboda Ave PO Box 424 Mansfield OH 44906 Union IL 60180
419529-4378 815923-4591
DIRECTORS Robert C Bob Brauer John S Copeland
9345 S Hoyne 9 Joanne Drive Chicago IL 60620 Westborough MA 01581
312m9-2105 508366-7245
Philip Coulson William A Eickhoff 28415 Springbrook Dr 41515th Ave NE
Lawton MI 49065 St Petersburg FL 33704 616624-6490 813823 -2339
Charles Harris Stan Gomoll 3933 South Peoria 104290th Lane NE PO Box 904038 Minneapolis MN 55434 Tulsa OK 74105 6121784-1172
9181742-7311 Robert D Bob Lumley
Dale A Gustafson 1265 South 124th St 7724 Shady Hill Drive Brookfield WI 53005
Indianapolis IN 46278 4141782-2633 317293-4430
Steven C Nesse Gene Morris 2009 Highland Ave
115C Steve Court RR 2 Albert Lea MN 56007 Roanoke TX 76262 507373-1674
817491-9110
5H OWes Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa WI 53213
414m1-1545
DIRECTOR EMERITUS SJ Wittman
7200 SE 85th Lane Ocala FL 32672
904245-7768
ADVISORS John Berendt Gene Chase
7645 Echo Point Rd 2159 Carlton Rd Cannon Falls MN 55009 Oshkosh WI 54904
507263-2414 414231-5002
George Daubner John A Fogerty 2448 Lough Lane 479 Highway 65 Hartford WI 53027 Roberts WI 54023
414673-5885 715425-2455
Jeannie Hill PO Box 328
HaNard IL 60033 815943-7205
MAY 1990 bull Vol 18 No5
Copyright copy 1990 by the EAA AntiquelClassic Division Inc All rights reserved
Contents
2 Straight and Levellby Espie Butch Joyce
4 Letters to the Editor
5 AIC Newslby Mark Phelps
7 Members Projectslby Norm Petersen Page 10
8 Sun n Fun in Photoslby Mark Phelps
10 Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks
12 Calendar
13 Do You Know Melby BJ Shoup
16 Dutch Treatlby Walter van Tilborg Page 16
22 Rough Riverlby Ron Ferrara
26 Chapter Capsuleslby Bob Brauer
28 Pass It To Buckby EE Buck Hilbert
30 Vintage Trader
34 Mystery Planelby George Hardie Jr
Page 22
FRONT COVER Rudy Krens Stea rman aloft over the Dutch lowlands (Photo by Ben Ullings)
REAR COVER Ken Hyde gets a prop from Charlie rltulp (Photo by Jim Koepnick)
The words EM ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATIONam 1M kgtgos 01 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC EM INTERNAmiddot TIONAL CONVENTION EM ANTIOUECLASSIC DIVISION INC INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC are registed trademar1lts THE EM SKY SHOPPE am kgtgos 01 1M EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC am EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademar1lts 01 1M above associations am heir use by atrf person olhei than 1M above associations is stfdIy lXohiJited
Eltilorial Policy Readers are encouraged 10 submit slories am JlIOO1aplS Policy opirjons expressed in ar1icIes are solely hose of 1M au1hors Responsilility for aroJr8CI n~ res1S entieIy with 1M_or Material should be sent 10 Eltilor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE WIttmM Regional Airport 3000 Poberezny Ad cmltosh WI 54903-3086 Phone 41 41426-4800
The VINTAGE AIRPlANE (ISSN 0091-6943) ~ published am owned exdusive~ by EM AntiqueClassic Division Inc 01 1M Experimental Aircrah Association Inc am is published monlh~ at WrtIman Rogional Airport 3000 Poberezny Ad Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Second C~ Poslage pa~ al Oshkosh WI 54901 am addrtional mail~ offices Merrbership rales lor EM AntiqueJClassic Division nco are $1800 lor currenl EM merrbers lor 12 monIh period of which $1200 is lor 1M publication 01 The VINTAGE AIRPlANE Membership is open 10 all who are ~Iesed in aviation
ADVERTISING - AntiqueiCIassic Divisoo does rot guarantee or endorse any lXodtd offed IhrOl9h our advertisil9 We invrte constructive criticism am welcome atrf report of inferior merchandise obtained IhrOl9h our advertisil9 so Ihal corrective measures can be laken
POSTMASTER Send address changes 10 EM AntiqueiClass~ ov~ion Incbull PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Derby do Dear Mark
Yesterday we recei ved the March issues you were so kind to send We very much appreciate your thoughtfulshyness GREAT I almost had a hissy fit I was so excited to see the fine article Glenn Buffington wrote and the gorgeous front and back covers Once again your picture displays and cover were perfect I know Dub Sue Eric Bill and all the gang involved in the flight are as pleased and excited over the recognition in your magazine as Mom would be I called Dub Yarshybrough last night to share the exc iteshyment and he hadnt received his March issue yet - so I described it to him A million thanks again for remembershying us
Jim and Pat (Thaden) Webb Leonardtown Maryland
False Ford Funk Gents
Its always a pleasure to get VINshyTAGE AIRPLANE because just about everything else is junk mail most avishyation magazines included I was very interested in reading about Joe Funks experience with Ford conversions (Vintage Literature January ) Howshyever I am obliged to call your attention to the fact that the Funk airplane shown is not of the Ford B genre It is a postshywar mode l I think with an 85-hp Conshytinental
In reference to the Northrop Avion EX-I (Mystery Plane January) No mention was made of the fact that the 4 MAY 1990
original landing gear was retractable It collapsed on the first landing (high speed taxi run) at Muroc and was reshyplaced by a rigid tripod gear The top photo on page 39 shows fixed the botshytom photo retractable
I was very sorry to hear of the passshying of John Hatz with whom I spoke at Rockford and Oshkosh on numerous occasions
Cordially John Underwood Glendale California
Air King fling Dear Mark
I received my VINTAGE AIRPLANE today and want to compliment you on the fine re-write of the Air King mateshyrial (March) You did a superb job of re-arranging adding to and subtracting from the original manuscript I was glad you consulted with Jack Romkey on the project as he knows everything there is to know concerning the Air King
There is however one error in the story and looking over my original manuscript I cant take the responsibilshyity for it The Dole Air King was not a monoplane It was basically the same airplane except that it was fattened up to provide space for fuel tanks (not enough evidently) Incidentally Steve Lacy did get off the ground with the Dole Air King from Roosevelt Field Long Island in the New York to Spokane Washington race a month after the Dole race That is quite a story in itself Jack has all the newspaper
stories on it Again thanks for taking the time to
salute old Shukri He deserved it after what happened
Sincerely Jim Haynes Bushnell Illinois
Jack Romkey has several scrapbooks full of his fathers memorabilia from which we hope to have more in the future- Ed
Split personality Dear Mr Phelps
I own a Bellanca 7 ACA Champion (N9165L) built in October 1971 but later converted to a Continental A-65-8 engine from an Aeronca 7 AC Does my plane qualify as a Classic (replica) under EAA-AC rules
Rowland L Hall Northfield Illinois
Unfortunately not Ask the fellow who had 1955 wings on a 1956 Tri-Pacer When he tried to park in the Classic area at Oshkosh that mean old Art Morgan told him he could leave his wings there but would have to taxi the fuselage down to transient parking shyor so the legend goes - Ed
Classic appetite Dear Editor
Id like to renew my membership to the AIC Division Please find my enshyclosed check Just a note of interest and observation Id like to see more input and articles on the Classic section of our association Antiques are great and I love em We have to appreciate them and the people able to put time and money in them to preserve them Classics as we term them fit into a different and larger segment of aviashytion There are a bunch of them We fly them We use them daily as their availability can make the difference between a passive aviation enthusiast and an active aviator We need active aviators Classic owners need the supshyport of others who are rebuilding and restoring birds that just sit on airports around all of us I see Cubs Champs Tri-Pacers T-Crafts Cessna120s 140s 170s early model l72s and others that look like they would like a new lease to fly Again I say the anshytiques are great If r could afford the lUXury I would own one but the far greater number of Classics out there
should tell us that these are the planes that are part of more of our lives Many of us would like to see this half of the AlC Division promoted more by articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE When we think back probably the most enjoyable flight we ever made was in a classic because that was what was available
Tom Wadsworth Roswell New Mexico
Door man Dear Editor
Our EAA Chapter 54 is currently reshybuilding an early I 940s vintage Taylorcraft L-2B We are having diffishyculty locating drawings to fabricate the door and door frame assemblies If you could help us out in this matter we would be most appreciative You may contact me either by phone (614422shy2202) FAX (612422-2940) or direct mail at 1543 North Oxford Street St Paul Minnesota 55117
Sincerely Kevin Sislo St Paul Minnesota
March on Dear Mark
A few observations and comments
on the March issue seem to be in order In Aero Mail on page 4 there is a
letter from Harry Gann about the Northrop Gamma When we have an authority such as Mr Gann writing about early Douglas and Northrop hisshytory then well never be in trouble about the facts of our heritage
Then in Time Capsule on page 8 the upper left hand photo caption states this photo is late 1920s vinshytage Sorry to be a thorn about this but that picture was taken at the 1939 National Air Races in Cleveland Ohio In the background there is a line of trees These were located in the citys Metropolitan Park on the westshyern boundary of the airport In front of the trees is a white band at ground level The band is the perimeter chainshylink fence During the races the fence was covered by white canvas with the SOHIO (Standard Oil of Ohio) logo spaced out about every 50 to 100 feet If my memory isnt faulty that Curtiss Pusher was flown in a comedy routine by the great Canadian pilot Dick Grashynere while his son Dick Jr flew a Bleriot
Next is the Air King article (page 14) You mention Claude Flagg s asshysociation and the part he played in that organization on page 15 and again on
page 19 He was a fine gentleman and our good neighbor and friend I am sure that his many friends applaud the fact that he is still remembered with high regard Thank you
Lastly lets look at the lower photo on page 27 (1929 Air Derby) Some readers might like to know that Mrs Henderson was widely recognized for her talent as silent screen star Marion Marsh before she and Cliff were marshyried As she is such a refined lady shed never tell you that So its up to us to toot a hom for her Dub Yarshybrough deserves a great deal of credit for his relentless search for that part of aviation history and then spending the time and money to restore the Travel Air The crowning achievement was the re-creation of its moment in hisshytory I regret missing that magic moshyment - seeing Susan Dusenbury in flight Thanks to Mr Buffington we can at least read about the facts
I hope that you and all the good people at Headquarters are well Thanks for a very interesting issue bull
Cordially Ted Businger (EAA 93833 AlC 233) Evening Shade Arkansas
C)ews Compiled by
Mark Phelps
Thank you Dan Neuman After serving on the AntiqueClassic
Division Board of Directors for five years Dan Neuman has resigned Dan started in aviation as a teenager workshying in the Stinson factory in Michigan He became a corporate pilot and flew a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat later flying for Northwest Airlines from which he has since retired Dan has restored a number of antique aircraft including a Siemens Waco that now hangs in the terminal building at Wold-Chambershylain Field (Minneapolis-St Paul Intershynational) a Buhl Pup and one of the Jennies (now owned by Kermit Weeks)
that flew at EAA Oshkosh 89 EAA President Tom Poberezny said We thank Dan for his dedication and supshyport as a Director of the Antique Classic Division and his service as an advisor before that Dan will continue to be active in EAA and the divisions activities in the future
DB Cooper 727 retired In 1971 D B Cooper jumped into
world-famous anonymity (an appropshyriate oxymoron) after commandeering a Boeing 727 and demanded $200000 in $20 bills and four parachutes (he threatened to force a crewmember to jump with him in one of the chutes to ensure that they werent booby trapshyped) After he baled out of the rear door of the Boeing on a flight from Seattle Washington to Portland Oreshygon no trace of Cooper or the money has ever been found Now the 727 from which he jumped has been retired and will be dismantled for parts in Greenwood Mississippi
MERFls law In the story Culver Cum Laude
(January) the Mid East Regional Fly-In (MERFI) was incorrectly referred to as the Murfee fly-in in Marion Ohio How that happened Ill never know -Ed
Dole Air King In the story on Glenn Romkey
Shukri Tannus and the Air King (February) it was incorrectly stated that the National Airways System entrant in the Dole race was a monoplane It was in fact a biplane a modified vershysion of the Air King widened to acshycommodate the additional fuel tanks Thanks to Jim Haynes for writing and flagging the error
A Cat III Funk The following message came from
Phil Vogt of West St Paul Minnesota to the Funk Aircraft Owners Associashytions newsletter the Funk Flyer
Some years ago a local Funk pilot - I seem to have forgotten his name - took off one very early morning that had heavy patches of ground fog in cer-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
tain areas His gas tank was not full so he headed for a nearby small airport that had 80-octane fuel As he drew near he found only about 100 feet of runway peeking out from the dense fog that covered all else The temptation was just too much With a mean chuckle he chopped power and came around to make a very cautious slow approach to this open end He touched down softly and immediately rolled into the fog Visibility ahead was only 10 to 15 feet but the markers going by his left window helped him to stay on the runway and roll to a safe stop Now for full effect he flipped on his poor
little nav lights and began to feel his way in a very slow taxi towards the gas pump
He stopped and shut down the enshygine Stepping nonchalantly out in front of several shocked pilots who stood in the fog with their mouths hanging open down to about their knees he calmly began to pump gas into his airplane An older highly-skil shyled local pilot stepped forward and asked How in the hell did you do that
The unknown pilot keeping a straight face with some difficulty reshyplied You mean you ve fl own all
these years and still don t know how to land in fog
Travel Air The EAA Aviation Foundations
Travel Air E4000 is undergoing some work in preparation for its return to flying status Tracy Johnson is curshyrently adding tape to the lower wings and the upper wings are next to be coshyvered in Stits The fuselage fabric is still punching strong and the Wright J-6 engine was given a top overhaul within the last three years Tracy hopes the Travel Air will be flying some time this summer bull
EAA SUN N FUN 1990 AWARD WINNERS Antique Classic
AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(S VADDRESS AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(SVADDRESS GRAND CHAMPION Luscombe Phantom N27l1 Doug Combs amplinda Gamble GRAND CHAMPION Cmiddot14OA N9633A Jock Shahan 5353 Antelope
Box 6613 Incline V1l1age tw LaneStone Mountain GA 89450 30087
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Spartan Exec N47W NoCanaan Aviation BEST RESTORED middot UP TO 100HP Aeronca7AC NC82650 Xen Motsinger 955 Gabriel Rd NoCanaanCT 06018 CayceSC 27033
GOLDEN AGE 1927 middotEortler WacoGXE N4453Y John Stilley PO Box 1808 BEST RESTORED middot 101middot165HP Belkmco NC27284 Bill Scott5650 Stigall Rd Cape Canaveral fL32920 KernefSllilleNC 27284
SILVER AGE 1928-1932 New Standard Dmiddot25 NC930V John E Thomson604 Camellia BEST CUSTOM middot 101middot165HP S~nsan 108 N9338K Mike Meyers 3806 Towanda Ave EllentonfL34222 Rd Alexandria VA 22303
CONTEMPORARY AGE fairchild24R NC77695 Jomes Coolbaugh 205 N BEST CUSTOM middot OVER 165HP Swift N80555 Scott Anderson 2781 NE 7tIh St 1933middot1945 Sheridan Ave Deland fl32720 PomponafL BEST CUSTOM 8oeingAmiddot75 N302DR Homer Dobb~MobileAI BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot195 N195MV Joseph Rowe Jr 776 Nortolk BESTlWlt ERA Cessna Tmiddot50 AT178 N69072 Jomes Kramer11275 Mngfoot Pine Ln VeroBeach fL32963
Dr Boynton Beach fL33437 BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot17OA N1773D Bob Inscoe2031 Santa An~1 1es
BEST B1middotPlANE WacoQCfmiddot2 N11440 John p Mortin amp Jimmy Ray Rd Orlandafl 32806 6719 KingsmoorWay Miami BEST OF TYPE Luscombe8A N45504 James BZaz~ RI 3 Box 389 Lak~ fL 33014 CartihageNC 28327
BEST MONOPlANE Howard DGA 15P NC22423 fred J Kirk 2888 NE 26th St lADtES CHOICE Cmiddot170 N2592D Warner Sweet pO Box 307 ftLauderclalefl33305 Wakefield Rt 02880
BEST OPEN COCKPIT Ryan PTmiddot22 N59418 Larry WLee3036 Wallace OUTSTANDINGAJRCIWT Aeronca 15AC N1459H Richard folsom 635 Coral Dr Circle AffantaGA 30339 Nokomis fl34275
BEST CABIN HowordDGA N66294 florida Airmoffve Inc 2633 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Piper J3 N3244N Joan Peters 2336 Ookleaf Ln Lantana RdLantanafl33462 Kissimmeefl34744
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N32158 Tom flock pO Box 166US 41 N OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT PiperJ3 N87881 L~e Mheeier 4410 Camino Rockville IN 47872 Real Sarasota fL34433
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29328 Steve Brown 6050 Clinton Rd OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stinson N389C Butch Walsh RR1 Box 306A Terre Haute IN 47805 Arrington VA 22922
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29943 Dole Cunningham RR 1 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Super Cub NC1038A Dawson Ransome8m Sf Box 489Rockville IN 47872 72nd Ave Leeward Air Ranch
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT S~nson N8471 Bob Hedgecock RI 3 Box 324 Ocola fl32671 Bomesville GA 30204
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stearman N5592L Jerry Stadtmiller5500 NW 21 Terr20middotH ft Lauderclale fl33309
Sun n Fun Grand Champion Antique Sun n Fun Grand Champion Classic
6 MAY 1990
MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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STRAIGHT AND LEVEL
euro 8o
o ~
by Espie HButch Joyce
These deadlines seem to come closer each month It seems that no sooner am I through with one column than another is needed It really makes me appreciate how difficult it must be for our editorial staff to put together a complete magazine every 30 days Sometime when you have a spare moment you might like to drop Mark and the gang a note of appreciation This kind of corshyrespondence is a great morale booster
Sunn Fun I was able to spend a few days at the
EAA Sun n Fun fly-in this year They really had a great turn-out of people and airplanes AntiqueClassic Division Chapter One did an outstanding job of managing the AlC area This chapter is a good example of how the system can work outside of EAA Headquarters There are also a number of AC memshybers from all around the United States who volunteer to help Chapter One during Sun n Funjust as they do during the Oshkosh Convention
EAA Oshkosh 90 Along this line I look forward to
welcoming each one of you to EAA Oshkosh 90 We expect to have an 2 MAY 1990
exceptionally good time this year Well have more on upcoming events in next months issue
White XS The death of an airport is a subject
that has been on my mind for some time and I would like to relate my experience to you My father started flying in 1936 and soon came to love both aviation and aviation people After World War II he bought a farm outside of our small North Carolina community where he built a grass strip airport in 1946 Later he built a house on this farm and we moved there in 1948 when I was four years old I was born into aviation and grew up the same way A man named Charles Bailey opened a combination body shop and fixed base operation on our airport around 1948
Aviation in our community came alive during the next couple of years Almost everyone was learning to fly A Gullwing Stinson was used for charter work and instruction was given in J-3 and J-5 Cubs
My dad opened a Studebaker dealershyship in 1949 We also had a tire recapshyping shop and a welding shop in the same building located next to our runshyway Well you can see the trend The town was getting closer
We took on a Massey-Ferguson dealership in 1950 (it was just Ferguson back then) That same year Charles Bailey was killed in an airshow while flying an airplane he had built He called it The Thing and it had a 12shyfoot wingspan
Interest in the airport hit bottom from that time until 195354 when once
again the airport became a weekend gathering place for locals The field was never again run as a fixed base business but was more like a socia l club with everyone looking after each other We had fuel but it was a self-service honor system and the arrangement worked great My father passed away in 1967 I was 23 years old and conshytinued to operate the airport
Then it happened our first accident This accident took the life of an eightshyyear-old bystander off of the airport property During the next several years the lawsuits flew Finally the one against the airport was dropped but we had paid a lot of money defending ourshyselves Town was getting closer A new high school was being built on one approach end and a senior citizens censhyter was going up on the other end We were now within the citys corporate limits My mind was made up I didnt want to own this airport any longer beshycause the liabilities were too great To make a long story short I sold the property to a manufacturing concern some seven years ago They have alshylowed Mayo Airport to remain open since then but the word came today The white Xs go up next Monday Alshythough I am not located on this airport I am sad that it will finally be closed I grew up there I came to love aviation and aviation people there The memories cannot be bulldozed away They will live with me forever
Grass Airports like this one are beshycoming a rarity so let s respect them and treat them safely Lets all pull together in the same direction for the good of aviation Join us and have it all
bull
PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT MARKETING amp COMMUNICATIONS
Dick Matt
EDITOR Mark Phelps
MANAGING EDITOR Golda Cox
ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks
ADVERnSING Mary Jones
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Norman Petersen Dick Cavin
FEATURE WRITERS George A Hardie Jr Dennis Parks
EDITORIAl ASSISTANT Isabelle Wiske
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Koepnlck Carl Schuppel
Jeff Isom
EM ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC
OFFICERS President Vice President
Espie Butch Joyce Arthur R Morgan 604 Highway SI 3744 North 51st Blvd
Madison NC 27025 MilwaukeeWI 53216 919427-0216 414442-3631
Secretary Treasurer George S York EE Buck Hilbert
181 Sloboda Ave PO Box 424 Mansfield OH 44906 Union IL 60180
419529-4378 815923-4591
DIRECTORS Robert C Bob Brauer John S Copeland
9345 S Hoyne 9 Joanne Drive Chicago IL 60620 Westborough MA 01581
312m9-2105 508366-7245
Philip Coulson William A Eickhoff 28415 Springbrook Dr 41515th Ave NE
Lawton MI 49065 St Petersburg FL 33704 616624-6490 813823 -2339
Charles Harris Stan Gomoll 3933 South Peoria 104290th Lane NE PO Box 904038 Minneapolis MN 55434 Tulsa OK 74105 6121784-1172
9181742-7311 Robert D Bob Lumley
Dale A Gustafson 1265 South 124th St 7724 Shady Hill Drive Brookfield WI 53005
Indianapolis IN 46278 4141782-2633 317293-4430
Steven C Nesse Gene Morris 2009 Highland Ave
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817491-9110
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DIRECTOR EMERITUS SJ Wittman
7200 SE 85th Lane Ocala FL 32672
904245-7768
ADVISORS John Berendt Gene Chase
7645 Echo Point Rd 2159 Carlton Rd Cannon Falls MN 55009 Oshkosh WI 54904
507263-2414 414231-5002
George Daubner John A Fogerty 2448 Lough Lane 479 Highway 65 Hartford WI 53027 Roberts WI 54023
414673-5885 715425-2455
Jeannie Hill PO Box 328
HaNard IL 60033 815943-7205
MAY 1990 bull Vol 18 No5
Copyright copy 1990 by the EAA AntiquelClassic Division Inc All rights reserved
Contents
2 Straight and Levellby Espie Butch Joyce
4 Letters to the Editor
5 AIC Newslby Mark Phelps
7 Members Projectslby Norm Petersen Page 10
8 Sun n Fun in Photoslby Mark Phelps
10 Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks
12 Calendar
13 Do You Know Melby BJ Shoup
16 Dutch Treatlby Walter van Tilborg Page 16
22 Rough Riverlby Ron Ferrara
26 Chapter Capsuleslby Bob Brauer
28 Pass It To Buckby EE Buck Hilbert
30 Vintage Trader
34 Mystery Planelby George Hardie Jr
Page 22
FRONT COVER Rudy Krens Stea rman aloft over the Dutch lowlands (Photo by Ben Ullings)
REAR COVER Ken Hyde gets a prop from Charlie rltulp (Photo by Jim Koepnick)
The words EM ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATIONam 1M kgtgos 01 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC EM INTERNAmiddot TIONAL CONVENTION EM ANTIOUECLASSIC DIVISION INC INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC are registed trademar1lts THE EM SKY SHOPPE am kgtgos 01 1M EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC am EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademar1lts 01 1M above associations am heir use by atrf person olhei than 1M above associations is stfdIy lXohiJited
Eltilorial Policy Readers are encouraged 10 submit slories am JlIOO1aplS Policy opirjons expressed in ar1icIes are solely hose of 1M au1hors Responsilility for aroJr8CI n~ res1S entieIy with 1M_or Material should be sent 10 Eltilor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE WIttmM Regional Airport 3000 Poberezny Ad cmltosh WI 54903-3086 Phone 41 41426-4800
The VINTAGE AIRPlANE (ISSN 0091-6943) ~ published am owned exdusive~ by EM AntiqueClassic Division Inc 01 1M Experimental Aircrah Association Inc am is published monlh~ at WrtIman Rogional Airport 3000 Poberezny Ad Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Second C~ Poslage pa~ al Oshkosh WI 54901 am addrtional mail~ offices Merrbership rales lor EM AntiqueJClassic Division nco are $1800 lor currenl EM merrbers lor 12 monIh period of which $1200 is lor 1M publication 01 The VINTAGE AIRPlANE Membership is open 10 all who are ~Iesed in aviation
ADVERTISING - AntiqueiCIassic Divisoo does rot guarantee or endorse any lXodtd offed IhrOl9h our advertisil9 We invrte constructive criticism am welcome atrf report of inferior merchandise obtained IhrOl9h our advertisil9 so Ihal corrective measures can be laken
POSTMASTER Send address changes 10 EM AntiqueiClass~ ov~ion Incbull PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Derby do Dear Mark
Yesterday we recei ved the March issues you were so kind to send We very much appreciate your thoughtfulshyness GREAT I almost had a hissy fit I was so excited to see the fine article Glenn Buffington wrote and the gorgeous front and back covers Once again your picture displays and cover were perfect I know Dub Sue Eric Bill and all the gang involved in the flight are as pleased and excited over the recognition in your magazine as Mom would be I called Dub Yarshybrough last night to share the exc iteshyment and he hadnt received his March issue yet - so I described it to him A million thanks again for remembershying us
Jim and Pat (Thaden) Webb Leonardtown Maryland
False Ford Funk Gents
Its always a pleasure to get VINshyTAGE AIRPLANE because just about everything else is junk mail most avishyation magazines included I was very interested in reading about Joe Funks experience with Ford conversions (Vintage Literature January ) Howshyever I am obliged to call your attention to the fact that the Funk airplane shown is not of the Ford B genre It is a postshywar mode l I think with an 85-hp Conshytinental
In reference to the Northrop Avion EX-I (Mystery Plane January) No mention was made of the fact that the 4 MAY 1990
original landing gear was retractable It collapsed on the first landing (high speed taxi run) at Muroc and was reshyplaced by a rigid tripod gear The top photo on page 39 shows fixed the botshytom photo retractable
I was very sorry to hear of the passshying of John Hatz with whom I spoke at Rockford and Oshkosh on numerous occasions
Cordially John Underwood Glendale California
Air King fling Dear Mark
I received my VINTAGE AIRPLANE today and want to compliment you on the fine re-write of the Air King mateshyrial (March) You did a superb job of re-arranging adding to and subtracting from the original manuscript I was glad you consulted with Jack Romkey on the project as he knows everything there is to know concerning the Air King
There is however one error in the story and looking over my original manuscript I cant take the responsibilshyity for it The Dole Air King was not a monoplane It was basically the same airplane except that it was fattened up to provide space for fuel tanks (not enough evidently) Incidentally Steve Lacy did get off the ground with the Dole Air King from Roosevelt Field Long Island in the New York to Spokane Washington race a month after the Dole race That is quite a story in itself Jack has all the newspaper
stories on it Again thanks for taking the time to
salute old Shukri He deserved it after what happened
Sincerely Jim Haynes Bushnell Illinois
Jack Romkey has several scrapbooks full of his fathers memorabilia from which we hope to have more in the future- Ed
Split personality Dear Mr Phelps
I own a Bellanca 7 ACA Champion (N9165L) built in October 1971 but later converted to a Continental A-65-8 engine from an Aeronca 7 AC Does my plane qualify as a Classic (replica) under EAA-AC rules
Rowland L Hall Northfield Illinois
Unfortunately not Ask the fellow who had 1955 wings on a 1956 Tri-Pacer When he tried to park in the Classic area at Oshkosh that mean old Art Morgan told him he could leave his wings there but would have to taxi the fuselage down to transient parking shyor so the legend goes - Ed
Classic appetite Dear Editor
Id like to renew my membership to the AIC Division Please find my enshyclosed check Just a note of interest and observation Id like to see more input and articles on the Classic section of our association Antiques are great and I love em We have to appreciate them and the people able to put time and money in them to preserve them Classics as we term them fit into a different and larger segment of aviashytion There are a bunch of them We fly them We use them daily as their availability can make the difference between a passive aviation enthusiast and an active aviator We need active aviators Classic owners need the supshyport of others who are rebuilding and restoring birds that just sit on airports around all of us I see Cubs Champs Tri-Pacers T-Crafts Cessna120s 140s 170s early model l72s and others that look like they would like a new lease to fly Again I say the anshytiques are great If r could afford the lUXury I would own one but the far greater number of Classics out there
should tell us that these are the planes that are part of more of our lives Many of us would like to see this half of the AlC Division promoted more by articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE When we think back probably the most enjoyable flight we ever made was in a classic because that was what was available
Tom Wadsworth Roswell New Mexico
Door man Dear Editor
Our EAA Chapter 54 is currently reshybuilding an early I 940s vintage Taylorcraft L-2B We are having diffishyculty locating drawings to fabricate the door and door frame assemblies If you could help us out in this matter we would be most appreciative You may contact me either by phone (614422shy2202) FAX (612422-2940) or direct mail at 1543 North Oxford Street St Paul Minnesota 55117
Sincerely Kevin Sislo St Paul Minnesota
March on Dear Mark
A few observations and comments
on the March issue seem to be in order In Aero Mail on page 4 there is a
letter from Harry Gann about the Northrop Gamma When we have an authority such as Mr Gann writing about early Douglas and Northrop hisshytory then well never be in trouble about the facts of our heritage
Then in Time Capsule on page 8 the upper left hand photo caption states this photo is late 1920s vinshytage Sorry to be a thorn about this but that picture was taken at the 1939 National Air Races in Cleveland Ohio In the background there is a line of trees These were located in the citys Metropolitan Park on the westshyern boundary of the airport In front of the trees is a white band at ground level The band is the perimeter chainshylink fence During the races the fence was covered by white canvas with the SOHIO (Standard Oil of Ohio) logo spaced out about every 50 to 100 feet If my memory isnt faulty that Curtiss Pusher was flown in a comedy routine by the great Canadian pilot Dick Grashynere while his son Dick Jr flew a Bleriot
Next is the Air King article (page 14) You mention Claude Flagg s asshysociation and the part he played in that organization on page 15 and again on
page 19 He was a fine gentleman and our good neighbor and friend I am sure that his many friends applaud the fact that he is still remembered with high regard Thank you
Lastly lets look at the lower photo on page 27 (1929 Air Derby) Some readers might like to know that Mrs Henderson was widely recognized for her talent as silent screen star Marion Marsh before she and Cliff were marshyried As she is such a refined lady shed never tell you that So its up to us to toot a hom for her Dub Yarshybrough deserves a great deal of credit for his relentless search for that part of aviation history and then spending the time and money to restore the Travel Air The crowning achievement was the re-creation of its moment in hisshytory I regret missing that magic moshyment - seeing Susan Dusenbury in flight Thanks to Mr Buffington we can at least read about the facts
I hope that you and all the good people at Headquarters are well Thanks for a very interesting issue bull
Cordially Ted Businger (EAA 93833 AlC 233) Evening Shade Arkansas
C)ews Compiled by
Mark Phelps
Thank you Dan Neuman After serving on the AntiqueClassic
Division Board of Directors for five years Dan Neuman has resigned Dan started in aviation as a teenager workshying in the Stinson factory in Michigan He became a corporate pilot and flew a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat later flying for Northwest Airlines from which he has since retired Dan has restored a number of antique aircraft including a Siemens Waco that now hangs in the terminal building at Wold-Chambershylain Field (Minneapolis-St Paul Intershynational) a Buhl Pup and one of the Jennies (now owned by Kermit Weeks)
that flew at EAA Oshkosh 89 EAA President Tom Poberezny said We thank Dan for his dedication and supshyport as a Director of the Antique Classic Division and his service as an advisor before that Dan will continue to be active in EAA and the divisions activities in the future
DB Cooper 727 retired In 1971 D B Cooper jumped into
world-famous anonymity (an appropshyriate oxymoron) after commandeering a Boeing 727 and demanded $200000 in $20 bills and four parachutes (he threatened to force a crewmember to jump with him in one of the chutes to ensure that they werent booby trapshyped) After he baled out of the rear door of the Boeing on a flight from Seattle Washington to Portland Oreshygon no trace of Cooper or the money has ever been found Now the 727 from which he jumped has been retired and will be dismantled for parts in Greenwood Mississippi
MERFls law In the story Culver Cum Laude
(January) the Mid East Regional Fly-In (MERFI) was incorrectly referred to as the Murfee fly-in in Marion Ohio How that happened Ill never know -Ed
Dole Air King In the story on Glenn Romkey
Shukri Tannus and the Air King (February) it was incorrectly stated that the National Airways System entrant in the Dole race was a monoplane It was in fact a biplane a modified vershysion of the Air King widened to acshycommodate the additional fuel tanks Thanks to Jim Haynes for writing and flagging the error
A Cat III Funk The following message came from
Phil Vogt of West St Paul Minnesota to the Funk Aircraft Owners Associashytions newsletter the Funk Flyer
Some years ago a local Funk pilot - I seem to have forgotten his name - took off one very early morning that had heavy patches of ground fog in cer-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
tain areas His gas tank was not full so he headed for a nearby small airport that had 80-octane fuel As he drew near he found only about 100 feet of runway peeking out from the dense fog that covered all else The temptation was just too much With a mean chuckle he chopped power and came around to make a very cautious slow approach to this open end He touched down softly and immediately rolled into the fog Visibility ahead was only 10 to 15 feet but the markers going by his left window helped him to stay on the runway and roll to a safe stop Now for full effect he flipped on his poor
little nav lights and began to feel his way in a very slow taxi towards the gas pump
He stopped and shut down the enshygine Stepping nonchalantly out in front of several shocked pilots who stood in the fog with their mouths hanging open down to about their knees he calmly began to pump gas into his airplane An older highly-skil shyled local pilot stepped forward and asked How in the hell did you do that
The unknown pilot keeping a straight face with some difficulty reshyplied You mean you ve fl own all
these years and still don t know how to land in fog
Travel Air The EAA Aviation Foundations
Travel Air E4000 is undergoing some work in preparation for its return to flying status Tracy Johnson is curshyrently adding tape to the lower wings and the upper wings are next to be coshyvered in Stits The fuselage fabric is still punching strong and the Wright J-6 engine was given a top overhaul within the last three years Tracy hopes the Travel Air will be flying some time this summer bull
EAA SUN N FUN 1990 AWARD WINNERS Antique Classic
AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(S VADDRESS AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(SVADDRESS GRAND CHAMPION Luscombe Phantom N27l1 Doug Combs amplinda Gamble GRAND CHAMPION Cmiddot14OA N9633A Jock Shahan 5353 Antelope
Box 6613 Incline V1l1age tw LaneStone Mountain GA 89450 30087
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Spartan Exec N47W NoCanaan Aviation BEST RESTORED middot UP TO 100HP Aeronca7AC NC82650 Xen Motsinger 955 Gabriel Rd NoCanaanCT 06018 CayceSC 27033
GOLDEN AGE 1927 middotEortler WacoGXE N4453Y John Stilley PO Box 1808 BEST RESTORED middot 101middot165HP Belkmco NC27284 Bill Scott5650 Stigall Rd Cape Canaveral fL32920 KernefSllilleNC 27284
SILVER AGE 1928-1932 New Standard Dmiddot25 NC930V John E Thomson604 Camellia BEST CUSTOM middot 101middot165HP S~nsan 108 N9338K Mike Meyers 3806 Towanda Ave EllentonfL34222 Rd Alexandria VA 22303
CONTEMPORARY AGE fairchild24R NC77695 Jomes Coolbaugh 205 N BEST CUSTOM middot OVER 165HP Swift N80555 Scott Anderson 2781 NE 7tIh St 1933middot1945 Sheridan Ave Deland fl32720 PomponafL BEST CUSTOM 8oeingAmiddot75 N302DR Homer Dobb~MobileAI BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot195 N195MV Joseph Rowe Jr 776 Nortolk BESTlWlt ERA Cessna Tmiddot50 AT178 N69072 Jomes Kramer11275 Mngfoot Pine Ln VeroBeach fL32963
Dr Boynton Beach fL33437 BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot17OA N1773D Bob Inscoe2031 Santa An~1 1es
BEST B1middotPlANE WacoQCfmiddot2 N11440 John p Mortin amp Jimmy Ray Rd Orlandafl 32806 6719 KingsmoorWay Miami BEST OF TYPE Luscombe8A N45504 James BZaz~ RI 3 Box 389 Lak~ fL 33014 CartihageNC 28327
BEST MONOPlANE Howard DGA 15P NC22423 fred J Kirk 2888 NE 26th St lADtES CHOICE Cmiddot170 N2592D Warner Sweet pO Box 307 ftLauderclalefl33305 Wakefield Rt 02880
BEST OPEN COCKPIT Ryan PTmiddot22 N59418 Larry WLee3036 Wallace OUTSTANDINGAJRCIWT Aeronca 15AC N1459H Richard folsom 635 Coral Dr Circle AffantaGA 30339 Nokomis fl34275
BEST CABIN HowordDGA N66294 florida Airmoffve Inc 2633 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Piper J3 N3244N Joan Peters 2336 Ookleaf Ln Lantana RdLantanafl33462 Kissimmeefl34744
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N32158 Tom flock pO Box 166US 41 N OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT PiperJ3 N87881 L~e Mheeier 4410 Camino Rockville IN 47872 Real Sarasota fL34433
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29328 Steve Brown 6050 Clinton Rd OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stinson N389C Butch Walsh RR1 Box 306A Terre Haute IN 47805 Arrington VA 22922
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29943 Dole Cunningham RR 1 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Super Cub NC1038A Dawson Ransome8m Sf Box 489Rockville IN 47872 72nd Ave Leeward Air Ranch
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT S~nson N8471 Bob Hedgecock RI 3 Box 324 Ocola fl32671 Bomesville GA 30204
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stearman N5592L Jerry Stadtmiller5500 NW 21 Terr20middotH ft Lauderclale fl33309
Sun n Fun Grand Champion Antique Sun n Fun Grand Champion Classic
6 MAY 1990
MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
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CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER
Tom Poberezny
VICE-PRESIDENT MARKETING amp COMMUNICATIONS
Dick Matt
EDITOR Mark Phelps
MANAGING EDITOR Golda Cox
ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks
ADVERnSING Mary Jones
ASSOCIATE EDITORS Norman Petersen Dick Cavin
FEATURE WRITERS George A Hardie Jr Dennis Parks
EDITORIAl ASSISTANT Isabelle Wiske
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Koepnlck Carl Schuppel
Jeff Isom
EM ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC
OFFICERS President Vice President
Espie Butch Joyce Arthur R Morgan 604 Highway SI 3744 North 51st Blvd
Madison NC 27025 MilwaukeeWI 53216 919427-0216 414442-3631
Secretary Treasurer George S York EE Buck Hilbert
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419529-4378 815923-4591
DIRECTORS Robert C Bob Brauer John S Copeland
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MAY 1990 bull Vol 18 No5
Copyright copy 1990 by the EAA AntiquelClassic Division Inc All rights reserved
Contents
2 Straight and Levellby Espie Butch Joyce
4 Letters to the Editor
5 AIC Newslby Mark Phelps
7 Members Projectslby Norm Petersen Page 10
8 Sun n Fun in Photoslby Mark Phelps
10 Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks
12 Calendar
13 Do You Know Melby BJ Shoup
16 Dutch Treatlby Walter van Tilborg Page 16
22 Rough Riverlby Ron Ferrara
26 Chapter Capsuleslby Bob Brauer
28 Pass It To Buckby EE Buck Hilbert
30 Vintage Trader
34 Mystery Planelby George Hardie Jr
Page 22
FRONT COVER Rudy Krens Stea rman aloft over the Dutch lowlands (Photo by Ben Ullings)
REAR COVER Ken Hyde gets a prop from Charlie rltulp (Photo by Jim Koepnick)
The words EM ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATIONam 1M kgtgos 01 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC EM INTERNAmiddot TIONAL CONVENTION EM ANTIOUECLASSIC DIVISION INC INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC are registed trademar1lts THE EM SKY SHOPPE am kgtgos 01 1M EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC am EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademar1lts 01 1M above associations am heir use by atrf person olhei than 1M above associations is stfdIy lXohiJited
Eltilorial Policy Readers are encouraged 10 submit slories am JlIOO1aplS Policy opirjons expressed in ar1icIes are solely hose of 1M au1hors Responsilility for aroJr8CI n~ res1S entieIy with 1M_or Material should be sent 10 Eltilor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE WIttmM Regional Airport 3000 Poberezny Ad cmltosh WI 54903-3086 Phone 41 41426-4800
The VINTAGE AIRPlANE (ISSN 0091-6943) ~ published am owned exdusive~ by EM AntiqueClassic Division Inc 01 1M Experimental Aircrah Association Inc am is published monlh~ at WrtIman Rogional Airport 3000 Poberezny Ad Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Second C~ Poslage pa~ al Oshkosh WI 54901 am addrtional mail~ offices Merrbership rales lor EM AntiqueJClassic Division nco are $1800 lor currenl EM merrbers lor 12 monIh period of which $1200 is lor 1M publication 01 The VINTAGE AIRPlANE Membership is open 10 all who are ~Iesed in aviation
ADVERTISING - AntiqueiCIassic Divisoo does rot guarantee or endorse any lXodtd offed IhrOl9h our advertisil9 We invrte constructive criticism am welcome atrf report of inferior merchandise obtained IhrOl9h our advertisil9 so Ihal corrective measures can be laken
POSTMASTER Send address changes 10 EM AntiqueiClass~ ov~ion Incbull PO Box 3086 Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Derby do Dear Mark
Yesterday we recei ved the March issues you were so kind to send We very much appreciate your thoughtfulshyness GREAT I almost had a hissy fit I was so excited to see the fine article Glenn Buffington wrote and the gorgeous front and back covers Once again your picture displays and cover were perfect I know Dub Sue Eric Bill and all the gang involved in the flight are as pleased and excited over the recognition in your magazine as Mom would be I called Dub Yarshybrough last night to share the exc iteshyment and he hadnt received his March issue yet - so I described it to him A million thanks again for remembershying us
Jim and Pat (Thaden) Webb Leonardtown Maryland
False Ford Funk Gents
Its always a pleasure to get VINshyTAGE AIRPLANE because just about everything else is junk mail most avishyation magazines included I was very interested in reading about Joe Funks experience with Ford conversions (Vintage Literature January ) Howshyever I am obliged to call your attention to the fact that the Funk airplane shown is not of the Ford B genre It is a postshywar mode l I think with an 85-hp Conshytinental
In reference to the Northrop Avion EX-I (Mystery Plane January) No mention was made of the fact that the 4 MAY 1990
original landing gear was retractable It collapsed on the first landing (high speed taxi run) at Muroc and was reshyplaced by a rigid tripod gear The top photo on page 39 shows fixed the botshytom photo retractable
I was very sorry to hear of the passshying of John Hatz with whom I spoke at Rockford and Oshkosh on numerous occasions
Cordially John Underwood Glendale California
Air King fling Dear Mark
I received my VINTAGE AIRPLANE today and want to compliment you on the fine re-write of the Air King mateshyrial (March) You did a superb job of re-arranging adding to and subtracting from the original manuscript I was glad you consulted with Jack Romkey on the project as he knows everything there is to know concerning the Air King
There is however one error in the story and looking over my original manuscript I cant take the responsibilshyity for it The Dole Air King was not a monoplane It was basically the same airplane except that it was fattened up to provide space for fuel tanks (not enough evidently) Incidentally Steve Lacy did get off the ground with the Dole Air King from Roosevelt Field Long Island in the New York to Spokane Washington race a month after the Dole race That is quite a story in itself Jack has all the newspaper
stories on it Again thanks for taking the time to
salute old Shukri He deserved it after what happened
Sincerely Jim Haynes Bushnell Illinois
Jack Romkey has several scrapbooks full of his fathers memorabilia from which we hope to have more in the future- Ed
Split personality Dear Mr Phelps
I own a Bellanca 7 ACA Champion (N9165L) built in October 1971 but later converted to a Continental A-65-8 engine from an Aeronca 7 AC Does my plane qualify as a Classic (replica) under EAA-AC rules
Rowland L Hall Northfield Illinois
Unfortunately not Ask the fellow who had 1955 wings on a 1956 Tri-Pacer When he tried to park in the Classic area at Oshkosh that mean old Art Morgan told him he could leave his wings there but would have to taxi the fuselage down to transient parking shyor so the legend goes - Ed
Classic appetite Dear Editor
Id like to renew my membership to the AIC Division Please find my enshyclosed check Just a note of interest and observation Id like to see more input and articles on the Classic section of our association Antiques are great and I love em We have to appreciate them and the people able to put time and money in them to preserve them Classics as we term them fit into a different and larger segment of aviashytion There are a bunch of them We fly them We use them daily as their availability can make the difference between a passive aviation enthusiast and an active aviator We need active aviators Classic owners need the supshyport of others who are rebuilding and restoring birds that just sit on airports around all of us I see Cubs Champs Tri-Pacers T-Crafts Cessna120s 140s 170s early model l72s and others that look like they would like a new lease to fly Again I say the anshytiques are great If r could afford the lUXury I would own one but the far greater number of Classics out there
should tell us that these are the planes that are part of more of our lives Many of us would like to see this half of the AlC Division promoted more by articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE When we think back probably the most enjoyable flight we ever made was in a classic because that was what was available
Tom Wadsworth Roswell New Mexico
Door man Dear Editor
Our EAA Chapter 54 is currently reshybuilding an early I 940s vintage Taylorcraft L-2B We are having diffishyculty locating drawings to fabricate the door and door frame assemblies If you could help us out in this matter we would be most appreciative You may contact me either by phone (614422shy2202) FAX (612422-2940) or direct mail at 1543 North Oxford Street St Paul Minnesota 55117
Sincerely Kevin Sislo St Paul Minnesota
March on Dear Mark
A few observations and comments
on the March issue seem to be in order In Aero Mail on page 4 there is a
letter from Harry Gann about the Northrop Gamma When we have an authority such as Mr Gann writing about early Douglas and Northrop hisshytory then well never be in trouble about the facts of our heritage
Then in Time Capsule on page 8 the upper left hand photo caption states this photo is late 1920s vinshytage Sorry to be a thorn about this but that picture was taken at the 1939 National Air Races in Cleveland Ohio In the background there is a line of trees These were located in the citys Metropolitan Park on the westshyern boundary of the airport In front of the trees is a white band at ground level The band is the perimeter chainshylink fence During the races the fence was covered by white canvas with the SOHIO (Standard Oil of Ohio) logo spaced out about every 50 to 100 feet If my memory isnt faulty that Curtiss Pusher was flown in a comedy routine by the great Canadian pilot Dick Grashynere while his son Dick Jr flew a Bleriot
Next is the Air King article (page 14) You mention Claude Flagg s asshysociation and the part he played in that organization on page 15 and again on
page 19 He was a fine gentleman and our good neighbor and friend I am sure that his many friends applaud the fact that he is still remembered with high regard Thank you
Lastly lets look at the lower photo on page 27 (1929 Air Derby) Some readers might like to know that Mrs Henderson was widely recognized for her talent as silent screen star Marion Marsh before she and Cliff were marshyried As she is such a refined lady shed never tell you that So its up to us to toot a hom for her Dub Yarshybrough deserves a great deal of credit for his relentless search for that part of aviation history and then spending the time and money to restore the Travel Air The crowning achievement was the re-creation of its moment in hisshytory I regret missing that magic moshyment - seeing Susan Dusenbury in flight Thanks to Mr Buffington we can at least read about the facts
I hope that you and all the good people at Headquarters are well Thanks for a very interesting issue bull
Cordially Ted Businger (EAA 93833 AlC 233) Evening Shade Arkansas
C)ews Compiled by
Mark Phelps
Thank you Dan Neuman After serving on the AntiqueClassic
Division Board of Directors for five years Dan Neuman has resigned Dan started in aviation as a teenager workshying in the Stinson factory in Michigan He became a corporate pilot and flew a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat later flying for Northwest Airlines from which he has since retired Dan has restored a number of antique aircraft including a Siemens Waco that now hangs in the terminal building at Wold-Chambershylain Field (Minneapolis-St Paul Intershynational) a Buhl Pup and one of the Jennies (now owned by Kermit Weeks)
that flew at EAA Oshkosh 89 EAA President Tom Poberezny said We thank Dan for his dedication and supshyport as a Director of the Antique Classic Division and his service as an advisor before that Dan will continue to be active in EAA and the divisions activities in the future
DB Cooper 727 retired In 1971 D B Cooper jumped into
world-famous anonymity (an appropshyriate oxymoron) after commandeering a Boeing 727 and demanded $200000 in $20 bills and four parachutes (he threatened to force a crewmember to jump with him in one of the chutes to ensure that they werent booby trapshyped) After he baled out of the rear door of the Boeing on a flight from Seattle Washington to Portland Oreshygon no trace of Cooper or the money has ever been found Now the 727 from which he jumped has been retired and will be dismantled for parts in Greenwood Mississippi
MERFls law In the story Culver Cum Laude
(January) the Mid East Regional Fly-In (MERFI) was incorrectly referred to as the Murfee fly-in in Marion Ohio How that happened Ill never know -Ed
Dole Air King In the story on Glenn Romkey
Shukri Tannus and the Air King (February) it was incorrectly stated that the National Airways System entrant in the Dole race was a monoplane It was in fact a biplane a modified vershysion of the Air King widened to acshycommodate the additional fuel tanks Thanks to Jim Haynes for writing and flagging the error
A Cat III Funk The following message came from
Phil Vogt of West St Paul Minnesota to the Funk Aircraft Owners Associashytions newsletter the Funk Flyer
Some years ago a local Funk pilot - I seem to have forgotten his name - took off one very early morning that had heavy patches of ground fog in cer-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
tain areas His gas tank was not full so he headed for a nearby small airport that had 80-octane fuel As he drew near he found only about 100 feet of runway peeking out from the dense fog that covered all else The temptation was just too much With a mean chuckle he chopped power and came around to make a very cautious slow approach to this open end He touched down softly and immediately rolled into the fog Visibility ahead was only 10 to 15 feet but the markers going by his left window helped him to stay on the runway and roll to a safe stop Now for full effect he flipped on his poor
little nav lights and began to feel his way in a very slow taxi towards the gas pump
He stopped and shut down the enshygine Stepping nonchalantly out in front of several shocked pilots who stood in the fog with their mouths hanging open down to about their knees he calmly began to pump gas into his airplane An older highly-skil shyled local pilot stepped forward and asked How in the hell did you do that
The unknown pilot keeping a straight face with some difficulty reshyplied You mean you ve fl own all
these years and still don t know how to land in fog
Travel Air The EAA Aviation Foundations
Travel Air E4000 is undergoing some work in preparation for its return to flying status Tracy Johnson is curshyrently adding tape to the lower wings and the upper wings are next to be coshyvered in Stits The fuselage fabric is still punching strong and the Wright J-6 engine was given a top overhaul within the last three years Tracy hopes the Travel Air will be flying some time this summer bull
EAA SUN N FUN 1990 AWARD WINNERS Antique Classic
AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(S VADDRESS AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(SVADDRESS GRAND CHAMPION Luscombe Phantom N27l1 Doug Combs amplinda Gamble GRAND CHAMPION Cmiddot14OA N9633A Jock Shahan 5353 Antelope
Box 6613 Incline V1l1age tw LaneStone Mountain GA 89450 30087
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Spartan Exec N47W NoCanaan Aviation BEST RESTORED middot UP TO 100HP Aeronca7AC NC82650 Xen Motsinger 955 Gabriel Rd NoCanaanCT 06018 CayceSC 27033
GOLDEN AGE 1927 middotEortler WacoGXE N4453Y John Stilley PO Box 1808 BEST RESTORED middot 101middot165HP Belkmco NC27284 Bill Scott5650 Stigall Rd Cape Canaveral fL32920 KernefSllilleNC 27284
SILVER AGE 1928-1932 New Standard Dmiddot25 NC930V John E Thomson604 Camellia BEST CUSTOM middot 101middot165HP S~nsan 108 N9338K Mike Meyers 3806 Towanda Ave EllentonfL34222 Rd Alexandria VA 22303
CONTEMPORARY AGE fairchild24R NC77695 Jomes Coolbaugh 205 N BEST CUSTOM middot OVER 165HP Swift N80555 Scott Anderson 2781 NE 7tIh St 1933middot1945 Sheridan Ave Deland fl32720 PomponafL BEST CUSTOM 8oeingAmiddot75 N302DR Homer Dobb~MobileAI BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot195 N195MV Joseph Rowe Jr 776 Nortolk BESTlWlt ERA Cessna Tmiddot50 AT178 N69072 Jomes Kramer11275 Mngfoot Pine Ln VeroBeach fL32963
Dr Boynton Beach fL33437 BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot17OA N1773D Bob Inscoe2031 Santa An~1 1es
BEST B1middotPlANE WacoQCfmiddot2 N11440 John p Mortin amp Jimmy Ray Rd Orlandafl 32806 6719 KingsmoorWay Miami BEST OF TYPE Luscombe8A N45504 James BZaz~ RI 3 Box 389 Lak~ fL 33014 CartihageNC 28327
BEST MONOPlANE Howard DGA 15P NC22423 fred J Kirk 2888 NE 26th St lADtES CHOICE Cmiddot170 N2592D Warner Sweet pO Box 307 ftLauderclalefl33305 Wakefield Rt 02880
BEST OPEN COCKPIT Ryan PTmiddot22 N59418 Larry WLee3036 Wallace OUTSTANDINGAJRCIWT Aeronca 15AC N1459H Richard folsom 635 Coral Dr Circle AffantaGA 30339 Nokomis fl34275
BEST CABIN HowordDGA N66294 florida Airmoffve Inc 2633 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Piper J3 N3244N Joan Peters 2336 Ookleaf Ln Lantana RdLantanafl33462 Kissimmeefl34744
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N32158 Tom flock pO Box 166US 41 N OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT PiperJ3 N87881 L~e Mheeier 4410 Camino Rockville IN 47872 Real Sarasota fL34433
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29328 Steve Brown 6050 Clinton Rd OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stinson N389C Butch Walsh RR1 Box 306A Terre Haute IN 47805 Arrington VA 22922
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29943 Dole Cunningham RR 1 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Super Cub NC1038A Dawson Ransome8m Sf Box 489Rockville IN 47872 72nd Ave Leeward Air Ranch
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT S~nson N8471 Bob Hedgecock RI 3 Box 324 Ocola fl32671 Bomesville GA 30204
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stearman N5592L Jerry Stadtmiller5500 NW 21 Terr20middotH ft Lauderclale fl33309
Sun n Fun Grand Champion Antique Sun n Fun Grand Champion Classic
6 MAY 1990
MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
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AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
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CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
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ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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Derby do Dear Mark
Yesterday we recei ved the March issues you were so kind to send We very much appreciate your thoughtfulshyness GREAT I almost had a hissy fit I was so excited to see the fine article Glenn Buffington wrote and the gorgeous front and back covers Once again your picture displays and cover were perfect I know Dub Sue Eric Bill and all the gang involved in the flight are as pleased and excited over the recognition in your magazine as Mom would be I called Dub Yarshybrough last night to share the exc iteshyment and he hadnt received his March issue yet - so I described it to him A million thanks again for remembershying us
Jim and Pat (Thaden) Webb Leonardtown Maryland
False Ford Funk Gents
Its always a pleasure to get VINshyTAGE AIRPLANE because just about everything else is junk mail most avishyation magazines included I was very interested in reading about Joe Funks experience with Ford conversions (Vintage Literature January ) Howshyever I am obliged to call your attention to the fact that the Funk airplane shown is not of the Ford B genre It is a postshywar mode l I think with an 85-hp Conshytinental
In reference to the Northrop Avion EX-I (Mystery Plane January) No mention was made of the fact that the 4 MAY 1990
original landing gear was retractable It collapsed on the first landing (high speed taxi run) at Muroc and was reshyplaced by a rigid tripod gear The top photo on page 39 shows fixed the botshytom photo retractable
I was very sorry to hear of the passshying of John Hatz with whom I spoke at Rockford and Oshkosh on numerous occasions
Cordially John Underwood Glendale California
Air King fling Dear Mark
I received my VINTAGE AIRPLANE today and want to compliment you on the fine re-write of the Air King mateshyrial (March) You did a superb job of re-arranging adding to and subtracting from the original manuscript I was glad you consulted with Jack Romkey on the project as he knows everything there is to know concerning the Air King
There is however one error in the story and looking over my original manuscript I cant take the responsibilshyity for it The Dole Air King was not a monoplane It was basically the same airplane except that it was fattened up to provide space for fuel tanks (not enough evidently) Incidentally Steve Lacy did get off the ground with the Dole Air King from Roosevelt Field Long Island in the New York to Spokane Washington race a month after the Dole race That is quite a story in itself Jack has all the newspaper
stories on it Again thanks for taking the time to
salute old Shukri He deserved it after what happened
Sincerely Jim Haynes Bushnell Illinois
Jack Romkey has several scrapbooks full of his fathers memorabilia from which we hope to have more in the future- Ed
Split personality Dear Mr Phelps
I own a Bellanca 7 ACA Champion (N9165L) built in October 1971 but later converted to a Continental A-65-8 engine from an Aeronca 7 AC Does my plane qualify as a Classic (replica) under EAA-AC rules
Rowland L Hall Northfield Illinois
Unfortunately not Ask the fellow who had 1955 wings on a 1956 Tri-Pacer When he tried to park in the Classic area at Oshkosh that mean old Art Morgan told him he could leave his wings there but would have to taxi the fuselage down to transient parking shyor so the legend goes - Ed
Classic appetite Dear Editor
Id like to renew my membership to the AIC Division Please find my enshyclosed check Just a note of interest and observation Id like to see more input and articles on the Classic section of our association Antiques are great and I love em We have to appreciate them and the people able to put time and money in them to preserve them Classics as we term them fit into a different and larger segment of aviashytion There are a bunch of them We fly them We use them daily as their availability can make the difference between a passive aviation enthusiast and an active aviator We need active aviators Classic owners need the supshyport of others who are rebuilding and restoring birds that just sit on airports around all of us I see Cubs Champs Tri-Pacers T-Crafts Cessna120s 140s 170s early model l72s and others that look like they would like a new lease to fly Again I say the anshytiques are great If r could afford the lUXury I would own one but the far greater number of Classics out there
should tell us that these are the planes that are part of more of our lives Many of us would like to see this half of the AlC Division promoted more by articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE When we think back probably the most enjoyable flight we ever made was in a classic because that was what was available
Tom Wadsworth Roswell New Mexico
Door man Dear Editor
Our EAA Chapter 54 is currently reshybuilding an early I 940s vintage Taylorcraft L-2B We are having diffishyculty locating drawings to fabricate the door and door frame assemblies If you could help us out in this matter we would be most appreciative You may contact me either by phone (614422shy2202) FAX (612422-2940) or direct mail at 1543 North Oxford Street St Paul Minnesota 55117
Sincerely Kevin Sislo St Paul Minnesota
March on Dear Mark
A few observations and comments
on the March issue seem to be in order In Aero Mail on page 4 there is a
letter from Harry Gann about the Northrop Gamma When we have an authority such as Mr Gann writing about early Douglas and Northrop hisshytory then well never be in trouble about the facts of our heritage
Then in Time Capsule on page 8 the upper left hand photo caption states this photo is late 1920s vinshytage Sorry to be a thorn about this but that picture was taken at the 1939 National Air Races in Cleveland Ohio In the background there is a line of trees These were located in the citys Metropolitan Park on the westshyern boundary of the airport In front of the trees is a white band at ground level The band is the perimeter chainshylink fence During the races the fence was covered by white canvas with the SOHIO (Standard Oil of Ohio) logo spaced out about every 50 to 100 feet If my memory isnt faulty that Curtiss Pusher was flown in a comedy routine by the great Canadian pilot Dick Grashynere while his son Dick Jr flew a Bleriot
Next is the Air King article (page 14) You mention Claude Flagg s asshysociation and the part he played in that organization on page 15 and again on
page 19 He was a fine gentleman and our good neighbor and friend I am sure that his many friends applaud the fact that he is still remembered with high regard Thank you
Lastly lets look at the lower photo on page 27 (1929 Air Derby) Some readers might like to know that Mrs Henderson was widely recognized for her talent as silent screen star Marion Marsh before she and Cliff were marshyried As she is such a refined lady shed never tell you that So its up to us to toot a hom for her Dub Yarshybrough deserves a great deal of credit for his relentless search for that part of aviation history and then spending the time and money to restore the Travel Air The crowning achievement was the re-creation of its moment in hisshytory I regret missing that magic moshyment - seeing Susan Dusenbury in flight Thanks to Mr Buffington we can at least read about the facts
I hope that you and all the good people at Headquarters are well Thanks for a very interesting issue bull
Cordially Ted Businger (EAA 93833 AlC 233) Evening Shade Arkansas
C)ews Compiled by
Mark Phelps
Thank you Dan Neuman After serving on the AntiqueClassic
Division Board of Directors for five years Dan Neuman has resigned Dan started in aviation as a teenager workshying in the Stinson factory in Michigan He became a corporate pilot and flew a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat later flying for Northwest Airlines from which he has since retired Dan has restored a number of antique aircraft including a Siemens Waco that now hangs in the terminal building at Wold-Chambershylain Field (Minneapolis-St Paul Intershynational) a Buhl Pup and one of the Jennies (now owned by Kermit Weeks)
that flew at EAA Oshkosh 89 EAA President Tom Poberezny said We thank Dan for his dedication and supshyport as a Director of the Antique Classic Division and his service as an advisor before that Dan will continue to be active in EAA and the divisions activities in the future
DB Cooper 727 retired In 1971 D B Cooper jumped into
world-famous anonymity (an appropshyriate oxymoron) after commandeering a Boeing 727 and demanded $200000 in $20 bills and four parachutes (he threatened to force a crewmember to jump with him in one of the chutes to ensure that they werent booby trapshyped) After he baled out of the rear door of the Boeing on a flight from Seattle Washington to Portland Oreshygon no trace of Cooper or the money has ever been found Now the 727 from which he jumped has been retired and will be dismantled for parts in Greenwood Mississippi
MERFls law In the story Culver Cum Laude
(January) the Mid East Regional Fly-In (MERFI) was incorrectly referred to as the Murfee fly-in in Marion Ohio How that happened Ill never know -Ed
Dole Air King In the story on Glenn Romkey
Shukri Tannus and the Air King (February) it was incorrectly stated that the National Airways System entrant in the Dole race was a monoplane It was in fact a biplane a modified vershysion of the Air King widened to acshycommodate the additional fuel tanks Thanks to Jim Haynes for writing and flagging the error
A Cat III Funk The following message came from
Phil Vogt of West St Paul Minnesota to the Funk Aircraft Owners Associashytions newsletter the Funk Flyer
Some years ago a local Funk pilot - I seem to have forgotten his name - took off one very early morning that had heavy patches of ground fog in cer-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
tain areas His gas tank was not full so he headed for a nearby small airport that had 80-octane fuel As he drew near he found only about 100 feet of runway peeking out from the dense fog that covered all else The temptation was just too much With a mean chuckle he chopped power and came around to make a very cautious slow approach to this open end He touched down softly and immediately rolled into the fog Visibility ahead was only 10 to 15 feet but the markers going by his left window helped him to stay on the runway and roll to a safe stop Now for full effect he flipped on his poor
little nav lights and began to feel his way in a very slow taxi towards the gas pump
He stopped and shut down the enshygine Stepping nonchalantly out in front of several shocked pilots who stood in the fog with their mouths hanging open down to about their knees he calmly began to pump gas into his airplane An older highly-skil shyled local pilot stepped forward and asked How in the hell did you do that
The unknown pilot keeping a straight face with some difficulty reshyplied You mean you ve fl own all
these years and still don t know how to land in fog
Travel Air The EAA Aviation Foundations
Travel Air E4000 is undergoing some work in preparation for its return to flying status Tracy Johnson is curshyrently adding tape to the lower wings and the upper wings are next to be coshyvered in Stits The fuselage fabric is still punching strong and the Wright J-6 engine was given a top overhaul within the last three years Tracy hopes the Travel Air will be flying some time this summer bull
EAA SUN N FUN 1990 AWARD WINNERS Antique Classic
AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(S VADDRESS AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(SVADDRESS GRAND CHAMPION Luscombe Phantom N27l1 Doug Combs amplinda Gamble GRAND CHAMPION Cmiddot14OA N9633A Jock Shahan 5353 Antelope
Box 6613 Incline V1l1age tw LaneStone Mountain GA 89450 30087
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Spartan Exec N47W NoCanaan Aviation BEST RESTORED middot UP TO 100HP Aeronca7AC NC82650 Xen Motsinger 955 Gabriel Rd NoCanaanCT 06018 CayceSC 27033
GOLDEN AGE 1927 middotEortler WacoGXE N4453Y John Stilley PO Box 1808 BEST RESTORED middot 101middot165HP Belkmco NC27284 Bill Scott5650 Stigall Rd Cape Canaveral fL32920 KernefSllilleNC 27284
SILVER AGE 1928-1932 New Standard Dmiddot25 NC930V John E Thomson604 Camellia BEST CUSTOM middot 101middot165HP S~nsan 108 N9338K Mike Meyers 3806 Towanda Ave EllentonfL34222 Rd Alexandria VA 22303
CONTEMPORARY AGE fairchild24R NC77695 Jomes Coolbaugh 205 N BEST CUSTOM middot OVER 165HP Swift N80555 Scott Anderson 2781 NE 7tIh St 1933middot1945 Sheridan Ave Deland fl32720 PomponafL BEST CUSTOM 8oeingAmiddot75 N302DR Homer Dobb~MobileAI BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot195 N195MV Joseph Rowe Jr 776 Nortolk BESTlWlt ERA Cessna Tmiddot50 AT178 N69072 Jomes Kramer11275 Mngfoot Pine Ln VeroBeach fL32963
Dr Boynton Beach fL33437 BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot17OA N1773D Bob Inscoe2031 Santa An~1 1es
BEST B1middotPlANE WacoQCfmiddot2 N11440 John p Mortin amp Jimmy Ray Rd Orlandafl 32806 6719 KingsmoorWay Miami BEST OF TYPE Luscombe8A N45504 James BZaz~ RI 3 Box 389 Lak~ fL 33014 CartihageNC 28327
BEST MONOPlANE Howard DGA 15P NC22423 fred J Kirk 2888 NE 26th St lADtES CHOICE Cmiddot170 N2592D Warner Sweet pO Box 307 ftLauderclalefl33305 Wakefield Rt 02880
BEST OPEN COCKPIT Ryan PTmiddot22 N59418 Larry WLee3036 Wallace OUTSTANDINGAJRCIWT Aeronca 15AC N1459H Richard folsom 635 Coral Dr Circle AffantaGA 30339 Nokomis fl34275
BEST CABIN HowordDGA N66294 florida Airmoffve Inc 2633 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Piper J3 N3244N Joan Peters 2336 Ookleaf Ln Lantana RdLantanafl33462 Kissimmeefl34744
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N32158 Tom flock pO Box 166US 41 N OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT PiperJ3 N87881 L~e Mheeier 4410 Camino Rockville IN 47872 Real Sarasota fL34433
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29328 Steve Brown 6050 Clinton Rd OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stinson N389C Butch Walsh RR1 Box 306A Terre Haute IN 47805 Arrington VA 22922
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29943 Dole Cunningham RR 1 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Super Cub NC1038A Dawson Ransome8m Sf Box 489Rockville IN 47872 72nd Ave Leeward Air Ranch
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT S~nson N8471 Bob Hedgecock RI 3 Box 324 Ocola fl32671 Bomesville GA 30204
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stearman N5592L Jerry Stadtmiller5500 NW 21 Terr20middotH ft Lauderclale fl33309
Sun n Fun Grand Champion Antique Sun n Fun Grand Champion Classic
6 MAY 1990
MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
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CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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should tell us that these are the planes that are part of more of our lives Many of us would like to see this half of the AlC Division promoted more by articles in VINTAGE AIRPLANE When we think back probably the most enjoyable flight we ever made was in a classic because that was what was available
Tom Wadsworth Roswell New Mexico
Door man Dear Editor
Our EAA Chapter 54 is currently reshybuilding an early I 940s vintage Taylorcraft L-2B We are having diffishyculty locating drawings to fabricate the door and door frame assemblies If you could help us out in this matter we would be most appreciative You may contact me either by phone (614422shy2202) FAX (612422-2940) or direct mail at 1543 North Oxford Street St Paul Minnesota 55117
Sincerely Kevin Sislo St Paul Minnesota
March on Dear Mark
A few observations and comments
on the March issue seem to be in order In Aero Mail on page 4 there is a
letter from Harry Gann about the Northrop Gamma When we have an authority such as Mr Gann writing about early Douglas and Northrop hisshytory then well never be in trouble about the facts of our heritage
Then in Time Capsule on page 8 the upper left hand photo caption states this photo is late 1920s vinshytage Sorry to be a thorn about this but that picture was taken at the 1939 National Air Races in Cleveland Ohio In the background there is a line of trees These were located in the citys Metropolitan Park on the westshyern boundary of the airport In front of the trees is a white band at ground level The band is the perimeter chainshylink fence During the races the fence was covered by white canvas with the SOHIO (Standard Oil of Ohio) logo spaced out about every 50 to 100 feet If my memory isnt faulty that Curtiss Pusher was flown in a comedy routine by the great Canadian pilot Dick Grashynere while his son Dick Jr flew a Bleriot
Next is the Air King article (page 14) You mention Claude Flagg s asshysociation and the part he played in that organization on page 15 and again on
page 19 He was a fine gentleman and our good neighbor and friend I am sure that his many friends applaud the fact that he is still remembered with high regard Thank you
Lastly lets look at the lower photo on page 27 (1929 Air Derby) Some readers might like to know that Mrs Henderson was widely recognized for her talent as silent screen star Marion Marsh before she and Cliff were marshyried As she is such a refined lady shed never tell you that So its up to us to toot a hom for her Dub Yarshybrough deserves a great deal of credit for his relentless search for that part of aviation history and then spending the time and money to restore the Travel Air The crowning achievement was the re-creation of its moment in hisshytory I regret missing that magic moshyment - seeing Susan Dusenbury in flight Thanks to Mr Buffington we can at least read about the facts
I hope that you and all the good people at Headquarters are well Thanks for a very interesting issue bull
Cordially Ted Businger (EAA 93833 AlC 233) Evening Shade Arkansas
C)ews Compiled by
Mark Phelps
Thank you Dan Neuman After serving on the AntiqueClassic
Division Board of Directors for five years Dan Neuman has resigned Dan started in aviation as a teenager workshying in the Stinson factory in Michigan He became a corporate pilot and flew a Sikorsky S-38 flying boat later flying for Northwest Airlines from which he has since retired Dan has restored a number of antique aircraft including a Siemens Waco that now hangs in the terminal building at Wold-Chambershylain Field (Minneapolis-St Paul Intershynational) a Buhl Pup and one of the Jennies (now owned by Kermit Weeks)
that flew at EAA Oshkosh 89 EAA President Tom Poberezny said We thank Dan for his dedication and supshyport as a Director of the Antique Classic Division and his service as an advisor before that Dan will continue to be active in EAA and the divisions activities in the future
DB Cooper 727 retired In 1971 D B Cooper jumped into
world-famous anonymity (an appropshyriate oxymoron) after commandeering a Boeing 727 and demanded $200000 in $20 bills and four parachutes (he threatened to force a crewmember to jump with him in one of the chutes to ensure that they werent booby trapshyped) After he baled out of the rear door of the Boeing on a flight from Seattle Washington to Portland Oreshygon no trace of Cooper or the money has ever been found Now the 727 from which he jumped has been retired and will be dismantled for parts in Greenwood Mississippi
MERFls law In the story Culver Cum Laude
(January) the Mid East Regional Fly-In (MERFI) was incorrectly referred to as the Murfee fly-in in Marion Ohio How that happened Ill never know -Ed
Dole Air King In the story on Glenn Romkey
Shukri Tannus and the Air King (February) it was incorrectly stated that the National Airways System entrant in the Dole race was a monoplane It was in fact a biplane a modified vershysion of the Air King widened to acshycommodate the additional fuel tanks Thanks to Jim Haynes for writing and flagging the error
A Cat III Funk The following message came from
Phil Vogt of West St Paul Minnesota to the Funk Aircraft Owners Associashytions newsletter the Funk Flyer
Some years ago a local Funk pilot - I seem to have forgotten his name - took off one very early morning that had heavy patches of ground fog in cer-
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
tain areas His gas tank was not full so he headed for a nearby small airport that had 80-octane fuel As he drew near he found only about 100 feet of runway peeking out from the dense fog that covered all else The temptation was just too much With a mean chuckle he chopped power and came around to make a very cautious slow approach to this open end He touched down softly and immediately rolled into the fog Visibility ahead was only 10 to 15 feet but the markers going by his left window helped him to stay on the runway and roll to a safe stop Now for full effect he flipped on his poor
little nav lights and began to feel his way in a very slow taxi towards the gas pump
He stopped and shut down the enshygine Stepping nonchalantly out in front of several shocked pilots who stood in the fog with their mouths hanging open down to about their knees he calmly began to pump gas into his airplane An older highly-skil shyled local pilot stepped forward and asked How in the hell did you do that
The unknown pilot keeping a straight face with some difficulty reshyplied You mean you ve fl own all
these years and still don t know how to land in fog
Travel Air The EAA Aviation Foundations
Travel Air E4000 is undergoing some work in preparation for its return to flying status Tracy Johnson is curshyrently adding tape to the lower wings and the upper wings are next to be coshyvered in Stits The fuselage fabric is still punching strong and the Wright J-6 engine was given a top overhaul within the last three years Tracy hopes the Travel Air will be flying some time this summer bull
EAA SUN N FUN 1990 AWARD WINNERS Antique Classic
AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(S VADDRESS AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(SVADDRESS GRAND CHAMPION Luscombe Phantom N27l1 Doug Combs amplinda Gamble GRAND CHAMPION Cmiddot14OA N9633A Jock Shahan 5353 Antelope
Box 6613 Incline V1l1age tw LaneStone Mountain GA 89450 30087
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Spartan Exec N47W NoCanaan Aviation BEST RESTORED middot UP TO 100HP Aeronca7AC NC82650 Xen Motsinger 955 Gabriel Rd NoCanaanCT 06018 CayceSC 27033
GOLDEN AGE 1927 middotEortler WacoGXE N4453Y John Stilley PO Box 1808 BEST RESTORED middot 101middot165HP Belkmco NC27284 Bill Scott5650 Stigall Rd Cape Canaveral fL32920 KernefSllilleNC 27284
SILVER AGE 1928-1932 New Standard Dmiddot25 NC930V John E Thomson604 Camellia BEST CUSTOM middot 101middot165HP S~nsan 108 N9338K Mike Meyers 3806 Towanda Ave EllentonfL34222 Rd Alexandria VA 22303
CONTEMPORARY AGE fairchild24R NC77695 Jomes Coolbaugh 205 N BEST CUSTOM middot OVER 165HP Swift N80555 Scott Anderson 2781 NE 7tIh St 1933middot1945 Sheridan Ave Deland fl32720 PomponafL BEST CUSTOM 8oeingAmiddot75 N302DR Homer Dobb~MobileAI BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot195 N195MV Joseph Rowe Jr 776 Nortolk BESTlWlt ERA Cessna Tmiddot50 AT178 N69072 Jomes Kramer11275 Mngfoot Pine Ln VeroBeach fL32963
Dr Boynton Beach fL33437 BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot17OA N1773D Bob Inscoe2031 Santa An~1 1es
BEST B1middotPlANE WacoQCfmiddot2 N11440 John p Mortin amp Jimmy Ray Rd Orlandafl 32806 6719 KingsmoorWay Miami BEST OF TYPE Luscombe8A N45504 James BZaz~ RI 3 Box 389 Lak~ fL 33014 CartihageNC 28327
BEST MONOPlANE Howard DGA 15P NC22423 fred J Kirk 2888 NE 26th St lADtES CHOICE Cmiddot170 N2592D Warner Sweet pO Box 307 ftLauderclalefl33305 Wakefield Rt 02880
BEST OPEN COCKPIT Ryan PTmiddot22 N59418 Larry WLee3036 Wallace OUTSTANDINGAJRCIWT Aeronca 15AC N1459H Richard folsom 635 Coral Dr Circle AffantaGA 30339 Nokomis fl34275
BEST CABIN HowordDGA N66294 florida Airmoffve Inc 2633 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Piper J3 N3244N Joan Peters 2336 Ookleaf Ln Lantana RdLantanafl33462 Kissimmeefl34744
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N32158 Tom flock pO Box 166US 41 N OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT PiperJ3 N87881 L~e Mheeier 4410 Camino Rockville IN 47872 Real Sarasota fL34433
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29328 Steve Brown 6050 Clinton Rd OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stinson N389C Butch Walsh RR1 Box 306A Terre Haute IN 47805 Arrington VA 22922
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29943 Dole Cunningham RR 1 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Super Cub NC1038A Dawson Ransome8m Sf Box 489Rockville IN 47872 72nd Ave Leeward Air Ranch
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT S~nson N8471 Bob Hedgecock RI 3 Box 324 Ocola fl32671 Bomesville GA 30204
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stearman N5592L Jerry Stadtmiller5500 NW 21 Terr20middotH ft Lauderclale fl33309
Sun n Fun Grand Champion Antique Sun n Fun Grand Champion Classic
6 MAY 1990
MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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tain areas His gas tank was not full so he headed for a nearby small airport that had 80-octane fuel As he drew near he found only about 100 feet of runway peeking out from the dense fog that covered all else The temptation was just too much With a mean chuckle he chopped power and came around to make a very cautious slow approach to this open end He touched down softly and immediately rolled into the fog Visibility ahead was only 10 to 15 feet but the markers going by his left window helped him to stay on the runway and roll to a safe stop Now for full effect he flipped on his poor
little nav lights and began to feel his way in a very slow taxi towards the gas pump
He stopped and shut down the enshygine Stepping nonchalantly out in front of several shocked pilots who stood in the fog with their mouths hanging open down to about their knees he calmly began to pump gas into his airplane An older highly-skil shyled local pilot stepped forward and asked How in the hell did you do that
The unknown pilot keeping a straight face with some difficulty reshyplied You mean you ve fl own all
these years and still don t know how to land in fog
Travel Air The EAA Aviation Foundations
Travel Air E4000 is undergoing some work in preparation for its return to flying status Tracy Johnson is curshyrently adding tape to the lower wings and the upper wings are next to be coshyvered in Stits The fuselage fabric is still punching strong and the Wright J-6 engine was given a top overhaul within the last three years Tracy hopes the Travel Air will be flying some time this summer bull
EAA SUN N FUN 1990 AWARD WINNERS Antique Classic
AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(S VADDRESS AJRCIWT NNUMBER OWNER(SVADDRESS GRAND CHAMPION Luscombe Phantom N27l1 Doug Combs amplinda Gamble GRAND CHAMPION Cmiddot14OA N9633A Jock Shahan 5353 Antelope
Box 6613 Incline V1l1age tw LaneStone Mountain GA 89450 30087
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION Spartan Exec N47W NoCanaan Aviation BEST RESTORED middot UP TO 100HP Aeronca7AC NC82650 Xen Motsinger 955 Gabriel Rd NoCanaanCT 06018 CayceSC 27033
GOLDEN AGE 1927 middotEortler WacoGXE N4453Y John Stilley PO Box 1808 BEST RESTORED middot 101middot165HP Belkmco NC27284 Bill Scott5650 Stigall Rd Cape Canaveral fL32920 KernefSllilleNC 27284
SILVER AGE 1928-1932 New Standard Dmiddot25 NC930V John E Thomson604 Camellia BEST CUSTOM middot 101middot165HP S~nsan 108 N9338K Mike Meyers 3806 Towanda Ave EllentonfL34222 Rd Alexandria VA 22303
CONTEMPORARY AGE fairchild24R NC77695 Jomes Coolbaugh 205 N BEST CUSTOM middot OVER 165HP Swift N80555 Scott Anderson 2781 NE 7tIh St 1933middot1945 Sheridan Ave Deland fl32720 PomponafL BEST CUSTOM 8oeingAmiddot75 N302DR Homer Dobb~MobileAI BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot195 N195MV Joseph Rowe Jr 776 Nortolk BESTlWlt ERA Cessna Tmiddot50 AT178 N69072 Jomes Kramer11275 Mngfoot Pine Ln VeroBeach fL32963
Dr Boynton Beach fL33437 BEST OF TYPE Cmiddot17OA N1773D Bob Inscoe2031 Santa An~1 1es
BEST B1middotPlANE WacoQCfmiddot2 N11440 John p Mortin amp Jimmy Ray Rd Orlandafl 32806 6719 KingsmoorWay Miami BEST OF TYPE Luscombe8A N45504 James BZaz~ RI 3 Box 389 Lak~ fL 33014 CartihageNC 28327
BEST MONOPlANE Howard DGA 15P NC22423 fred J Kirk 2888 NE 26th St lADtES CHOICE Cmiddot170 N2592D Warner Sweet pO Box 307 ftLauderclalefl33305 Wakefield Rt 02880
BEST OPEN COCKPIT Ryan PTmiddot22 N59418 Larry WLee3036 Wallace OUTSTANDINGAJRCIWT Aeronca 15AC N1459H Richard folsom 635 Coral Dr Circle AffantaGA 30339 Nokomis fl34275
BEST CABIN HowordDGA N66294 florida Airmoffve Inc 2633 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Piper J3 N3244N Joan Peters 2336 Ookleaf Ln Lantana RdLantanafl33462 Kissimmeefl34744
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N32158 Tom flock pO Box 166US 41 N OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT PiperJ3 N87881 L~e Mheeier 4410 Camino Rockville IN 47872 Real Sarasota fL34433
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29328 Steve Brown 6050 Clinton Rd OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stinson N389C Butch Walsh RR1 Box 306A Terre Haute IN 47805 Arrington VA 22922
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT WacoUPfmiddot7 N29943 Dole Cunningham RR 1 OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Super Cub NC1038A Dawson Ransome8m Sf Box 489Rockville IN 47872 72nd Ave Leeward Air Ranch
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT S~nson N8471 Bob Hedgecock RI 3 Box 324 Ocola fl32671 Bomesville GA 30204
OUTSTANDING AJRCIWT Stearman N5592L Jerry Stadtmiller5500 NW 21 Terr20middotH ft Lauderclale fl33309
Sun n Fun Grand Champion Antique Sun n Fun Grand Champion Classic
6 MAY 1990
MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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MEMBERS PROJECTS by Norm Petersen
This deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III SIN Nlshy917 was built by the Morris Motor Comshypany in England in 1943 being placed in an RAF training squadron In 1948 it saw service at RAF Cranwell using numbers FAF-K and FEI-D Placed on the civilian market in 1954 it sold for 81 pounds In 1955 it was sold to a priest in Germany who used it to cover his remote parishioners under the registration of D-EDEM In the 1960s it pulled gliders at Golnhauser along with advertising signs By the 1970s it fell into disuse and was stored until 1978 when it was sold in Holland The second Dutch owner lovingly restored the old biplane by 1983 and flew it some 50 hours over the next six years On December 16 1989 a young Dutch pilot named Marien van Schie bought the Tiger Moth and is now in the process of learning to fly a biplane taildragger On the first flight the engine quit at 200 feet However Marien reports The plane feels fantastic it is aerobatic but is hard to land or start with a strong cross wind However flying in the air towards the sunset with the exciting sound of the engine is an experience hard to forget I cannot imagine that I will ever sell the plane
Marien van Schie poses in front of his deHaviliand Tiger Moth PH-III based at lelystad Holland
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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90 Phocos by Mark Phelps
When Don Luscombe designed the Model 8 he made the firewall round in case those new flat engines didnt work out John Korlovich decided to see how the airplane could have looked with a Ken Royce engine
Ed Sweeney and his Aerocar in their natural habitat - surrounded by admirers 8 MAY 1990
Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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Larry Lee and son Darius apply elbow grease to their blindshying PT-22
Not all the beauties were on the flight line This shiny Luscombe turned up in the camping area
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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CURTIS PUBLISHING COMPANY AVIATION STUDY - 1930
The Curtis Publishing Company had given editorial support to aviation in the pages of its magazines since 1920 Its main publication SATURDAY EVENING POST had presented more than 66 articles and stories about aviation between 1920 and 1930 Authors for these articles included William B Stout Five Falacies of Aviashytion Brig General William Mitchell Aircraft Dominate Seacraft and Juan de la Cierva A New Way to Fly Curtis publishing also covered aviation in its other publications LADIES HOME JOURNAL and THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN
The advertising department of Curtis Publishing Company did a survey of aviashytion in 1929 The department decided that collecting current statistics would be futile because of the rapid change in the industry It seemed clear to them that whatever conshytribution they might be able to make to avishyation would need to take the form of a study of the underlying trends and the special reshyquirements of the industry
To this end in July 1929 Curtis bought a new Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor with which to tour the United States and gather data This Ford serial number 62 regisshytered as NC-8400 was powered by three 300-hp Wright J-6 enshygines The plane was fitted as a flying office and the company hired Lieutenant A W Jake Gorton of the US Navy as the pilot Jake Gorton was a three year veteran of the Navys racshying team and was the first pilot to hook a Vought UO-I on the airship LOS ANGELES
THE TOUR From July II 1929 to Janushy
ary 15 1930 with representashytives of the Commercial Reshysearch Division the Curtis Ford flew 207 hours and covered about 20 387 miles During the tour the representatives of Curshytis interviewed leading manushyfacturers distributors airport managers and other leaders in aviation Also in order to asshycertain the attitudes of owners and prospective owners of airshyplanes they sent out two mail questionnaires One questionshynaire was sent to all listed ownshyers of aircraft and the second to students enrolled in aviation schools
At the time of the study there were 12363 civil aircraft in the 10 MAY 1990
~ LIb-a 0 4n~hivesect m-ed()shy
United States and 9973 pilots During 1929 the aircraft industry produced 3542 civil aircraft
The results of the study were presented in a book called THE AVIATION INDUSshyTRY A STUDY OF UNDERLYING TRENDS which was published in 1930 Comments from the book follow
POTENTIAL MARKET We have confidence that the aviation
industry will develop into a large and sound industry This confidence is based on two facts First the idea of air travel is sound Air travel is certainly the quickest we beshylieve can be made the most comfortable and ultimately we think probably will be the least expensive method of long-distance travel
Second the industry in all its phases is manned by young men with enthusiasm and with faith in the future of the industry Enshy
thusiastic service appears to be more true of aviation than of any other form of transshyportation
We believe a day will come when over the main airways connecting large cities frequent planes with capacity for 20 or more passengers will pass on regular schedules well loaded with passengers mail and express
They also stated that the smaller cities will be serviced with smaller planes acting as feeders for the larger lines
PRIVATELY OWNED PLANES The editors believed that the number of
individuals using privately owned planes for sport and for business would steadily increase Many men find a joy and exhilshyaration in flying Those who own planes find much possible in week-end trips for pleasure and in quick trips to distant points for business appointments which otherwise would not be practicable
We believe that even under present conshyditions there will be a steady growth of the market for individually owned planes but so long as the price of planes remains near
the 1929 level and the cost of learning to tly is several hundred dollars the market for individually owned planes for pleasure purposes is limited
CRASH OF 1929 The book stated that 1930
would prove to be a crucial year for aviation Before the stock market crash the thrill the pubshylic received from Lindbergh s tlight had been converted into an enthusiastic woting for aviashytion Cities had appropriated large sums for airports the public had invested in aircraft company stocks people gathered at airports for holiday aftershy
20381 MILES FLOWN IN 201 HOURS
noons and paid admission to air ROUTE OF THE CURTIS PLANE IN AVIATION STUDY meets
JULY n 1929-JANUARY 15 1930 After the crash when the
winter season of 1929-1930 came on production slowed down and it looked like few manufacturers or transport comshypanies could show profits The editors asked How real is the aviation industry1
They answered We are not disturbed by winter gloom In ever year of the earlier period of the automobile industry came despondency at times apshyproaching despair But as the days began to lengthen hopes began to rise and by spring the industry was once more in full
PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
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CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
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MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
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Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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PREFERENCE OF OWNERS COMMERCIAL AND NO~middotCO~DtERCIAL COMBINED
NUMBER OF PLACES OBIN OR OPEN
TYPE OF PLANE TYPE OF WINGS
HOI Many Hour] UJtd Annually
A majority usc the plane less than 300 hours annually
Non-Commercial
puot Commercia l
pu
] SO hours or less 202 376 80 123 151- 300 hours 221 412 252 388 301 - 500 hOllrs 64 119 177 27 3 501 - 800 hours 30 56 93 14 4 801 - 1200 hours 19 35 32 49 Over 1200 hours I 2 15 23
Total 537 1000 649 1000
Owners in the lower income group usc their planes less than those in rhe higher income group
In What Year Did You uarn to Fly
A substantial majority of non-commercial owners and more than 45 per cent of commercial owners have learned to fly in the past three years
p p Noo-Commcrcia l un Commercial un
1927-1929 321 57 0 233 45 5 1924- 1926 95 169 108 211 1920-1923 52 9 2 69 13 middot5 1914- 1919 82 146 96 187 Before 1914 13 23 6 12
Total 563 ]000 512 1000
swing A similar period of gloom is likely to be an annual affair in the aviation indusshytry and the present gloom in no way disshycourages us There is however one disshyquieting thought Public enthusiasm has not been convened into personal flying To maintain popular interest we believe this must be done Hence 1930 seems to us a crucial year for we doubt whether popular interest in aviation - willingness to pay taxes for airpons and to forego dividends on investment - can be long continued unless it is shown that the general public will take to flying
RACING The authors of the book felt that though
air racing and stunt flying was imponant in the initial stages of the aviation industry to show what the product could do it was now a time when such activities would renshyder diminishing returns
People know what airplanes are like they know that they can cross the continent in hours instead of in days they know that the ocean has been crossed by a plane they have pretty well exhausted their thrill out of watching dare-devil feats they will still pay admission to see more dare-devil feats but these do about as much good to aviation as the crash of railroad engines at the fair grounds did for rai I passenger traffic
QUESTIONNAIRES The results of the questionnaires that
were sent out to the aircraft owners and aviation students were presented in the books appendices The first question reshyponed was What would you consider ideal for your purpose if you could have a plane built just to suit you
The average plane from the answers would be a three or four place cabin landshyplane monoplane with dual controls and a single 150 to 300 horsepower engine having a cruise speed of 95 to 100 miles per hour
Miscellaneous facts concerning airplane owners from the survey showed that 79 pershycent of the non-commercial pilots owned their own plane As for hours flown by non-commercial pilots 37 6 percent flew less than 150 hours per year but 412 pershycent flew from 151 to 300 hours Over 87 percent of the commercial pilots flew over 151 hours per year
Most of the pilots answering the quesshytionnaire were recent pilots with 455 pershycent having learned to fly between 1927 and 1929 From 1920 to 1926346 percent of the pilots had learned to fly and 18 7 percent had learned to fly during World War I Of the non-commercial pilots 42 7 percent used planes for pleasure only and 102 percent for business only Of the comshymercial pilots 499 percent used planes only for commercial use
FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY The book concluded Many difficulties
have been encountered but out of these difficulties there will emerge a great and powerful industry sound and stable effishycient in manufacturing and with its mershychandising methods safely founded on the firm rock of national advertising (Reshymember the book was written by the advershytising department of a large magazine pubshylishing company)
FORD 4-AT-62 NC-S400 This Curtis Ford was not only active on
the companys tour but after leaving service with Curtis it went through eight different owners before being destroyed in 1953 According to FAA records compiled by Richard Allen the Ford was sold in July 1931 to Arthur Kunder of New York City The title changed hands to the Dispatch Corporation also of New York City in July 1933 (Mr Kunder was listed as Secshyretary-Treasurer of the company)
The next owner was a Mr C M Ewan also of New York City who received title in February 1936 Four months later it was sold to Manitowoc Air Service of Manshyitowoc Wisconsin In October it went to Holland Bryan of Paducah Kentucky
In 1937 it was owned first by Keith Canshytine of Detroit and the next year by Mary Cantine of Akron Ohio It was sold to its last owner the Johnson Flying Service of Missoula Montana in March of 1941 The plane was not licensed until June of 1946 and was active after that till it crashed in August of 1953 According to William T Larkins in his book THE FORD STORY the Ford was being used by the Johnson Flying Service for Spruce Budshyworm spray work near Boulder Colorado when it ran into a static cable strung above a powerline The cable broke and a piece of it was caught in the tail surfaces As the plane was coming in for an emergency landing the cable caught on a powerline pole tearing the tail surfaces from the Ford bringing it in on its nose completely destroying the plane and killing the crew
It appears that this Ford had to be one of the most active of those produced startshying out its career with over 20000 miles in 1929-30 and continuing in service exshycept for the war till J953bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
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Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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May 4-6 - Burlington North Carolina Burlington Airport Sponsored by Antique Classic Chapter 3 Contact Ray Bottom co Antique Airways 103 Powhatan Parkshyway Hampton Virginia 23661 Tel 804 722-5056 May 5-6 - Winchester Virginia Winshyches ter Regional EAA Spring Fly-in Winshychester Airport Sponsored by EAA Chapshyter IR6 Contact George Lutz Tel 703 256-nn May 6 - Rockford Illinois EAA Chapter 22 Annual Fly-i n Breakfast Mark Clarks Courtesy Aircraft Greater Rockford Airshyport 700 am to noon ATIS 1267 Conshytact Wall ace Hunt 815332-4708 May 12-13 - Reading Pennsylvania Readi ng Aerofest at Reading Regional Airshyport Contact Paul R Doelp RD 9 Box 94 16 Read ing Pennsylvania 19605-9606 Tel 215372-4666 May 19-20 - Hampton New Hampshire Fourteenth Annual Aviation Flea Market Hampton Airfie ld Hampton New Hampshyshire Anything aviation related okay No fees Camping on airfield Contact Mike Hart Hampton Airfield Route US I N0I1h Hampton New Hampshire Tel 603964-6749 May 20 - Benton Harbor Michigan Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585 Dawn Patrol BreakfastLunch Includes boat and classic car show Ross Field Benton Harshybor Michigan Contact AI Todd PO Box 61 Stevensville Michigan 49127 Tel 616429-2929 May 25-27 - Atchinson Kansas Kansas City Area Chapter AAA Fly- in at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport Contact Lynn WendL 7509 Conser Overland Park Kanshysas 66204 Tel 913642-5906 May 26-27 - Vidalia Louisiana Ferriday Fly-in sponsored by EAA Chapter 912 Concordia Parish Airport Contact Jerry Stallings Rte I Box 19D Ferriday Louisiana 71334-97093181757-2103 May 25-27 - Watsonville California 26th Annual Antique Fly-In Tel 408496shy9559 May 25-27 - Carlsbad California (near San Diego) 4th Annual Twin Bonanza Asshysociation Convention Olympic Resort Hotel amp Spa Contact Twin Bonanza Asshysoc iation 19684 Lakeshore Drive Three Ri vers M149093 Phone or FAX 616279shy2540 June 1-2 - Bartlesville Oklahoma Bishyplane Expo 90 the National Biplane Asshysociation s Fourth Annual Convention and Exposition Frank Phillips Field Bartlesshyville Oklahoma Free to members ofNBA For membership information contact Charles Harris NBA Hangar 5 4-J Aviashytion Jones- Riverside Airport Tul sa Okshy12 MAY 1990
lahoma Tel 918299-2532 June 1-3 - Merced California 33rd Merced West Coast Antique Fly-in Merced Municipal Airport Contact Merced Pilots Association PO Box 2312 Merced California 95344 or call Dick Esshycola at 209358-6707 June 3 - Tunkhannock Pennsy lvania Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast 800am-200pm Contact Steve Gay Skyhaven Airport Tel 717836-4800 or 717836-3884 June 8-10 - Middletown Ohio Fifth Nashytional Aeronca Convention Aeronca facshytory Includes factory tour and visit to USAF Museum Contact Jim Thompson President National Aeronca Association PO Box 2219 Terre Haute Indiana 47802 Tel 812232-1491 June 9 - Newport News Virginia 18th Annual Colonial Fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 156 at the Patrick Henry Airshyport Contact Chet Sprague 8 Sinclair Road Hampton Virginia 23669 Tel 804 723-3904
June 10 - Aurora Illinois Municipal Airshyport EAA Chapter 579 Fly-InDrive-In Breakfast amp AirportFBO Open House 730am-Noon Contact Alan Shackleto Tel 708466-4193 or Bob Rieser Airport Manager Tel 708466-7000
June 16-17 - Coldwater Michigan Sixth Annual Fairchild Reunion Branch County Memorial Field Contact Mike Kelly 22 Coldwater Drive Coldwater Michigan 49036 Tel 517278-7654
June 22-24 - Pauls Valley Oklahoma Greater Oklahoma City AAA Chapter Flyshyin Contact Dick Darnell 100 Park Avenue Building Suite 604 Oklahoma City Okshylahoma 73102 Tel 405236-5635
June 23-24 - Orange Massachusetts 14th Annual New England EAA Fly-in Orange Airport Contact James O Connell at 413498-2266
June 23-24 - Longview Texas Gregg County Airport Wings Over East Texas Annual Air Show Contact Robert Perry Rt 2 Box 159BA Kilgore TX 75662 Tel 214984-7521 June 28 - July I - Mount Vernon Ohio 31 st Annual Waco Reunion Wynkoop Airshyport Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Avenue Hamilton Ohio 45015 Tel 513868-0084 July 7-8 - Emmetsburg Iowa Second Annual Aeronca Champ Fly-in and fly-in breakfast Emmetsburg Airport Contact Keith Harnden Box 285 Emmetsburg Iowa 50536 Tel 712852-3810 July 13-15 - Simsbury Connecticut 2nd Annual Northeast Stearman Fly-in at Simsbury Airport Contact Jim Kippen II
Crestwood Street Simsbury Connecticut 06070 Tel 203651-0328 July 14-15 - lola Wisconsin Airport breakfast and Old Car Show Central County Airport lola Wisconsin Call 414 596-3530
July 14-15 - Delaware Ohio Airport just north of Columbus ARSA 9th annual EAA Chapter 9 Fly-In Food camping amp more Contact Art TenEyk 6141363-6443 or Alan Harding 614442-0024
July 20-21 - Collingwood Ontario Secshyond Annual Gathering of Classic Aircraft sponsored by Collingwood Classic Aircraft Foundation Collingwood Airport (NY3) Contact Doug Murray 5 Plater Street R R No3 Collingwood Ontario Canada L9Y 3Z2 Tel 705445-5433
July 20-21 - Coffeyville Kansas Funk Aircraft Owners Association Reunion Contact Ray Pahls 454 S Summitlawn Wichita Kansas 67209 Tel 316943shy6920
July 27-August 2 - Oshkosh Wisconsin 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Convention EAA Oshkosh 90 Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin Contact EAA EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh Wisconsin 54903-3086 Tel 414426shy4800 August 19 - Brookfield Wisconsin 5th Annual Ice Cream Social sponsored by EAA AntiqueClassic Chapter 11 at Capitol Drive Airport Contact George Meade 5514 N Navajo Avenue Glendale Wisshyconsin 53217 Tel 414962-2428
August 24-26 - Sussex New Jersey 18th Annual Sussex Air Show Sussex Airport Call 20 I 875-7337 or 702-9719 September 8 - Chico California Chico Antique Airshow Chico Airport Contact Chico Antique Airshow Committee 6 St Helens Lane Chico California 95926 Tel 916342-3730 September 15-16 - Rock Falls Illinois Fourth Annual North Central EAA Old Fashioned Fly-in Pancake breakfast Sunshyday Contact Dave Christansen at 815625shy6556 October 6-7 - Sussex New Jersey Airshyport Fly-In sponsored by EAA AC Chapshyter 7 and EAA Chapters 238 73 and 891 Info Bill Tuchler 2011797-3835 Konrad Kundig 201 361-8789FAX 2011361shy5760 or Paul Steiger Sussex Airport 2011 702-9719 October 13-14- Hickory North Carolina Municipal Airport EAA Chapter 731 5th Annual Fly-In Contact Norman Rainwashyter 1415 Linwood Place Lenoir NC 28645 evenings 704578-1919 or Lynn Crowell 113 Auld Farm Road Lenoir NC 28645 7041754-2723
DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
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CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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DO YOU KNO ME The Resurrection of a Piper -4 Cub Coupe
by Piper NC24829 with help typing from I am a 1-4 Cub Coupe serial No BJ Shoup 4-742 My birth date August 31
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
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AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
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1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
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CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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1939 For a few years after that I flew with the birds I performed well everyone said until that fateful day when the wind blew a terrific gale and turned me on my back My wings were damaged and so my lonesome days began I sat in a series of hangars garshyages and barns Sometimes parts of me were left out in the elements I was sold four times in less than 20 years
Ron Shoup located me in Llano Texas bought me and returned to one of the airfields where I had sat for sevshyeral years with no one wanting me Ron started to study my problems and analyze my needs The project seemed impossible but Rons friend Jim an AshyI agreed to work with him to restore me
First I had some ribs that could not be repaired but the men found enough serviceable ones elsewhere Sandblastshying the metal parts came next Then all the metal was treated with a rust retarshydant and primed with epoxy
Scouring and scavenging Ron loshycated an unused original J-4 boot cowl After a quick phone call it was on its way to Texas I began to think Ron was serious about getting me into the air He talked some strange modern language including words such as loran intercom transponder CHT EGT and others A radio in an
airplane What will they think of next Then BJ the Mrs put in a request I want a starter I dont want to prop the plane
Wings were fit and new cables were made Rudder and elevator cables were fit and all were swaged with Jim s Nicopress tool The trim line was made with two pulleys and the line doubled forward and back After much sweat and a few words the crank on the roof of the cockpit turned perfectly
I now have a new red headliner with two zippers installed One is to access the trim-tab crank and the other is loshycated over the storage deck for access to the rear fuselage
My stabilizers and elevators are of stainless steel That makes me special Ron says He even found some stainshyless steel exhaust pipes and a muffler for me and my C-85 engine While tryshying to locate a tailwheel for a J-4 Ron talked to Andy Palmer in Mississippi who had another J-4 Ron and BJ made a trip to 01 Miss and a few days later here came the other J-4 Andy and his Mrs delivered the J-4A-l 083 on a trishyaxle 20-foot trailer
Stits envelopes Poly Brush and tapes had been purchased by one of my previous owners so the next six months were spent in covering This
included hours of tying taping sprayshying sanding fussing and fuming The Stits process became very expensive A friend calls Poly Brush bubble gum and that is just how it acts It even looks like it - pink There were a few of those words spoken again
My landing gear was in good condishytion but brakes were difficult to come by as heel brakes are not common BJ wanted toe brakes but Ron said NO NO I want it as original as I can make it and you got your starter Of course Jim agrees with Ron
One of my doors had broken in two pieces and the other was badly crunched They had to be welded and new aluminum was used to replace the old bent up cover Both sliding winshydows were replaced
My seats hard and heavy were reshyplaced with comfortable upholstery My floorboards cracked and rotten were replaced with mil-spec aircraft mahogany plywood then covered with red carpet Windows were installed in the baggage deck area
Original instruments were another concern but 1 now have a Cub oil presshysure and temperature gauge and a tach that operates clockwise to go with my C-8S They are both cream-colored and would you believe it they came
14 MAY 1990
out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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out of an old box stored in aT-hangar just a few feet away When Ron saw them he started jumping up and down as if he had struck gold He laughed and just about cried at the same time He was almost afraid to ask the price Then came the best part - FREE All my other instruments are standard There is a loran on the lower right side of my panel a radio and intercom on the left with push-to-talk switches on the top of both sticks
The cost of the restoration has been tabulated on B1 s computer Every nut and bolt has been tallied Perhaps more was spent than was necessary but how often do you find a new boot cowl that is 50 years old
On August 12 1989 my new engine had its first run up Everything was A-OK so back to the hangar we went for the mounting of my wings My first flight was the Sunday before my birthshyday Jim flew th( test flight then took Ron up Ron kept his promise and had me in the sky before I turned 50 Ron s second goal was to check out and fly me to the Kerrville Texas Fly-in for 1989 Well I was in the first row where everyone could see me WE MADE IT
There seem to be several Coupes of my vintage around Ron joined the Cub Club and gets frequent news reports One day he read that a research person
I AFTER THREE OR FOUR CALLS HE LOCATED THE CUB IN PORT LAVACA
was looking for a particular plane in Texas that was built in 1939 and acshycording to records was owned by the same person all of its lifetime Ron was
into the phone network pronto After three or four calls he located the Cub in Port Lavaca Richard Tanner had bought J-4A 4-735 as it came off the assembly line 50 years ago and it is still flying We are just seven serial numbers apart so we were being finished the same week in Lock Haven Pennsylvania J-4 4-735 was used as a camera platform for a whooping crane research program in south Texas Another fellow also has a J-4 based on the same landing strip Just as Ron began to work on me he read about another J-4 in Ozona Texas and made a trip to see it Joe Boy Pierce and his wife Sammy have two J-4s They use them to fly fences on their ranch Theres a J-4 from Bangs Texas that is coming to Austin to be restored and one in the Fort Worth area There is another being restored in Rockdale just a few miles away At the Kerrville fly-in we located two more a J-4E in Harlingen Texas and J-4A in Housshyton both flying Thats seven of II known to be flying in central north and south Texas That s a great repshyresentation for a small family totaling 1250 originals
WHO ELSE IS OUT THERE bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
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AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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Field Elevation -13 feet
Rudy Krens
at EAA Sunn Fun 89
16 MAY 1990
N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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N ear the city of Lelystad Holland a diverse group of pilots fly some unique airplanes-starting at 13 feet below sea level
by Walter van Tilborg
EDITORS NOTE We are indebled 10 Rudy Krens (EAA 334248) for enshycouraging his good friend Walter van Tilborg (EAA 92129) to submit this arshyticle on the very active group ofantique airplane enthusiasts based at Lelystad Airport in Holland Norm Petersen Associate Editor
L elystad airport is located some 30 nautical miles north eas t of Amsterdam s Schipol Airport and south of the city of Lelystad Holland The airport is built in the Flevopolder which is one of several polders claimed from the Ijsselmeer (formerly Zuiderzee) The airport is the fastest growing general aviat ion field in Holland with nearly 100000 aircraft movements anshynually This is not too bad for an airport without runway or approach lights thus limiting operations to sunrise through sunset Present plans call for lighting installations to be made by 1991
The airport is home base for a variety of commercial companies and nonshyprofit organizations Ag planes operate from the same runway as student pilots
in training with the three flying schools on the airport Ultralight aircraft have their own grass strip and g liders occupy the grass st rip just north of the main runway This makes Lelystad the only field in Holland with so many categories of users Good pilot discipline is the secret as the fie ld is totally uncontrolled (This is equivalent to some 12000 smaller airports in the U S Ed)
Non-profi t organizat ions at Lelystad include the NVA V which is the Dutch Amateur Aircraft Builders Association (EAA Chapter 664) the Early Birds Association a group of proud owners of such aircraft as a Tiger Moth a Gipsy Moth a 1929 Fleet Moclel 2 a Bucker Jungmeister and Jungmann two Fokker Triplanes under restoration ancl many
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
111____-_____---___------------------- ~ N1858 Plentenpol Alrcamper I
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~fi~~~~~iii~~~~~ sect ~ ~ gtlt
-_ i2iloii_c2S~~~IGI=_oiI~~ISII~~IIlliI~sscol=~~1iIIIiiB ~ N82AM Tiger Moth
PH-COR
~ U ~ ~
-===---shy ___--~
18 MAY 1990
more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
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EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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more in the pipeline In addition the VML (initials for the Flying Museum Lelystad) have a hangar housing some 15 aircraft which are available for viewshying by the public
All of these aircraft are kept in flying condition and include a 1941 Klemm KL-35D Stearman PT-13D deshyHavilland Dove and Chipmunk and several homebuilt aircraft such as VP-l Pottier P-80S (a French all-metal single seater) and a US registered Smith Miniplane Also in the hangar is an original design homebuilt by Cor Dijkman Dulkes called the Dijkman Dijkhastar and registered PH-COR This particular airplane was the very first homebuilt to receive an airworthishy
ness certificate in Holland in 1976 and is the second effort of the builder The original project by Dulkes was an ilshylegal aircraft and only flew once - but the proof that it flew was enough to convince the authorities that aircraft could be designed and built by amateurs Cor Dijkman Dulkes is now building his third aircraft of all-wood construction featuring retractable landshying gear this time
Four Fokker S-ll Instructor twothree-seater trainer aircraft form the demonstration team called Fokker Four The S-ll was a product of Fokshyker Aircraft and the prototype of this basic trainer first flew in 1947 Producshytion took place in Holland Italy and
Brazil with a total of 365 aircraft built In addition 50 S-12 derivatives with tricycle gear were built in Brazil Holshy
land Israel Ital y Brazil Paraguay and Bolivia all used this military trainer Most S-11 and S-12 aircraft had been withdrawn from use by the late 1960s and many were acquired by private owners
One of the aircraft presently flying in the musum group is a Stearman PT-13D with US registration N68987 SIN 75shy5053 This beauty is owned by IBM executive Rudy Krens and it arrived in Holland in 1989 It is perhaps the lowest flying Stearman in the world as Lelystads elevation is a minus 13 feet Rudys association with Stearshymans began some years earlier when he purchased a 450 Stearman However the R-985 engine turned out to be rather expensive to feed as fuel prices are about double those in the US When Rudy had a chance to make a good deal with Phil Dacy Aviation of Harvard Illinois he took the opportunity and
bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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bought a brand new 220 Continentalshypowered Stearman and the 450-hp machine was sold to a gentleman in Belgium where the aircraft is part of a growing collection of oldies at Kortrijk Airport
N68987 was originally built in 1942 and was given its civil registration in the early 1950s The aircraft in present form is the very professional work of Pete Jones and his people at Air Repair Inc of Cleveland Mississippi Buying a Stearman is one thing but getting it over to Europe is another Flying is out of the question so you must hire the services of a professional for disasshy r
o sembly crating and loading into a sea E
0
container ~ The task of putting the Stearman r
together once in Holland was put on the shoulders of Richard van As a former KLM mechanic and builder of a Benson B-8M gyrocopter and owner of an exshyDutch Air Force PA-18-135 Super Cub Richard had previous experience in 1987 when he and the author traveled to the USA to buy a Cessna 172 Beshycause the 172 had survived Richards treatment and now flies the Dutch skies Rudy Krens had courage enough to acshycept the challenge to go and get the Stearman himself
Plans were made rejected changed and finally accepted and airline reservashytions were made in April 1989 for Richard and myself to fly to Memphis
c oTennessee Rudy was already in the US E
and met us in Memphis where we rented 0 o
a car and drove to Cleveland Mississipshy~
C Y
pi The next morning we drove from the motel to the airport and Rudy had his very first look at N68987 Sitting on the ramp in the morning sun the newly rebuilt Stearman looked beautiful After a warm reception from the Air Repair people we toured the facility including the wing rebuild shop in nearshyby Leland Mississippi What a joy to see this old-fashioned work being exshypertly done by young people
Phil Dacy Jr had meanwhile flown down from Illinois in his Twin Beech to finalize the paper work on the Stearman and as part of the agreement it was decided to have a ferry pilot from Air Repair fly N68987 to Montgomery County Airport at Conroe Texas just
r onorth of Houston This was done for E 0two reasons it was near the port of ~ Houston for shipment and Richard had Y r
crated the Cessna 172 from this airport x In addition I had flown from this airport
~______~__~~__~~____~______________~__~~~__~~x
~____~________~~~~~~~~~~~~________~______~x N168G 0 H Gipsy Moth
N131 EB Coso-built Jungmann
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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This Piper Twin Comanche was once owned and flown by the legless RAF fighter pilot Sir Douglas Bader
in 1987 while earning my private pilot license and last but not least it is the home of Gary Hudson and his firm General Aviation Services plus Garys lovely wife and the most important item - Garys toolbox Gary Hudson is an aClive member of the Big Thicket Squadron of the Confederate Air Force based at the airport
With plans all arranged we drove back to Memphis and Richard conshytinued on to Indiana where he was to disassemble a Smith Miniplane which had been purchased by one of our EAA members in Holland Meanwhile Rudy and I continued on to Tampa Florida and enjoyed a few wonderful days resulting from our secret and sinister timing - Sun n Fun 89 It was Rudys first trip and my second visit to this beautiful spring fly-in and we careshyfully avoided the mention of warm and enjoyable weather when Richard called on the phone from Indiana and told of the ice and snow
Rudy went on to Hartford Connecshy
20 MAY 1990
ticut on business while I flew to Housshyton to join Richard and began dismanshytling the Stearman With the invaluable help of Gary Hudson and his crew plus my brother Jan who lives in Houston the Stearman was taken apart piece by piece It was surely a strange feeling to take apart an aircrafl that had just under 10 hours on the recording tach since new The only snag experienced was that the forklift used in 1987 to load the Cessna 172 wa s no longer at Montgomery County airport As usual Richard provided the solution He simply walked over to the National Guard depot at the field explained the situation and returned with a National Guard crew and a mobile crane (And all for free)
The 40 foot container had room for the Stearman and many other goodies These were all loaded inside including a complete Lancair kit by Neico Aviashytion for one of the NYA YEAA Chapter 664 members in Holland When everyshything was finished the container was
shipped out of Houston arnvmg at Lelystad airport in May 1989 The Stearman was assembled and test flown for the third first flight on May 27th (See VINTAGE AIRPLANE March 1990 page 7) N68987 is now the eyeshycatcher in the Flying Museum Lelystad hangar
But thi s is not the end of the story The hangar in which the Flying Museum collection is housed is too small and has no room for additional aircraft Add to that the ever increasing costs for hangarage - so - the owners put their heads together and afler a slow start plans are now finalized and our own hangar should be ready towards mid-1990 With space for 25 to 28 aircraft the hangar will be operated by a non-profit organization named De fionier Hangaar - PH being the intershynational code for Dutch registered civil aircraft
Participants in the project are owners of aircraft the Fokker Four demonstrashytion team their sponsor the Dutch Dove
Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
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Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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Association and the NV A V EAA Chapshyter 664 The Flying Museum Lelystad will occupy the ground floor of the ofshyfice part but will not own the hangar or any of the aircraft The latter are made available for viewing by their ownersAlso in the hangar will be the Aviators Wall an initiative of Max van Oort a retired KLM captain We hope that this wall will ultimately hold small metal plaques with the names of all persons who ever obtained a civil pilots license in Holland Plaques alshyready installed include the name of His Royal Highness Prince Bernard of the Netherlands
Aircraft that can usually be found at Lelystad airport are listed below and visitors to the Early Birds or Pionier Hangaar collections are welcome It is advised however to call one of the following numbers prior to coming to the field Weekdays are the best for visiting bull
Call in Holland 03200-53443 or 03202-699 or 01899-11206
Aviators Wall
Some of LELYSTADS AIRCRAFT
CASA (Bucker) N131EB NA Noorduyn PH-KLU Jungmann AT-16ND Cessna 185 N61826 Piaggio P-149D D-EEGD and DH Gipsy Moth N168G (with D-EERP
fake reg Pietenpol N1848 VH-AFN) Aircamper
DH Tiger Moth N82AM Piper PA 160 Twin PH-COM (ex DH Tiger Moth ZS-DLK (reg Comanche Douglas Bader in South Africa)
aircraft)DH Dove N531WB Piper PA-18-95 PH-VCY(Devon) (former RAF Pottier P-80S PH-JMLaircraft)
(Winnie Mae shyDHC Chipmunk G-BDET builder Wil Dijkman PH-COR
Dijkhastar Post) Fleet Model 2 NC724V Scheibe SF-23 D-ELFE and Fokker S-ll PH-ACG Sperling D-ENZE Instructor PH-AFS Smith N788
PH-HOG Miniplane (WB-4)PH-HOK Stearman N68987PH-HOL PT-13DKlemm KL-35D D-ECCI Stolp Starduster G-KEEN (ex Too N800RE)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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EN ROUTE TO
ROUGH RIVER KENTUCKY
IN A RYAN PT-22 WORLD WAR II TRAINEES NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD
by Ron Ferrara
22 MAY 1990
A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
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1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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A gathering of plastic - every kind of EZ known to man
I could hardly believe my ears when Ted Beckwith called and suggested that we Jump in the PT-22 and fly up to Rough River Kentucky for lunch tomorrow Suddenly it was a new day I had to dig out my leather helmet and goggles and plan the route on my sectional chart When my wife heard the words airplane cross-counshytry and Kinner she let out a sigh and shook her head knowing that our leaking sink would have to drip for another week Meet me at about 1000 in the morning Ted said and hung up Oh boy
I was up at dawn the next day to check the weather - cool for central Tennessee with clear skies and calm winds It was a PT-22 day if ever there was one Ted is a 20-year Delta captain and an avid antiquer who has owned over the years a Monocoupe 110 a Stinson Junior a Fairchild 24 and preshysently flies the Ryan He also is workshying on a Cessna C-34 has a Warnershypowered Great Lakes under construcshytion and an Aeronca K waiting in the wings The PT-22 was supposed to be an interim airplane but so far all offers Ted has received have been categorishy
cally refused everything was ready About 845 I Woody Woodward and his wife began to wonder where everyone else
Anne were going along on the flight in was and why they were waiting until their newly completed Bucker lungshy the last minute to get this show on the mann Needless to say I arrived a little road At 9 15 Ted pulled in and opened early about 830 just to make sure the hangar doors whereupon he beheld
Traditional Beckwith tiger tail waves over the Tennessee countryside VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
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AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
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MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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a vision of the complete aviator A the Ryan and [ were becoming more little early arent you Love the outshy and more anxious to get going I was fit haunted by the nagging fear that someshy
We pushed the Ryan out into the still one would change the plan and the trip chill morning air and Ted began his would be postponed at the last minute routine The preflight of this antique My fears proved groundless as Ted tends to be a little different from that climbed into the rear cockpit at exactly of a more modern airplane [n addition 1000 Gets kind of loud up there to the normal checks such as oil and You may want to use these he ye lled fuel quantity the prop must be roshytated through to check for hydraulic lock in the lower cylinders of the Kinner [ climbed into the fron t cockshypit and Ted showed me the magneto switch fuel shutshyoff and other conshytrol s Pump the throttle a couple of times start it on the left mag and switch to both after it starts he instructed One pull on the wooden prop and the Kinner came to life as if it too had been wondershying what the deshylay was all about As [ sat in the cockshypit wanning the oil [ listened to the enshygine purring like a kitten and the smile on my face just kept getting bigger My first impression of the inside of the Ryan was that this was a very stout airshyplane It was very substantial with large aluminum sections held together by large aluminum rivshyets It is unusual to see an aircraft so obviously built to withstand severe loads and student mistakes
Just as the oil reached operating temshyperature Woody and Ann in their beaushytiful brown and tan Bucker touched down on the grass and rolled to a stop Crouched in the cockpits the two were more than a little chilled from the early morning flight As they talked with Ted about altitude route and the like both 24 MAY 1990
I like your airplanes beHer said the aHendant at Rough River
Ted Beckwith and the Ryan
as he handed me a set of earplugs absentmindedly put them in my pocket with every intention of using them once airborne Soon we were climbing into the cold crystal sky All thoughts of earplugs dissipated when [ heard the symphony of the short-stacked Kinner more sensuous than Ravels Bolero This was great Sticking my head out
into the slipstream to see around the exposed cylinders [ could see everyshything This was flying at its best My feet were cold my nose was running and the wind blew my helmet off and wrapped it around my neck My gogshygles wound up covering my chin [ was a natural made for this kind of flying even though [ suspect Ted was having
second thoughts about his demented passenger
We levelled off at about 1500 feet heading north It is difficult to exshyplain how different it is watching the landscape pass beshylow from an open cockpit I actually felt like [ could reach out and touch the occasional cloud along our route The grass looked greener the fall colors brighter and the sky bluer than [ had ever exshyperienced To me there is nothing Illore rewarding than fabshyric wings a round engine and an airshyspeed indicator that reads in miles per hour rather than knots I was exshyperiencing an era in which I have alshyways feIt at home We had escaped the tensions of the high-tech world below It was as if we were in a time warp as I looked over my shoulder and saw the silshyhouette of the Bucker in loose fornlation
We were cruisshying about 90 mph Out of habit more
casionally looked down at the oil presshysure gauge rock steady at 80 psi Acshytually the oil pressure was one of the few instruments available to look at in the front cockpit [ must admit that the constant oil pressure was comforting considering all the hangar tales one hears about the reliability of old radial engines The Kinner seemed out to
prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
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1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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prove that these tales were slanderous It never missed a beat th roughout the entire trip
As we approached Rough Ri ver a white streak sped past the nose The odd shape quickly materialized into a Long-EZ enroute to the same destinashytion Looking down at the airport reshyvealed a veritable plastic convention as there was every kind of EZ known to man parked on the ramp We were defishynitely in the minorshyity today As Ted cu t the power we began an i mpresshysive descent alshythough the airspeed remained stuck on 80 He had warned me about a rather high wing loading that resulted in a steep glide but I had not expected this I suppose that this was a design feat ure that made the airplane suitshyable for training
pect were aimed at me I ignored them Rough River State Park is a tribute
to Kentucky It is one of a number of state parks with airstrips on it or very close by The parks offer camping resshytaurants and cabins at very reasonable rates It is a shame that more states don t follow thi s example and make airstrips a part of their parks just as
front cockpi t and I didn t have a chart it was a test of my pilotage skills I was pleasantly surprised at how re shysponsive thc aircraft was truly a pleashysure to fl y The Bucker pulled up into tight formation lingercd for a few miles and with a beautiful aileron roll departed to the west We delayed over Russellville Kentucky to watch a Pitts
going through its paces complete with smoke What a d i fshyferent perspect i ve from which to watch an airshow Evenshytuall y we resumed our journey to the south and approached the airpark and home Ted made another textbook landing and we shut down The music of the Kinner remained with us long after the propeller came to a stop I deshylayed leaving the cockpit trying desshyperately to make the moment last
the young pilots Ryan PT-22 at the Beckwith hangar - note the tiger tail hanging from the left wing just a bit longer of World War II
As we taxied in we got a lot of st range looks We parked nex t to a lonely looking Stinshyson closer to our era The EZs milled around the pumps looking like a swarm of ali en insects all beaks-down feedshying in preparation for departure One after another they made low passes and I must adm it the i I performance was impressive Two different generashytions of aircraft were sharing a point in the space-time conshytinuum As we pulled the Ryan to the pumps the attendant looked from the deshyparting glass menagerie to the Ryan then to the Bucker and said I think I like your airplanes better I had to agree
We amb led over to the lodge for a very substantial buffet lunch There were some uncalled for comments abo ut limited useful load that I sus-
The Bucker - at home in the grass
they do golf courses The expense would be offset by the addi ti onal use that would be generated
After waddling back to the planes we were soon headed south It was now mid-afternoon and the sun reshyflected off the yel low wings It was wanner now and I was flying the last leg Since there was no compass in the
The traditional wipshying of the oil well known to those who fly behind radial engines was soon completed and the hangar door secured This adventure was over except in memshyory and in anticishypation of the next offer
As I drove away I thought about all the people who fly but have never exshyperienced such a flight How much they are missing I had a flight lesson to give later that day in a modern airplane Fortunately
for me the student was my son Matt preparing for his private ticket He had been exposed to Ryans Cubs Stinsons and had hi s first Stearman ride at the Tennessee Taildraggers fly-in a few years ago When he saw the helmet goggles and the wild look in my eyes he just sighed and shook his head In some ways he is a lot like hi s mother
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
EAA A VIA TION CENTER OSHKOSH WI 54903-3086
PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS
815-500 MON-FRI
THE ARCHIVES ~~ tpUVt p~C~
MEMORABILIA
The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
and aeronautical memorabilia assembled under one roof Includes world renowned classic
aircraft and museum quality items
from the Donald
Douglas collection
For the 4S-page color auction catalogue send $14 (includes
postage and handlingshyCalifornia residents add 634
sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
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lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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CHAPTER CAPSULES by Bob Brauer
left to right Felix Sanchez Francisco Halbriter Abel Debock and Guido Jontza at Rodriguez December 1989
CHAPTER 12
BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA
EAA Division Antiguos amp Clasicos Filial 12 Argentina This is how we look in San Andres De Giles province of Buenos Aires Argentina the location of our most distant chapter
The chapter was formed in 1982 and received its AIC charter the following year According to Presishydent Abel Debock of San We formed the group at that time beshycause our country was having a more
Pedro
26 MAY 1990
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
EAA A VIA TION CENTER OSHKOSH WI 54903-3086
PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS
815-500 MON-FRI
THE ARCHIVES ~~ tpUVt p~C~
MEMORABILIA
The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
and aeronautical memorabilia assembled under one roof Includes world renowned classic
aircraft and museum quality items
from the Donald
Douglas collection
For the 4S-page color auction catalogue send $14 (includes
postage and handlingshyCalifornia residents add 634
sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
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1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
comfortable economshyic situation than we have now and there was a lot of interest in restoring antique aircraft Even though mary antique and classic airplanes have been sold abroad some to museums in England interest in restoration is still high Abel emphashysizes that There are many planes to reshystore many others being worked on and many flying The high costs involved have not decreased interest in restoration and the activities of the chapter have capshytured the attention of European enthusiasts
Chapter meetings are held the second Sunday of each month at the Airport of San Andres de Giles located about 55 miles from Buenos Aires There the members exshychange technical inshyformation try to solve problems of reshystoration and share information about EAA the AlC Divishysion and Oshkosh There are currently 80 members who live throughout Argentina and the club keeps a detailed record of each aircraft owned by the members
There are several restoration projects currently under way Chapter Vice President Guido Jontza of Olivos is restoring a Beech Staggerwing Secshyretary Pedro Gadda of Matheu the chapters secretary is working on a Heath Parasol which Abel believes is the oldest in existence Treasurer Felix Sanchez of Haedo is restoring both a Fleet 2 and a Focke Wulf 44J Carlos Schmidt is reconstructing a 1926 Westshyland Widgeon 3 equipped with a Cirrus Mk2 engine Abel reports that these are only a few examples and that there are many more
Abel Debocks Rearwin Sporster
Gran Campeon Antigue Bucker Jungmann at Rodriguez 1989
V3 which he beshylieves to be the oldshyest example of this kind of aircraft still flying Pedro Gadda flies an Aeronca 7 AC Champ and a Cessna 170A in adshydition to the Heath and a Stinson Reshyli ant that he reshystored (Pedro must live in his shop) Examples of planes other members fly are Focke Wulf 44J Bucker Jungmann Stearman Fairchild 24 Fleet Curtiss E16 Waco and a number of J-3s Aeroncas Luscombes Stinson 108s an Ercoupe PA-II PA-12anda Cessna 140
AIC Chapter 12 holds its annual business meeting during the weekend closest to September 21 the first day of spring south of the equator at the Aero Club Mercedes Bueshynos Aires [n the second weekend of December Chapter 12 works with EAA Chapter 722 (Buenos Aires) and Ultralight Chapter 23 (Esperanza) to orgashynize the annual EAA Argentina convention in Rodriguez Buenos Aires At this event each category of airshycraft is judged with grand champion awards
Abel owns and tlies a 1938 Rearshywin Sportster 9000 His 18-yearshyold son Alex who passed his tlight test last September also tlies the plane Guido now working on the Beech Staggerwing reconstructed and tlew a 1928 Curtiss Robin until he recently sold it to the RAF Museum in England This aircraft was the 1986 Grand Champion in Argentina and won the Phoenix Prize given by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris in 1987 Felix in addition to his resshytoration projects flies a 1928 Davis
presented similar to the procedure at Oshkosh [n addition the chapter atshytends events organized by the air force of Argentina and by private clubs
Abel has written aviation articles for the magazine AERODEPORTES and submitted photographs he took of our convention activities when he and his wife attended in 1986 Chapter 12 has a great deal to be proud of [n spite of adverse economic times Abel reports their AIC Chapter is the best organized and strongest aviation group in South America bull
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
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Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
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AWWA MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
DtSMANTlING AND OVtNG IANKS
NEW USED AND IECONDITIONED TANKS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
PASS IIIQ--1] An information exchange column with input from readers
by Buck Hilbert (EM 21 Ale 5) PO Box 424 Union IL 60180
More Fueling Around A lot of interest has been generated
by the article on fueling with plastic jerry cans Ive had calls and letters from numerous people expressing conshycern and giving instances of disastrous experiences as a result of this type of fueling
Wade Lowry called in from Lakeville Minnesota and told me about a Luscombe incident years ago A fellow stuck the spout in the wing tank laid the can on its side and let it gurgle into the tank while he carried on a conversation with Wade a short distance away Shortly they heard a WHOOMP and saw the wing and airplane in flames The Luscombe was destroyed
Art Morgan called this morning from Milwaukee you all know Art hes that mean man driving the cutshyback Volkswagen at Oshkosh who harshyrasses all the parking people and the airplane drivers Art has a Luscombe and a Bellanca Cruisair He had some advice to offer on the subject and said that Tony Bingelis had written an artishycle several years ago on grounding the plastic cans From Arts description a 28 MAY 1990
roll of copper screening is placed inshyside the can and into the spout and the grounding wire is attached to it This precludes any build-up of static elecshytricity and effectively defuses an inheshyrently dangerous situation
Then I get a piece of mail today from Phil Trusty of Murfreesboro Tennesshysee Chapter 419 and it quotes National Fire Protection Association standards for Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for petroleum products They are quite specific as to metal cans and when they get to paragraph 3 they blow it all away by saying Jerry Cans that are plastic - non-conductive shy(RE NFPA 30) then there is no reshyquirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static building up on a non-conductive cans is not of sufshyficient voltage to ignite a fuel air mixshyture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simple wire between any metal fitting (hand le lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate asshysuming the bond line has adequate conshytinuity
Im asking our Editor Mark Phelps to print the entire letter and r want to also call your attention to the last senshy
tence of the letter It states Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the industry stanshydards for grounding and bonding
Im also asking whether someone out there has actual experience with this situation and has words of advice to pass on to the rest of us - someone intimately acquainted with the research done on these plastic Jerry cans who can give us the straight scoop CAN we or CANT we
AIRCRAFT FUELING FROM JERRY CANS
In the February 1990 Pass It to Buck Lt Col Hilbert described a common practice of fueling small airshycraft from service or jerry cans His experience prompted some questions about grounding provisions for this procedure
Fueling aircraft has long been recshyognized as inherently dangerous A vishyation gasoline (Avgas) automotive gaso line (auto gas) are both classed by the National Fire Protection Associashytion as flammable meaning they have a flash point below 100 degree F (37-8 degree C) Turbine fuel is usushyally classed as combustible but may also have a flash point close to 100 degree F A static electric spark can ignite these fuel vapors with explosive results
This static spark results from the difference in electric potential between the aircraft and the fueling equipment By grounding the aircraft to earth and grounding the servicing equipment (truck tank drum) we achieve an efshyfective zero charge and little difference in the two potentials
The flow of fuel through pipes pumps and hoses can create a static charge so we bond the aircraft and fuelshying equipment to each other to neutshyralize any build up
There are several government and industry standardsguidelines on airshycraft refueling Most major airlines and aircraft manufacturers go to great lengths to provide procedures and inshystruction for refueling These include - Air Transport Association of America Specification No 103 - National Air Transportation Asshysociation Refueling and Quality Conshytrol Procedures - USDO T lFAA Advisory Cirshycular No 1505230-4 - USDOD Military Standard
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
EAA A VIA TION CENTER OSHKOSH WI 54903-3086
PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS
815-500 MON-FRI
THE ARCHIVES ~~ tpUVt p~C~
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The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
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sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
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EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
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Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
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Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
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bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
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riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
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This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
1548B - NFPA 407 Specific standards for flammable liqshyuid containers include NFP A 30 Flammable Liquids and ANSI ASTM D3435-80 Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products
To address Lt Col Hilbert s si tuashytion may I suggest
I Check the jerry cans for the Unshyderwriters Laboratory (UL) li sting number UL lists but does not apshyprove which is done by Factory Manshyual (FM) labs The cans should be listedapproved for storage of Class I flammables Typical features of safety cans include self closing lid heavy construction clear labeling for contents and a spark guard mesh screen inside the filler spout
2 If the cans are metal then good contact between the metal aircraft tank opening and the can should provide adequate bonding Use of a funnel corrosion or oilpaint may cause enough insulation that a bonding line between the aircraft and the can should be used
3 If the jerry cans are plastic non-conductive (RE NFPA 30) there is no requirement for bonding Note that lab tests found electro-static charge building up on non conductive cans is not of sufficient voltage to igshynite afuellair mixture If you are more comfortable using a bond then a simshy
pIe wire bond between any metal fitshyting (handle lid spout) and the aircraft should be adequate assuming the bond line has good continuity
Lastly there are the general preshycautions for aircraft fueling
I Away from ignition sources Airshycraft radios and electricals turned off no smoking
2 Fueling should be performed outshyside so as not to threaten the hangar and other aircraft which may also act as ignition sources
3 Use an effective fuel mat to proshytect the aircraft finish and de-ice boots
Fueling from small non-conductive jerry cans is possible without bonding Any other fueling (metal drums tanks hydrant carts) must observe the indusshytry standards of grounding and bondshying
Telephone log Some interesting calls this past
month (February and March) John Dooden from Tulsa Oklahoma called We had a very interesting conversation about his desire to locate and restore or even scratch build a World War I project Anybody out there got a Spad or a Fokker he wants to part with Conshytact John
Phil Kraus from New York building an SE 5A in a Manhattan loft no less is in bad need of a Hisso E propeller hub I wasnt able to help the man He
IS YOUR MEDICAL CERTIFICATE CURRENT BUT NOT VALID Reprinted from the FAA Flight Standards Communicator
We are all familiar with FAR 61 23 and the validity periods of the various medical certificates ie the Third Class Medical is valid for 24 months Second Class for 12 months and the First Class is good for six months However how many pilots are familiar with FAR 6153 This regulation states that No person may act as pilot in command or in any other capacity as a required pilot flight-crewmember while he has a known medical defishyciency or increase of a known medical deficiency that would make him unshyable to meet the requirements for his current medical certificate Just what does this mean Basically if you know that you have a medical condition
which would preclude you from passshying your flight physical then your physical certificate is no longer valid even if the expiration date is still a long way away Another way to say this is that a current medical can very well be a non-valid medical
Quite often pilots are overheard making a statement to the effect that I need to get this medical problem cleared up before my physical because I know that I will never be able to pass the exam in my present condition The main concern that you as a pilot must be aware of is that if you should operate an aircraft in your present condition you may endanger yourself your passengers and your certificate
had already been to all the sources I recommended Want to be a hero Find the man a prop hub
Also Doc Fowler checked in from Spokane Washington Now here is a guy who knows how to live His dental offices are on the Spokane Intershynational Airport He commutes from his home about 30 miles away in his Cabin Waco parks it near the office door and when hi s work is done he flie s right back home where he can continue working on his other project a Marquart Charger Doc has a number of projects to his credit shyBucker Stearman Waco Hes an lAC enthusiast as well as AntiqueClassic Nice hearing from you Doc
Craig Johnson the full-time mechanic for the Anchorage Alaska Civil Air Patrol and I had a long talk about CAP activities in Alaska They have 34 airplanes - nine Beavers and an assortment of Cessna 185s 206s and one lone Varga They have a number of float planes and have four slips right on the Lake Hood base Now this Lake Hood seaplane base is sort of like Chicagos O Hare Field only on water I for one have never seen activity like they have there Airplanes of all sorts and descriptions arriving and departing in droves They operate in and out under and around the International Airport traffic without causing any conflicts that I know about Of course they do this routinely so they are well aware of jet wash and all the rest of the problems of sharing space with the 747s and the other BIG boys We could all take lessons from these pilots Maybe we can encourage an article or two about that style of flying from them How about it Bushies
Ive also heard from San Jose California Curt Barnhart who works for Azure Technology had some words with me about the Azure Long Ranger and how best to use it I tried it in my C-3 and it doesn t like flying so low or so slow or the unshielded ignition system I guess I really hadnt any reason to complain
Word from Sun n Fun Ray Olcott former AC Division board member is that wife Jo one of the nice ladies who work at the Red Barn during EAA Oshkosh is recovering nicely after open heart surgery Ill be seeing her when Dorothy and I get to Florida to work Sun n Fun Hope to see many of you there In the meanwhile its
Over to you bull VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
EAA A VIA TION CENTER OSHKOSH WI 54903-3086
PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS
815-500 MON-FRI
THE ARCHIVES ~~ tpUVt p~C~
MEMORABILIA
The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
and aeronautical memorabilia assembled under one roof Includes world renowned classic
aircraft and museum quality items
from the Donald
Douglas collection
For the 4S-page color auction catalogue send $14 (includes
postage and handlingshyCalifornia residents add 634
sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
AWWA MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
DtSMANTlING AND OVtNG IANKS
NEW USED AND IECONDITIONED TANKS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet 25cent per word $500 minimum charge Send your ad to
The Vintage Trader EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-2591
AIRCRAFT (2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934 Package includes extra engine and spares Fuseshylage wing spars and extra props Museum quality $30000 firm No tire kickers collect calls or pen pals please EE Buck Hilbert PO Box 424 Union IL 60180-0424
1961 Piper PA-22-108 Colt -150 hours SMOH and restoration Two people plus 36 gallons fuel and 100 Ibs luggage Cleveland brakes EL T Esshycort 110 EGT CHT beacon new glass tires and Dacron cover A lot of flight time for $9800 Call Chuck at 414426-4815 days and 414235-8714 evenings (CST-WI) ufn
1935 Porterfield Flyabout - Model 3570 - 70 hp LeBlond engine 84 hours since total restoration A true classic and award winner $17000 Todd 405 282-7580 (5-2)
Yes a 1940 Stinson 10 - This fine old aircraft $950000 (Canadian) Springhouse Aviation Box 38 RR 1 Widgeon Drive Williams Lake BC V2G 2Pl 604392-2186 (9-5)
ENGINES Dynamic Antique Radial Engine Balancing shySpecializing in Warner 145 165 185 engines Smooth out the vibration when rebuilding 904 768-5031 (7-4)
MISCELLANEOUS JN4-D Memorabilia - Jenny Mail collector cachets actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh along with T-shirts pins posters etc Send SASE for catalogpricing Virginia Aviation Co RD 5 Box 294 Warrenton VA 22186 (c-590)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one volume Covering all EAA journals 1953 through 1989 Newly organized easier to read MUCH REshyDUCED PRICE Past purchasers $750 USD plus $150 UPSpostage $300 Canadian $700 other New purchasers $15 USD plus $150 UPSpostshyage $300 Canadian $700 other VISNMASTERshy
30 MAY 1990
Meticulous Delineations - Antique scale model construction plans or wall decor by Vern Clements (NC 5989) 308 Palo Alto Caldwell 10 83605 CatalogInfoNews $300 refundable (7-4)
CARD accepted John B Bergeson 6438 W Millbrook Road Remus MI 49340 517561-2393 Note Have all journals Will make copy of any arshyticle(s) from any issue at 25cent per page ($300 minimum)
1910-1950 Original Plane and Pilot Items - Buy - sell - trade 44-page catalog over 350 items availshyable $500 Airmailed John Aldrich POB-706shyAirport Groveland CA 95321209962-6121 (9-6)
Airplane Hangars - Save up to 50 on Arch Style Steel Buildings Factory clearance on 50 x 40 60 x 60 50 x 50 and others EX 50 x 40 arches only $379400 Universal Steel 1-800-548-6871 (c-491)
CLASSIC AVIATION BOOK - Crusader Comshyprehensive 180-page look at 200 mph + futuristic early-1930s airplane its young genius designer financial intrigue that scuttled production plans AVIATIONS VERSION OF TUCKER 300 + previshyously unpublished drawings photos including Amelia Earhart and dozens of rare aircraft designs Gorgeous full-page color illustrations and dustjacshyket Huge 11 x 16 inch serial-numbered hard-cover limited edition with authors designers Signature - FUTURE COLLECTORS ITEM Special price for EAA members $6850 plus $5 shipping (Mass residents add sales tax) Or send for details $200 Rare Birds Publishing PO Box 67 South Berlin Mass 01549 (6-2)
CHAMPS AND CHIEFS - The book for 7 and 11 model Aeroncas Factory approved service letters bulletins modifications repairs 15 charts illustrashytions 140 topics 240 pages FAA ADs Satisfacshytion guaranteed $2975 Charlie Lasher (author) 4660 Parker Ct Oviedo FL 32765
WANTED Wanted Historical Aviation Albums by Paul Matt 1 through 15 except for 2 6 12 John McDonald PO Box 8 Windom KS 67491 (5-1)
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $3000 for one year including 12 issues of Sport Aviation Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $1800 annually Family Membershyship is available for an additional $1000 annually
ANTIQUECLASSICS EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Anshytique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number
Non-EAA Member - $2800 Inshycludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airshyplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership cards Sport Aviation not included
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $3000 anshynually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are equired to be members of EAA
WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription to Warbirds Warbird members are required to be members of EAA
EAA EXPERIMENTER EAA membership and EAA EXPERIshyMENTER magazine is available for $2800 per year (Sport Aviation not included) Current EAA members may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER for $18 00 per year
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars
Make checks payable to EAA or the division in which membership is desired Address all letters to EAA or the particular division at the folshylowing address
EAA A VIA TION CENTER OSHKOSH WI 54903-3086
PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS
815-500 MON-FRI
THE ARCHIVES ~~ tpUVt p~C~
MEMORABILIA
The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
and aeronautical memorabilia assembled under one roof Includes world renowned classic
aircraft and museum quality items
from the Donald
Douglas collection
For the 4S-page color auction catalogue send $14 (includes
postage and handlingshyCalifornia residents add 634
sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
AWWA MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
DtSMANTlING AND OVtNG IANKS
NEW USED AND IECONDITIONED TANKS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
THE ARCHIVES ~~ tpUVt p~C~
MEMORABILIA
The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
and aeronautical memorabilia assembled under one roof Includes world renowned classic
aircraft and museum quality items
from the Donald
Douglas collection
For the 4S-page color auction catalogue send $14 (includes
postage and handlingshyCalifornia residents add 634
sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
AWWA MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
DtSMANTlING AND OVtNG IANKS
NEW USED AND IECONDITIONED TANKS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
MEMORABILIA
The largest collection of outstanding warbirds
and aeronautical memorabilia assembled under one roof Includes world renowned classic
aircraft and museum quality items
from the Donald
Douglas collection
For the 4S-page color auction catalogue send $14 (includes
postage and handlingshyCalifornia residents add 634
sales tax) or call 1-S00-AIR-1004 or (213) 392-6392 (in CAl SAM to 5PM PST
2772 Donald Douglas Loop North Santa Monica California 90405
FAX (213) 452-1933
Auction conducted by W R Stevenson CA LlC A1347
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
AWWA MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
DtSMANTlING AND OVtNG IANKS
NEW USED AND IECONDITIONED TANKS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
974 pages of practical proven construction techniques
for homebuilders
BY TONY BINGELfS
EXCELLENT REFERENCE SoURCE shyMAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED BUILDER - DONT BUILD
WITHOUT THEM
Information every builder needs with all the right answers at ones fingershytips Prepared by Tony Bingelis specifically for EAA and SPORT AVIATION these publications are profusely illustrated with photos cutaway drawings and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most complishycated problem Invaluable material for anyone designingbuilding restoring or maintaining sport aircraft Order your copies today SPORTPLANE BUiLDER $1795 IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL FIREWALL FORWARD bull bull$1995 OFFERIEngine Installation Methods - 304 pages)
order all three for justSPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION TECHNIOUES bull$2095 $5297 IA Builders Handbook - 350 pages) Add $6 95 postage and handling Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5 sales tax 5 sales tax Add 5240 postage and handling for each publication ordered
Order immediately by calling EAAs Toll Free Number 1-800-843-3612
Maior credit cards accepted
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself Instalation
Custom quality at economical prices
bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete product line
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300
Qir~RODUCTSINC 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
riI STITS POLY-FIBER II ITHE MOST POPULAR I AIRCRAFT COVERING MATERIALS I I IN AVIATION HISTORY II HERES WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of Aircraft II FAA-STC for Over 660 Aircraft Models Over 23 Years Service ~ I History Superior Quality Coatings Developed and Manufactured ~ ~ Under the Quality Control of an FAA-PMA especially for Polyester II Fabric on Aircraft Not Brittle Automotive Finishes Modified Short Life I bull Water Borne House Paint or Tinted and Relabeled Cellulose Dope I ~ Will Not Support Combustion Lightest Covering Approved ~ ~ Under FAA-STC and PMA Most Economical Covering Materials II Considering Years of Trouble Free Service Easy Repairability I I III FABRIC C~~~~~ ~S~~~~o~e~bYEAA I
IAviation Foundation Before Making Expensive Mistakes See This I Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME VHS ~ ~ or Beta $4995 Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) and from I
l=hI S~t~ ~8~1~~0~P~ ~A~-~-~N_amp_S~A~~I~~~~~e~1 I I Very Smooth 17 oz Patented Pol(ester Fabric Developed I ~ Especially for Aircraft Covering Poly-Fiber Manual with ~I IDetailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft I for Corrosion Control Latest Catalog and Distributor List I ~ STITS POLY FIBER II AIRCRAFT COATINGS II IPO Box 3084-V Riverside CA 92519 I ~Phone (714) 684-4280
1rlllllllllllllllilllll11
po box 88 madison north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216
AWWA MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAtNIINb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASliNG TANK LINERS AND COAItNGS PREvENTtVE TANK AINTENANCE INSPICIION SERVICE LADDER SMHY EOUlENI RESERVOtR LINERS ANO ROOFS
DtSMANTlING AND OVtNG IANKS
NEW USED AND IECONDITIONED TANKS
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
by George Hardie Jr
T his months Mystery Plane was another victim of the Great Depression years The company was well known in those Golden Years The photo was submitted by John Denny of Springfield Oregon Answers will be published in the August 1990 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE Deadline for that issue is June 10th
Readers of our companion magazine EAA EXPERIMENTER had no diffishyculty with the February Mystery Plane Inadvertently it was featured in the Lightplane Heritage column in the February issue Nonetheless we reshyceived a number of correct answers Wayne Van Valkenburgh of Jasper Georgia writes
The February Mystery Plane is the Meyers Midget It was designed by Charles Meyers and entered in the U S Lightplane contest in 1926 Charlie worked for the Great Lakes Co and designed the Great Lakes trainer and later worked for Waco and was largely responsible for the Waco Taperwing He later went to work for Eastern Airshylines and retired from Eastern in the 1950s
John Underwood of Glendale California has sharp eyes He writes How can the Mystery Plane be a mysshytery with the name clearly painted on the side Builder Charles W Meyers cracked it up on its first flight which
34 MAY 1990
was in a Iightplane race at Philadelphia in September 1926 The 32-hp Bristol Cherub engine borrowed from Lew Reisner of Kreider-Reisner Charlie s employer quit on the 7th lap This was due to sabotage Charlie said he found two inches of mud in the fuel tank and a mechanic later told him who put it there The name is now an honored one in the Aviation Hall of Fame
The Meyers Midget never flew again - too badly damaged Charlie was so impressed by its brief perforshy
mance that he later scaled up the wing cellule which used the M6 airfoil and applied it to a Waco 10 the result being the Waco Taperwing Charlie moved on to greater fame with Great Lakes joined Eastern Airlines in 1930 after placing third in the American Cirshyrus Derby
Other answers were received from Ron Davenport of Harpers Ferry West Virginia Byron Calomiris of Long Beach California Charley Hayes of Park Forest Illinois Nathan Rounds of Zebulon Geogia Casimier Grevera of Sunnyvale California Cedric Galloway of Hesperia Califorshynia Bob Armstrong of Rawlings Maryland
And now a word about our Mystery Plane column One reader asks if we print the names of all who answer Inshydeed we do provided the letter is dated on or before the deadline date This is not intended as a contest although there is an element of challenge here A review of past Mysteries will undershyline the value of the historical knowlshyedge that these columns have added to our archives During the years that I have been editing the column only seven Mystery Planes were not idenshytified I feel we are making a signifishycant contribution to recording aviation historybull
Meyers Midget
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
YOUVE GOT TOO MUCH I STED TO JUST WALK AWAY
Building an airplane from plans or a kit is no piece of cake It takes a commitment of hundreds of hours of your time plus a substantial dollar investment in component parts
AVEMCOs constructionreconstruction coverage can help you protect the money youve invested in your project while youre working on it This unique coverage insures the kit including its component parts for a value based on your receipts In the event of a total or partial loss youll be insured for the value of the component parts minus any applicable deductible
Check your homeowners
it doesn t provide any coverage at all for your project
If youre flying a homebuilt or have a project under construction call AVEMCO today for more information about this and other coverage for homebuilders from AVEMCO the official insurance company of your sport aviation association
r-----------------------~policy Youll probably find CALL DIRECT TODAY FOR AN IMMEDIATE
QUOTE FROM A FELLOW EAA MEMBER
1-800-638-8440
In Canada Call CAtiiMCO1-800-263-1631 INSURANCE COMPANY
This is intended as a brief description of the Aviation Insurance For Aviation Peoplecoverage offered Certain exclusions and limitations apply We will be glad to send you a sample policy for your review ~-----------------------~
