....

., ~.. , "

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

As we start a new year, politicians are going to be giving speeches about the state of the federal government. I suppose it is appropriate at this time to discuss the state of the Antique/Classic Division.

Our membership continues to grow. We are now reaching approximately 5,600 members, making us the largest group with our particular interest in the United States. Through the efforts of all the members and volunteers who work for the division, we are in sound financial condition. The divi­sion pledges a donation to the Museum Foundation each year. Also, the division was the prime sponsor of the Air Academy in its early days and takes pride in having done so. All chapters are on solid ground and appear to be very active, and the number of chapters is growing. The board of directors and advisors are among the best people in the world and they are dedicated to the division. Our relationship with EAA Headquarters could not be better. Com­munication is great and I encourage even more communication among directors, of­ficers and members . Let us know how you feel about different issues .

The request for a repairman 's certificate for antique and classic aircraft that was sub­mitted to the FAA some 10 years ago is still on hold, but we haven't forgotten it. When the time is right we will procede again. The recognition among type clubs of our division is improving. We look for­ward to a continued good relationship with these clubs. All areas are growing and im­proving. With your input and help, this trend can continue indefinitely.

Another subject I would like to cover is the antique and classic criteria. The divi­sion defines an antique as an aircraft that was manufactured before December 31, 1945. There are some exceptions to this rule such as the Monocoupe, Fairchild 24 and the Staggerwing. It is felt that there were so few of these aircraft manufactured after 1946, that they in fact should be con­sidered antiques.

Classic aircraft are those with an original date of manufacture before December 31, 1955 . We also recognize one-of-a-kind rep­licas such as the Howard, Mr. Mulligan . There have also been Gee Bee replicas rec-

by Espie "Butch" Joyce

ognized by our division . Several times a year, we have inquiries asking when a par­ticular aircraft will become a classic . For example, someone with a 1957 Bonanza or even an early Cessna 172 will want to know. This issue comes up for discussion from time to time and it is the feeling of the board of directors at this time that the dates will not be changed. The door is not closed on this subject and at some point the policy could change.

The Antique/Classic Division is unique in that we have our magazine, THE VIN­TAGE AIRPLANE. It is the only publica­tion issued on a regular basis that is strictly dedicated to the antique and classic move­ment. I hope the members enjoy this publi­cation and that it addresses subject matter you enjoy reading about. Our editorial staff is small so a good deal of the magazine concentrates on the Oshkosh Convention. We are not able to travel for interviews and to write articles about individual projects and people . It would be helpful to the staff if you know of someone or a project that you would like to see published, to send some black-and-white photos and write an article. It does not have to be a polished piece of prose . That is what we have an .editorial staff for. If you send the informa­tion, we will put it in the file and consider it for inclusion in the magazine.

In the November issue of SPORT AVIA­TION, our premier publication from EAA Headquarters, there was a great deal of space dedicated to the Antique/Classic Di­vision. Some people did not understand why the Grand Champion articles appeared in SPORT AVIATION and not THE VIN­TAGE AIRPLANE. I personally think that having the article on the Antique/Classic Grand Champions in SPORT AVIATION is

an advantage for the division because it in­forms all the members of EAA what we are doing . I might even entice some to become members of our group. Since our members are interested in human interest and "how­to" material , I would like to see side articles about these Champions and how they were rebuilt . We must depend on the member­ship to communicate this type of informa­tion to our headquarters staff. Mark Phelps, our editor would be most happy to receive anything along this line . No information is too trivial to submit. You need not be a writer, just blow your own whistle and send us an outline, good information and pic­tures.

We also have a member service in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE that not many people are using. Let's not forget the "Vintage Trader" section. A five-dollar classified ad is a give-away in a publication such as ours. Your request reaches more than 5,600 in­terested customers and the more people start using it , the more successful it will be. You don't have to have an airplane for sale. I am sure a number of you have old parts lying around that you think are of little use to anyone. There may be another member who has been trying to find one of these parts for years . Let's put the word out in the "Vintage Trader."

In addition, those shops that do antique and classic rebuilds on a professional basis should consider a display ad to let the mem­bership know you exist. The movement is growing and word-of-mouth isn't always enough, no matter how good you are. That special project may be out there waiting to find you.

I 'would like to remind you that it is not too early to make plans to attend the EAA Sun 'n Fun Fly-in at Lakeland, Florida in April. This is a good opportunity to get over the cold winter blues and have a good time . It's an enjoyable event and I would encourage everyone to participate. They have a very active antique group in Florida and you will see a lot of airplanes that nor­mally don't make it all the way to Oshkosh. It will also be a good time to meet me . I will be there supporting the activity. Let's all think alike and pull together for the good of aviation. Join us and have it all!

2 JANUARY 1989

JANUARY 1989 • Vol. 17, No.1

PUBLICATION STAFF PUBLISHER

Tom Poberezny VICE-PRESIDENT

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Dick Matt

EDITOR Mark Phelps

ART DIRECTOR Mike Drucks

ADVERTISING Mary Jones

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Norman Petersen

Dick Cavin

FEATURE WRITERS George A. Hardie, Jr.

Dennis Parks

EDITORiAL ASSISTANT Carol Krone

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Koepnick Carl Schuppel

Jeff Isom

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC.

OFFICERS President Vice President

Espie "Butch" Joyce M.C. "Kelly" Viets 604 - Hwy. Street RI. 2, Box 128

Madison, NC 27025 Lyndon, KS 66451 919/427-0216 913/828-3518

Secretary Treasurer George S. York E.E. " Buck" Hilbert

181 Sloboda Ave. P.O. Box 145 Mansfield, OH 44906 Union, IL60180

419/529-4378 815/923-4591

DIRECTORS Robert C. "Bob" Brauer John S. Copeland

9345 S. Hoyne 9 Joanne Drive Chicago, IL 60620 Westborough, MA 01581

3121779-2105 508/366-7245

Philip Coulson William A. Eickhoff 28415 Springbrook Dr. 415 15th Ave. , N.E.

Lawton, MI49065 SI. Petersburg, FL 33704 616/624-6490 813/823-2339

Charles Harris Stan Gomoll 3933 South Peoria 104290th Lane, NE P.O. Box 904038 Minneapolis, MN 55434 Tulsa, OK 74105 6121784-1172

9181742-7311 Robert D. "Bob" Lumley Dale A. Gustafson N104 W20387

7724 Shady Hili Drive Willow Creek Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46278 Colgate, WI 53107

317/293-4430 414/255-6832

Arthur R. Morgan Gene Morris 3744 North 51st Blvd. 115C Steve Court, R. R. 2 Milwaukee, WI53216 Roanoke, TX 76262

414/442-3631 817/491-9110

Danief Neuman S.H. "Wes" Schmid 1521 Berne Circle W. 2359 Lefeber Avenue

Minneapolis, MN 55421 Wauwatosa, WI 53213 612/571-0893 4141771-1545

DIRECTOR EMERITUS S.J. Wittman

7200 S.E. 85th Lane Ocala, FL 32672

904/245-7768

ADVISORS John A. Fogerty Steven C. Nesse

RR2, Box 70 2009 Highland Ave. Roberts, WI 54023 Albert Lea, MN 56007

715/425-2455 507/373-1674

Peter Hawks Sky Way Bid., Suite 204

655 Sky Way San Carlos Airport

San Carlos, CA 94070 415/591-7191

Copyright ' 1989 by the EM AntiquelClassic Division, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contents

2 Straight and LevelJby Espie "Butch" Joyce

4 AlC News/compiled by Mark Phelps

5 Letters to the Editor

8 Members' Projectslby Norm Petersen

10 Time Capsulelby Mark Phelps Page 12

12 McCabe Airplane: Revisited

16 Greek Treasure/photos by Ted Koston

18 Midwinter Festivallby Norm Petersen

22 Welcome New Members

23 The Forgotten Rockne Crash! by Lt. Col. Boardman C. Reed

25 Pass It To Bucklby E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

30 Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks

31 Vintage Trader

35 Mystery Planelby George Hardie Jr.

FRONT COVER ... Rewing up the Continental A-80 on his 1941 Aeronca 65TC N31832, sin C9181T, mounted on Federal SC-1 -1650 skis is Mark Warning (EAA 188605) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. His Co­pilot in the front seat is another flyer, brother Jon Warning (EM 188606) also of Oshkosh. See Norm Petersen's story of a ski-plane fly-in on page 18.

(Photo by Norm Petersen)

BACK COVER ... Passengers deplaning from Concorde appear to be stepping into the past, in the form of the front cockpit of this Gipsy Moth at EM Oshkosh '88. Poignant photo by the Greek master him­self, Ted Koston. See more of his work on page 16.

The words EM, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION, and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EM INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EM ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC., INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC., are registered trademarks. THE EM SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EM AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EM ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prOhibited. Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material should be sent to: Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield, 3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone: 414/426-4800. The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EM AntiquelClassic Division, Inc., of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield, 3000 Poberezny Rd., Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Member­ship rates for EM AntiquelClassic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EM members for 12 month period of which $12.00 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation. ADVERTISING - AntiquelClassic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertis­ing. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective mmeasures can be taken. Postmaster: Send address changes to EM AntiquelClassic Division, Inc., Wittman Airfield, 3000 Poberezny Rd., Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

Compiled by Mark Phelps

EAA OSHKOSH '89 ­JULY 28 - AUGUST 3

Plans are already well underway for the world 's largest and most signifi cant annual av iati on event - the EAA In ­ternational Fly- in Convention. Accord­ing to Convention Chairman Tom Pob­erezny, EAA's 37th annual event will be held Jul y 28 - August 3 at Wittman Field in Oshkosh, Wisconsin . Pobe ­rezny says, "We feel EAA Oshkosh offe rs a forum where homebuilts, war­birds, antiques, c lass ics, ultra li ghts , light planes, aerobatic and all other air­c raft can be seen in one place and ap­preciated for the signifi cant role they play in our everyday lives. There's something here for everyone - yo ung and old, pilot and non-pilot.

"Last year 's Fly- in was one of our most successful events eve r, espec ially in terms of how smoothl y everything ran and our overall safety record . As always , we look forward to continuing our tradition of posi tive and hea lthy growth as we continue to promote avi­ation to an increas ing ly receptive worldwide audience. "

123.4 and 123.45 ARE ILLEGAL

If you are one of the many pilots who have been using these easy-to-re­member frequencies for air-to-air com­munications , be advised that the only frequencies designated for air-to-air use are 122.750 for low altitude , and 122.975 for high altitude use. (The FAA does not define high and low al­titude) Use of unauthorized frequen­cies could net you a $2,000 fine if your radio station license is current and up to $ 10,000 if you are out of license. Check your paperwork!

A LOOK BACK IN TIME

The following is reprinted from the Twin Bonanza Association Newsletter ,

published by Dick Ward , 19684 Lakeshore Drive, Three Ri vers, Michi ­gan 49093: Though it doesn't relate directl y to Twin Bonanzas, it is simpl y too in ­teresting not to tell you about.

Many of you know that I restored a 1942 Ryan ST and fl y it around for di splay, from time to time. This year at the Kalamazoo Air Show, a senior c itizen from the ne ighboring commu ­nity of Sturgis , Michigan stopped by and was reminisc ing about the 1930s when there was a Ryan on hi s field and how he always loved thi s aircraft. As the conversation went along, he started talking about the two ree ls on 16mm film that were given to him by some­one who di scovered them in the base­ment of a nearby lake house that was be ing torn down . There were many shots of thi s Ryan as well as many other earl y aircraft that were taken by one of the wealthy Sturgis sport sman pilots of that era. Hi s name was Ed Spence and he owned the Carbon Coated Company .

Needless to say, I had to borrow thi s fi lm and project it. When I did , I could hardl y be lieve what I was see ing. Not onl y was there many airport activity scenes of aircraft and people but there are actual shots of the inside of the Ryan factory in San Diego as well as the Conso lidated factory showing the construction of the Stinson Gullwing. These are not only classic but very rare.

Other shots show the 1935 dedica­tion of the Sturgis Airport with some very famous aircraft including a GEE BEE and the Gulfhawk. How about a seaplane landing on a grass runway? It' s there !

Due to the delicate condition of the fi lm , I took on the project of transpos­ing this over to YHS videotape. This was made possible through the efforts of Sandy Fleet of Templeton , Califor­nia . For those who don ' t know , Sandy 's father was Reuben Fleet of the old Fleet Manufacturing company and was also involved with Consolidated Aircraft. Sandy is also very involved as an originator of the new San Diego Air Museum , therefore took a personal interest in helping with the mechanics of this project.

The summary of all this is that the project is now complete and the film is preserved on YHS tape . Quality is superb . One other neat thing about it is that the gentleman who owned the

film is go ing to donate the original footage to the San Diego Air Museum . They will give it a good home as a record for future generations.

If anyone is interested in securing a persona l copy of this tape, I can have duplicates made and sent to you. It' s about a half-hour long. The price is $28.00. You'll see how it used to be!

VINTAGE HOLIDAY GREETINGS

Phil Manke (EAA 34386) of Marke­san, Wisconsin sent these two photos of vintage Christmas cards. He write s:

"Here's a picture of two postcards re­ceived by Philip Stier of Sussex, Wis­consin in 1913 , when about six years o ld . He was the owner and pilot of a Pheasant, a Swallow and other early aircraft. The EAA now has the Pheas­ant that was once hi s. Although these postcards are whimsical , some aero­nautical accuracy is evident.

Sincerely, Phil Manke

CORRECTIONS

The li sting of Oshkosh winners in the September issue erroneously listed Bob LeMieux as the owner of the award-winning 1939 J-3 Cub . In fact, Jim Prometer of Elko , Minnesota is the proud owner. Also, Bob LeMieux's and Ken Yolk 's Stearmans are an N2S­I and a N2S-3 respectively , not N25s.

4 JANUARY 1989

Letters TO The Editor <D] .-~------..'. ....".~-~;rr

MAILWING MEMORIES Dear Editor ,

Thank you fo r the ex tra copies of VINTAGE AIRPLANE with a photo­graph of my Pitcairn PA-7 on the back cover. The photograph was taken over Long Island sometime in the 1960s. Pete Brucia owned the aircraft between

1959 and 1979. You probably recall that thi s airplane was fea tu red on the cover of the April 1984 SPORT AVIA­TION. There were other photos and an article I wrote on the inside. [ am en­closing some snapshots of NC 13 185 shown in the air over Oshkosh and one on the ground at Robbinsv ille , New

Jersey . The restored airplane looks a hell of a lot better than it did when Pete Brucia owned it.

Best Regards, Steve Pitcairn Jenkintown, Pennsy lvania

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

[,etiers T o Th e Edi tor 8 "

CESSNA THUMBS UP Dear Mr. Joyce,

I was very pleased to see the Cessna 140 Oshkosh Fly-in featured as the lead article in the October VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Even more meaningful was my airplane pictured in the article on page 14. The article and my picto­rial participation came as a total sur­pri se and obviously had to do with my N number being 140. Anyone who par­ticipated in the Fly- in event I am sure echos my praise to the organi zers as well as the incredible spirit that was fe lt by all of us. I think the article cap­tured all of that very well , as well as bringing us all up to date on the history of our classic little airplane. Once again , thanks for contri buting to my fl ying enjoyment by your support of the EAA in the Antique/Classic Divi­sion.

Yours very truly, I remain , R. Lee Harman, M.D. , F .A.C.S. Arlington, Washington.

CESSNABRA TION RETRIBUTION

Dear Mr. Phelps, I enjoyed very much your reporting

on the fli ght of the Cessna 1201140 group to Oshkosh. I visited with Art Morgan during the middle of Sep­tember and had heard quite a bit about the event. Art and I worked together for 10 years in Aircraft Parking. I can certainly imagine the exc itement of handling the 163 aircraft. The organi z­ers of the fli ght are to be highl y praised for their ingenuity of the leading and trai ling transponder. The pilots who participated deserve a hand too.

Enjoyable as is the reporting of thi s very hi storic arri val, it is unfortunate that you should slip from reporting to editoriali zing in the article. Even the Cessna company reali zed the shortcomings of the 120/ 140 design and moved ahead to the 150. In answer to Jack Cronin , there were several other "all-metal" airplanes produced at the same ti me as the 1201140 that had , and have , the same performance . At least one of these , produced in large numbers, also provided the safety of tricycle landing gear , outstanding crosswind capabilities and was stall ­and spin-proof. While you may not consider these qualities to be of great

value personally , there are many pilots and members of the Antique/C lass ic Di vision who do . To concl ude your ar­ticle by suggesting that the 1201140 is the answer to the problems of our foun ­dering industry leaves a bad taste in the mouth of at least one of that group .

Perhaps you overlooked the Ercoupe among the all -metal postwar airplanes because it came on the market in 1940 and achieved a 100-mph crui se wi th an A-65 engine and 11 0 with the postwar 85 Continental. Anyway, that is enough nit -pick ing. I did enjoy the ar­ticle .

As always, I look forward to getting VINTAGE AlRPLANE each month . Now that I have joined a religious com­munity and taken a promise of Poverty, my contact with fl ying is strictly through my monthly issue . I tried to convince my Father Superior that the real way to practice poverty is to own an airplane but he didn ' t quite under­stand the argument , not being an air­craft owner.

Give NC2896 1 a lov ing pat for me, Rev. Thomas Rowland Madonna House Combermere, Ontario

PHANTOM PHAN Hi Mark , I wanted to express my appreciation to you for the Luscombe Phantom story (Phantom Dreams, November) in THE VINTAGE AlRPLANE. It was inte rest­ing and very well researched and writ­ten. Thanks for publicizing Luscombe aircraft.

John Bergeson Luscombe Association Remus, Michigan

PHANTOM PHLYER Mark , Thanks again for the great "Phantom Dreams" story - you capture my thoughts well. Your work is we ll-re ­searched and well-presented, of con­siderable help in dispelling some of the Luscombe myths . Hopefull y , you will have encouraged others to learn more of their airplanes ' history. As accurate as your efforts have been , I must suggest two corrections: the photos were by Randy (Randolph , not Ran­dall ) Hoopingarner; and, lest the purists lynch me, point out that I did not remount the tailwhee l. It was done

in 1952 , three or four owners ago , in hi s effort to tame the bird.

Great work! , Doug Combs Luscombe Phantom 272Y Incline Vi ll age . Nevada

FROM THE BIBLIOPHILE FILE

Dear Mr. Parks, I very much enjoy your cont in uing series, "Vintage Literature" in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. I fo und the most recent one on aviati on bibliog­raphies (October) both interesting and usefu l. Bibliographies are an almost essential tool for a serious av iation li­brary because there is more and more and MORE to know about all the ti me . I remember be ing a teenager back in the 1950s when , it seemed, all there was avai lable in the way of books was that dreadful book , AIRCRAFT OF T HE 19 14- 19 18 WAR- and I couldn ' t afford it!

One thought - why not do one of the "Vintage Literature" columns about (or a list of) the top 10 or 20 most rare/expensive/hard-to-find avia­tion books? Three candidates I think of right away are THE FORD STORY, by Bill Larkins, THE PAPERS OF OR VILLE AND WILBUR WRIG HT by McFarl and, and the two-volume set on the Lafayette Escadrille by Nor­dhoff and Hall . Anyone of these three would go for $ 1 OO-plus if one ever saw it listed for sale - but they are seldom seen! I' ll bet you could round out the li st to an even 10 or 20 in short order.

One last thought. A few years ago I started collecting first-ed ition magaz ines . With the mortality rate of aviation mags being what it is , first edition (Vol. I , No. I) mags may be­come rare as well as books. A friend of mine spent several years searching for the fi rst copy of POPULAR A VIA­T ION to complete hi s set. Anyway , first edition magazines might make an interesting column sometime as well .

Thank you again for the continuing series on vintage literature . It 's nice to know you are there at the library ­it 's obviously in very capable hands. There are thousands of us who are very glad to have you there - unfortu­nately , very few of us have the pre­sence of mind to actually tell you so!

Enough of this already!

Happy landings, Gary Fisk Lomita, California

6 JANUARY 1989

This is a 1912 photo of a Roberts 4-X engine. The liquid-cooled, four-cylinder powerplant put out 50 hp and weighed 170 pounds. It is mounted in a Benoist biplane.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

by Norm Petersen

This nicely restored 1946 Taylorcraft BC-12D N95598, SIN 7898, has been flown nearly 250 hours since June, 1987, when Lee Eyler (EAA 278108, AlC 11011) bought the aircraft from John & Glenna Bowden of Lampasas, Texas, who restored the T-craft. Lee reports the yellow and black airplane is truly a "fun flying " machine.

8 JANUARY 1989

Pretty paint scheme of white, red and blue sets off this Ercoupe 415-G, N94432, SIN 5078, flown by Fritz Bachem (EAA 286998) of Oakland, OR. Photo was taken at the Cottage Grove Airport in 1987. Note landing lights on main gear fairings.

A most unique airplane being restored in Florida is this 1933 Curtiss-Wright 16-E, NC12380, SIN 3520, mounted on a pair of 1937 Edo 44-2425 floats. The restorer is veteran EAA member Weldon (Willie) Ropp (EAA 12331) of Delray Beach, FL. He plans on having the two-place biplane flying by Sun 'N Fun '89.

A brand new restoration is featured in the photo of Piper "Cub" J-3C65, N9854F, SIN 20581 , owned by Dr. Mark Logan (EAA 306273) of 215 Crown Point Road, Springfield, VT 05156. Mark is on the left and the restorer, Herbert Draper,- Rutland, VT is on the right. The photo was taken following the first flight in September, 1988. As the airplane logs only go back 8 years, Mark would like very much to hear from anyone with knowledge of this airplane before 1980.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

The Time Capsule by Mark Phelps

SEVERSKY SEV-3 As the first aircraft from Seversky's

company, the prototype SEV-3 (NC2106) was originally built on amphibious floats at the Edo Corporation on Long Island, New York. It first flew in June, 1933 and recorded a top speed of 190 mph. Pow­ered by a 4S0-hp Wright Whirlwind, 2106 was later converted to wheels and achieved a top speed of 210 mph with a 18S-mph cruise. It was ultimately sold to Roberto Fierro of the Mexican Air Force and served as an unarmed Loyalist re­connaissance ship during the Spanish Civil War. A Dewoitine pilot, unfamiliar with the Seversky was flying the SEV-3 to Benolas, Spain when he nosed over on landing. The field had been decimated moments before by Fascist bombers.

Radtke Collectioo #90

n

BERLINER-JOYCE P-16 The B/J P-16 was a two-place, gull-wing

biplane fighter with a 600-hp Curtiss "Conqueror" engine. Henry Berliner teamed with Temple Joyce to produce the .XP-16 prototype. Berliner had earlier developed a helicopter that made a few successful, albeit short flights in 1924. The P-16 could carry five 25-pound bombs and the pilot fired two forward-firing .30 calibre machine guns. The airplane also had a flexible-mount machine gun in the rear, tandem cockpit. The bulging pro­tuberence under the belly is an auxiliary fuel tank.

A 12 page illustrated catalog of the over 1,000 ne9atives in the Radtke Collection is now available from the EAA Foundation Archives for $3.00 postpaid. Write: EAA Aviation Foundation Library, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065 or call 1-800-843-3612.

10 JANUARY 1989

Radtke Collection #733

LUSCOMBE PHANTOM PROTOTYPE The November issue of THE VINTAGE

AIRPLANE featured a story on Linda Gamble's and Doug Combs' Luscombe Phantom, 272Y. Doug says that his air­plane was the last of about 20 Phantoms, but was built at the factory from the fuse­lage of the prototype, shown here. De­signed to be mass-produced on stretch presses, the Phantom gave way to the simpler curves of the Model 8 when the presses proved to be a failure.

-------------~-------------

ALEXANDER EAGLEROCK A-4 The A-4 was the Hispano-Suiza (Hisso)

powered Eaglerock - the last of the series. Earlier Eaglerocks used the ubiq­uitous Curtiss OX-5 engine. The most sig­nificant difference in the fuselage was the nose-mounted radiator on the Hisso model, contrasting the remote-mount, OX-5 unit, usually fitted between the main landing gear. Speaking of landing gear, how about those enormous Goodyear air­wheels? The Alexander Aircraft Company was located in Colorado Springs, Colora­do and J . Don Alexander served as pres­ident. J . A. Mclnaney was its sales man­ager and AI Mooney was in charge of design and engineering.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

The MeCabe Airplane: Revisited

McCABE AIRPLANE ADDENDA

The article on the 19 17 McCabe Aeroplane publ ished in October, 1986 VINT AGE AIRPLANE by Gene Chase has brought fort h a response from one of our readers.

Mr. c.c. "Ace" Cannon (EAA 11 34, AIC 7890) of Greenfie ld , IA paid a visit to the Dawson County Historical Society Museum in Lexington, NE and took the enclosed photos of the McCabe aircraft. His keen eye re­corded many details about the unusual craft constructed by Ira Emmett McCabe, who was later to have 133 patents issued in hi s name.

Mr. Cannon has contributed nearly three full pages of caption information to go along with the photos and we are indeed indebted to him for such a sub­stantial effort in learning more about this pioneer aircraft.

Should further information be forth­coming, you may rest assured that it will be publ ished in The VINTAGE AIRPLANE .•

Features include well streamlined interplane struts, X-bracing between bays and center section and soft coaming around cockpit. Exposed aileron cables offered plenty of drag. Methods of wood fuselage construction would be indeed interesting. Center section is basically an airfoil fuel tank with a conical sump at the right, rear corner.

12 JANUARY 1989

Overall view from the left rear reveals the radical position of the wings and the look of a WW I fighter plane. The 841 number on the wings has not been explained.

Early photos of the McCabe gliders, one hang glider and one with a seat and wheeled landing gear. A "bare bones" glider frame reveals built up ribs and curved wing spars. The last photo shows the McCabe airplane mounted on a set of floats!

Powerplant is a Thor V-twin motorcycle en­gine of about 20 HP converted for aircraft use. Brass wheel rubs on flywheel and drives the tachometer shaft. Although a 4-stroke engine, oiling was possibly done with a total-loss hand pump as on the motorcycle.

Side view of engine reveals magneto and push rod valve system. Note drilled engine mount for light­ness and flat pitch on the laminated propeller.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

The MeCabe Airplane: Revisited

Very husky pivot assembly is the only mounting for the ailerons. Note the profound camber of the under wing surface while the lower surface of the aileron is flat.

The tailskid is mounted on the bottom of the fin, giving rise to some rather wild stick movements during taxi over rough ground! The cable bracing is similar in design to the 1910 Curtiss system.

Landing gear seems to be a little flimsy, but is well designed and shows good craftsmanship. It is simple and of ac­cepted design for the period. Wheels are about 20 x 2 with the tire of wrapped hollow core, high pressure type with wire wheels covered for streamlining.

14 JANUARY 1989

Routing of the aileron cables is appar­ent along with the right handle con­trols of what appear to be a "T" handle throttle, an ignition control and a choke. Note absence of instruments in the panel!

Cockpit controls include rudder bar mounted on firewall and control stick for ailerons and stabilator. Cable ends are inserted into a double copper sleeve and twisted about three turns. For a thimble, a small spring was threaded over the loop area before the splice is made. Regular brass aircraft turnbuck­les are used for rigging purposes.

Entire empennage pivoted to move stabilator up and down. Cables are at­tached to top and bottom of fin. Ply­wood rudder may not be original, ac­cording to pictures. Horizontal surface has camber to produce lift. Elevator re­sponse at cruise speed must have been exciting.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

GREEK TREASURE Photos of Oshkosh and the Shawano Fly-Out by the old master, Ted Koston;

Oshkosh 'SS.

Pan Am pilot at controls. Passenger is his daughter. Names unknown .

•

Bill Rose's North American SNJ-5 flown by Richard Laumeyer, Teton Village, WY, with EAA photogra­pher Ted Koston in rear seat. Photo taken by AlC photographer Jack McCarthy from Bill Rose's 1944 Grumman "Goose". Oshkosh 'SS.

"From little acorns, giants grow!"

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

FESTIVAL

With the ~~wP'ked, we are greeted by......ftbtter (wlJh cof­fee CIIIIt_ '1tOger Koplltz of ~::wr on the right. That's a ....... Jim Soares with my "chop­pers" on his tender hands!

John Hatz hosts ski-plane pilots on his Wisconsin homestead strip.

T he laugh on the other end of the telephone was unmistakeable. Identifi­cation was totally unnecessary! Only Jim had that genuine belly laugh - and he was happy. It was January, 1988, and the winter was in full swing.

"Remember the invi tation you made to fly up to John Hatz's Skiplane Fly- In next month?" said Jim . "Well , I'm tak­ing you up on the invi te!"

"It 's a deal," said I. Thus began one of the more enjoy­

able experiences in the li fe of thi s au­thor. The person involved was Jim Soares (EAA 104408, AIC 2243) of Belgrade, Montana, a dyed-in-the­wool airplane "nut" and all -around nice guy with a sense of humor a mile long! By profession , Jim runs a custom welding and machine shop in Bel­grade, Montana and has an FAA Cer­tified Repair Station for work on Piper Super Cub airframes. For fun , he fl ies an Interstate S-I B I (L-6) which he has

by Norm Petersen owned for many years . His supreme desire in li fe is to fly an airplane on ski s.

At 3:30 Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 10th I met Jim and hi s lovely wife, Dorothy, both fresh from Montana, at

the Wittman Field Terminal and took them over to the local Super 8 Motel for check- in . They were excited about being in Oshkosh during the winter­time and havi ng a chance to spend some time in the EAA museum . Thurs-

Overall view of the runway with many of the ski-planes parked in rows with a Luscombe on skis just taking off. John Hatz's runway is 2500 feet of beautiful grass covered with snow.

18 JANUARY 1989

The first item for a ski-plane fly-in is to warm the engine! Jim Soares waits with antici­pation as the small propane heater brings the glue-like oil up to running temperature. About 15 minutes does the job. Notice Jim has his leather gloves on at this early time.

day and Friday were put to excellent use in really giving the EAA complex the once-over with Jim and Dorothy quite awestruck by what they saw. Fri­day evening , they joined my wife, Loretta, and me for a delightful meal of Alaskan salmon steak - kindly sent down by George and Ruby Pappas of Anchorage, Alaska. (It just doesn't get any better than this!) We talked and visited far into the night with an occa­sional airplane even thrown in! The stars were shining brightly as I drove Jim and Dorothy back to the motel - a perfect omen for the next day .

Bright and early Saturday morning Feb. 13th, I stopped by the motel to pick up Jim and head out to Earl Grunska's airstrip. The weather was cold - but nice! Luck was with us!

Arriving at Earl's, we found George Rotter warming the engine on his 85­hp J-4 Cub Coupe. In just a few min­utes, we transfered the small propane heater to my J-3 Cub. A small 12-volt fan blows the hot air through the stove pipe & up into the engine compart­ment. A piece of canvas is draped over the engine to help hold in the heat.

When we began, you could pull the prop about a foot, let go, and watch it return to the original spot! The 30­weight oil is like rubber at five de­grees! In about 15 minutes , the engine was loose and the oil tank was warm. We quickly disconnected the heater , shoved some snow under the skis and with everybody helping, pushed the Cub out of the hangar.

A few shots of prime, switch on, and the 90-hp Continental came to life , being nursed along with the

primer until it would idle smoothly. A good warm-up is essential at such temps so we let the engine idle for about 10 minutes .

Meanwhile, Geoge and Earl had the J-4 all ready to go , engine ticking over, so we proceeded to stuff Jim into the back seat of the Cub. Now Jim Soares is not a small man and he had taken my suggestion and put on every piece of clothing he owned! Success was fi­nally achieved when he put his (large) boots on the rudder pedals and smiled. I then handed him a roll of 100-mile­an-hour duct tape with instructions to tape up the cracks as we flew along!

This would keep him busy, help us to keep warm and give Jim something to laugh about! The entire roll only lasted about 15 minutes!

We broke the skis loose (left and right rudder) and taxied out behind George's Cub Coupe to the far end of Earl's landing strip . The bright sun was shining on the white snow which made sun glasses a necessity. We swung into the wind, making the wide turn neces­ary on skis, and I hit full throttle. The Cub really came alive in the cold air and after a short run, was airborne and climbing into the cool, crisp, winter air. Jim was totally amazed at the ex­tremely short takeoff, even with two big people on board .

We turned northwest on the heels of George and Earl in the Cub Coupe and leveled off at I ,000 feet - not a ripple in the air. The winter landscape of Wisconsin was quite a treat to Jim with the many fields and forests contrasted against the deep blue sky. Our course was 320 degrees on the compass which we solved by following George (let George do it!)

I could feel occasional tremors go through the airframe as we droned over New London. This had me concerned for a while until I discovered it was Jim shivering in the back seat! The small Arctic heater on the manifold merely kept my feet warm in the front seat. There was nothing left to warm the rear seat or its passenger! Jim had covered nearly all the cracks in the door/window with duct tape and then wrapped himself in a blanket I had

Ken Williams (EAA 10866, AlC 513) of Portage, WI takes a close look at a set of wooden "Northwinci" skis installed on Ted Davis' (EAA 89935, AlC 12403) Stinson 108 from Broadhead, WI.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

taken along. He felt okay, but his feet were cold!

The J-4 Coupe was off the left wing as we passed Tigerton and Wittenberg , making good time with almost zero wind conditions. Passing what I thought was the last highway on the way to John Hatz's airport, I began to look for other aircraft and some famil­iar landmarks . Things didn't quite jibe .

Just to be sure, I dropped down to circle a water tower in the center of a small town . A complete ci rcle revealed no name on the tower! Strange! During the circle , George's J-4 Coupe had dis­appeared, my guess was he had spotted the Hatz airport. We continued to search the area in bigger and bigger circles without success. I asked Jim to c:heck the map in the seat pocket. There was none there! (I suspected a conspi­racy of sorts!)

Suddenly, I remembered a group of pickups and cars parked near a drag strip plowed out on a lake - just a few miles back. We retreated to the south for about eight minutes and soon lo­cated the pickups. Telling Jim we were going down, I pulled on carb heat and we landed on the snow covered ice just beside the drag strip. Many eyes were on us! Leaving the idling Cub with Jim at the controls , I walked over to the nearest threesome and asked where John Hatz 's airstrip was. One fellow said, "About 25 miles due north." I kind of sheepishly thanked him and walked back to the Cub. Jim had that funny (frozen) smirk on his face. " I never would have believed this if I hadn ' t seen it with my own eyes! A

Checking out the author's Cub is veteran pilot Bob Wylie (EAA 78593) of Wausau, WI. Bob flies a J-4 Cub Coupe on floats and also has a Taylorcraft BL-65.

lost pilot, landing to ask where he was! "

I calmly explained to Jim that Cub pilots are never lost - just temporarily confused. Jim laughed so hard he felt warm!

Full throttle on the 90 Continental and the Federal SC-I skis were climb­ing out of the snow in no time. We headed due north with considerably more confidence . Before long, we had passed over the Merrill-Antigo high­way and I cou ld pick out Hatz's airstrip. A white and blue Aeronca Champ on (on skis) pulled up along side and the people took our picture before leading the way in to Hatz's .

A rare and unique set of French made hydraulic wheel skis on Earl Heyrman's Super Cub from Green Bay, WI. Construction is aluminum and fiberglass. Earl says they work very nicely. 20 JANUARY 1989

Later, we found out it was Steve Hartl's Champ from Neosho , Wiscon­sin .

Following Steve on final , I made one of those (famous) Petersen land­ings which even made Jim chuckle in the back seat. We taxied over to the aircraft line and parked next to Steve's Champ . A pretty red & white Super Cub (flown by Earl Heyrman) parked next to us as the arrivals were coming thick & fast.

Now came the big job . We had to get a frozen Jim Soares out of the back seat of the Cub! Besides the abundance of clothes , it was suspected he might have taped himself into the seat! We pulled and lifted , shoved and twisted , and finally with much grunting & groaning, Jim was extracted from the seat and standing upright on the snow! Only the lure of steaming hot coffee and a warm shop caused Jim to pain­fully put one frozen foot in fron t of the other and follow us along the line of ski-planes to John's shop. Eventually, we got him warmed up to where he cou ld talk - we were concerned that rigor mortis had set in! His first word was, "potty" - and off he went on a trot!

A fantastic spread of steaming chili and goodies was eagerly eaten as Ber­dina Hatz and other members of EAA Chapter 640 helped with the big meal. Besides the 26 ski-planes, many people had driven in to swell the numbers. It was quite a gathering of "Eagles". The camaraderie of this rugged bunch of pilots is something else and the sheer joy they receive from flying on skis is almost infectious. It is a way of life

Refueling a ski-plane requires a IiHle muscle work to get the machine up to the gas pump. Aeronca Champ on Federal skis is flown by Steve Hartl (EAA 306105, AlC 12315) from Neosho, WI.

with these people . Even Jim Soares, who was pretty well thawed out by thi s time , admitted these Wisconsin people were the friendliest he had ever come across. And the feeling among the group was unanymous: Anybody crazy enough to come all the way from Mon­tana to attend John Hatz's Ski-plane Fly-In couldn ' t be all bad!

The lengthening shadows beside the airplanes meant it was soon time to head for home. I taxied the Cub to the (auto) gas pump and refueled for the trip home. With help from several bys­tanders , we swung the Cub around and cleared the area for the next airplane. After saying goodbye to all the good people , especially John & Berdina Hatz, many old friends and a bunch of new ones, we coaxed Jim into the back seat of the Cub and I fired up the en­gine. We taxied out in trail with some six ski-planes ahead. One by one, they took off to the west and before long, it was our tum . I firewalled the throttle and the Cub responded in the cold air. In just a few feet , we were airborne and climbing past the remaining crowd by John's shop. Many arms were wav­ing as we turned south over the end of the strip and headed for home - almost a lump in the throat.

The beautiful winter scenery slid past the window as I headed just a bit southwest to pass over Fremont. Fol­lowing the Wolf River south of town, I dropped down to four feet over the ice and followed the curving river for about six miles, turning sharply left and right to stay over the frozen river and between the trees . Snowmobilers waved to us as we ffew by , the late

afternoon sun glistening on the yellow Cub. Jim admitted he had never flown this close to nature in the wintertime! It was exhilarating, to say the least!

Exiting the mouth of the Wolf River, we skimmed over Lake Poygan at four feet above the frozen surface . Lake Winneconne was next and before long , we climbed to 1000 feet over the shore , heading east toward Earl's . Jim felt that with a bit of luck, we would make it home just before he froze to death!

George and Earl were putting the J-4 Cub Coupe in the hangar as we circled and came in for a smooth landing on the snow-covered runway , the skis making a "swish" noise to indicate we

were on the ground! (Petersen , you lucked out again!) Although pretty well frozen, Jim was grinning from ear to ear as we taxied up to the hangar and shut the engine down . I jumped out and started the pickup to get the cab warmed up - in case we were able to extricate Jim from the back seat of the Cub!

After teasing Jim with thoughts of hot coffee, hot tea, hot tub and a Fin­ni sh sauna, he made the supreme effort along with a little pulling and tugging on our part, and managed to move his ice-cold body to the cab of the pickup. The rest of us pushed the Cub into the hangar and tied it down . I hurried to the pickup and drove Jim to the motel with instructions to get in the motel hot tub.

It must have worked because Jim's wife, Dorothy, reported that once Jim was "cooked" for about an hour in the hot tub, the pale blue color turned to pink and Jim was his old self again! She also reported he slept like a baby, completely exhausted from the tough job of flying all day.

After a Sunday of going to church, visiting the Oshkosh area and spending some more time in the EAA museum, Jim and Dorothy stopped by Monday morning to wish us "Good Bye" and many thanks for a most interesting visit. Jim was still talking about ski flying as they boarded the airliner for Montana! Really great people . We had concentrated so much fun into such a short time , it almost hurt to see Jim & Dorothy leave. But one thing you can count on - we will be together again!.

Nicely decorated cake complete with a J-3 on skis and the wording, "Ski Fly-In 'SS, Thanks, John" is presented to a smiling John Hatz by Rick Northrup (EAA 160167) of Green Bay, WI during the big chili feed. The high esteem this "grass roots" instructor has generated among his pupils cannot only be seen on their faces, but can be felt in their quiet expressions of gratitude.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS The following is a partial listing of new members who have joined the EAA Antique/Classic Division (through September 18, 1988). We are honored to welcome them into the organization whose members' common interest is vintage aircraft. Succeeding issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE will contain additional listings of new members.

Abbott, Dudley L. Homer, Alaska

Allan, Jan Askrikevagen, Sweden

Alston, James S. Plymouth, Massachusetts

Aman, Gary A. Akron. Ohio

Ament, Frank Sandwich, Illinois

Armbrust, Douglas R. Greensburg, Pennsylvania

Armstrong, S. Stanley New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Bell Jr., James R. Roanoke, Texas

Bissonette, Bruce E. EI Paso, Texas

Bodinar, John Victoria, Australia

Boettcher, James Enon, Ohio

Bortman, Ralph Agaura, California

Breand, Andre Thiais, France

Buchanan,JohnC. Ada, Michigan

Burson, Dale Arlington, Texas

Calvert, Ian A. Alexandria, Virginia

Capps, Ron W. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Carr, Donald A. Saratoga, California

Case, James Altice Indian River. Michigan

Chapin Jr., Robert W. Edgewater. Maryland

Conley, Kenneth E. Cookeville. Tennessee

Coughlin, Timothy J. Indianapolis, Indiana

Coussens, John Fort Worth, Texas

Davidson, Donald C. Nashua. New Hampshire

De Vries, Robert Jamaica, New York

Dullenkopf, Douglas Santa Paula, California

Egbert, Frank M. Los Altos, California

Ehrenstrom, Ingemar Osterskar, Sweden

Elkins Jr., Walter L. Lake Charles, Louisiana

Ellis, T.L. Emmetsburg, Iowa

Elswick, James L. St. Louis, Missouri

Emerson, D. Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Engelen, Antoine Westerlo, Belgium

Evans, James C. Red Lion, Pennsylvania

Farinha, Christopher Auburn. California

Ferron, Arthur Manchester, Connecticut

Foster, Geoffrey E. Santa Barbara, California

Frumkin, Mark S. Hazelton. Pennsylvania

Gambrell, Robert Columbia, South Carolina

Gillespie, Bob Silver Springs. Maryland

Graver, Gary William Mountain View, California

Grundeman Sr., Fred D. Scandinavia, Wisconsin

Gygax, Larry Waukesha, Wisconsin

Hall, Rowland L. Northfield, Illinois

Headley, Thomas B. Madison, Alabama

Heard, Dan Jackson, Mississippi

Henry, William E. Cumming, Georgia

Holland, William M. Garrett Park, Maryland

Hollister, Ashley New York, New York

Holzer, Charles B. Brown Mills, New Jersey

Hooper, Clint Wichita Falls, Texas

Hower, Linn Idaho Falls, Idaho

Int'l. Civil Aviation Org. Montreal, Quebec. Canada

Jablonski, Richard A. Burlington, Connecticut

Kass, Allan Big Sky. Mountana

Kennedy, Ken Purcell, Oklahoma

Kess, Raymond P. Pembine, Wisconsin

Kitts, James Mansfield, Ohio

Knowles, Bill Palestine, Texas

Krause, Bobby G. Kerman. California

Kraynak, Michael G. Haverhill, Massachusetts

Larsen, Paul E. Spring Hill, Florida

Lerch, Ralph Boone, North Carolina

Leuthauser, J.R. St. Louis, Missouri

Lingl, Stephen J. Rochester, New York •

22 JANUARY 1989

THE FORGOTTEN ROCKNE CRASH

by Lt. Colonel Boardman C. Reed, USAF Retired (EAA 85470, AIC 1069)

Now only dimly remembered by a few old-timers, what was then known as "The Rockne Crash" brought about major changes in American civil avia­tion . Some of the effects of the long­forgotten Rockne Crash are still with us, even today .

The airlines, as we know them, were only a very few years old . . . "just learning to crawl," as it were. Airline equipment was extremely primitive to modem eyes. Big biplane airliners­such as the Boeing 80-As or Curtiss Condors-were almost as common as monoplanes. Speeds and altitudes were not much different from light trainers today. Tail-skids were only beginning to be replaced by tailwheels. Windows slid open for summer ventilation, or to throw your chewing gum wrappers overboard. Single-engine airliners flew scheduled passengers over mountains , at night . The few adventurous-and properly dressed!-Iadies and gentle­men who rode the new airlines were considered to be "air-minded" (anyone remember that term?), and if a business office sent a very important letter "Via Air-mail," they would of course al­ways send a duplicate by rail , "just in case" ... and some times the 3-cent surface mail would arrive before the

6-cent air-mail. This was the era of "The Rockne Crash" ... and this was airline travel at the very beginning of the Great Depression ... at the opening of the 1930s decade .

But some things never change ... then, as now, there were airline mer­gers, and this particular merger also had a bearing on the Rockne Crash. A new but powerful latecomer, Trans­continental Air Transport (T AT), had begun operations on July 8, 1929 with a fleet of beautiful new Ford Trimotors on an "air-rail," 48-hour schedule be­tween Los Angeles and New York. Passengers slept in speeding railroad Pullman cars on the two nights and flew during the two days. The second airline was Maddux Airlines, which began flying smaller and older Ford Trimotors on November 2, 1927 out of Los Angeles.

The third airline was the highly suc­cessful Western Air Express, for 60 years the oldest surviving airline (as Western Air Lines) in America. West­ern Air Express began operations April 17, 1926 with Liberty-powered Doug­las open biplanes, one of which is now on display in the National Air and Space Museum. Within 21 months, W AE was operating luxurious Fokker Trimotors, first from Los Angeles to San Francisco, and soon east to Kansas City . (I once had a flight in Western's Fokker F-IO, No . NC5358, the third built) . The Fokker F-1 Os had a fabric­covered, welded steel-tube fuselage,

plywood-covered wings with spruce spars and ribs, and a tail skid; the more numerous F-I OAs had a tail wheel. The Ford Trimotor was an obvious copy of the Fokker, except for its all-metal construction . At the time, few would have believed that the beautiful Fok­kers would be completely extinct, ex­cept for a couple in museums, within ten years, while a few rugged Fords would still be flying over half a century later ... including EAA's beautiful NC8407.

Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) completed a merger with Mad­dux and Western Air Express and on October I, 1930 Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) came into exis­tence . (TWA changed its name to Trans World Airlines in 1945). West­ern Air Express, however, retained one short route (and later expanded again) under its own name . Eight of their Fok­ker F-I OA Super Trimotors were soon transfered to the new TWA, with 'Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc." replacing the old Western Air Ex­press name, but retaining the colors, indian-head insignia and other mark­ings of WAE. One of these, the very last Fokker F-IOA Trimotor built, NC999E, brings us to the point of this story . . . The Rockne Crash.

TWA Flight 5, Kansas City to Los Angeles, March 31, 1931 was ready to depart. Captain Bob Fry and copilot H. Jesse Mathias were in the cockpit, ready to start the three "Wasp" en-

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

gines. Six passengers were manifested , only half filling the 12-place cabin . . . but one had a change of plans at the last minute. Knute Rockne took his place .

Knute K. Rockne was a well-known and highly respected household name in America through the 1920s. Born in 1888 in Norway, he came to the United States at the age of five, entered Notre Dame University at 22, became a chemistry instructor and assistant foot­ball coach ... and finally head football coach in 1918 . Rockne quickly became famous as the greatest football coach of all time, with his emphasis on good sportsmanship and tactics such as the forward pass. His Fighting Irish foot­ball teams won a spectacular 105 games, losing only 12 others and tying five . His "Four Horsemen of Notre Dame" were the greatest and best know team players in the history of college football .

It was overcast and humid in Kansas City when NC999E took off on schedule at 9:15 a.m. with a total of eight people on board, including the pilots. The copilot also doubled as the steward, serving box lunches, coffee from a thermos and chewing gum to help pop the passengers' ears. Captain Fry held the big Fokker low, maintain­ing CFR (Contact Flight Rules) through a fast-moving weather front east of Wichita, their first stop . It must have been a rough ride. What we now call "scud-running" was a normal routine for airliners as recently as haIf­a-century ago . .. and just as danger­ous.

Excerpts from the Department of Commerce Aeronautics Branch (pre­decessor of the CAA and FAA) pre­liminary report, pick up the story. "At approximately 10:35 a.m. the airplane radioed to the Wichita radio station to learn how the weather was at that point. Wichita replied that the weather conditions there were satisfactory for flying and inquired of the pilots as to whether or not they could get through. The reports indicate that the pilots did not respond to this question. At 10:45 the Wichita radio station again radioed the plane and asked whether or not they would get through. The pilots replied to the effect that they did not know ."

(From the author's experience, the old low-frequency radios had unbeliev­able static [compared to today's air­craft radios] in a situation like that .. . and their final reply quite probably indicates a rapid increase of pilot stress).

"The examiners found that the 24 JANUARY 1989

watches on three of the occupants had stopped at times varying between 10:45 and 10:50, indicating that the crash occurred at perhaps 10:47 or thereabouts, or approximately two to three minutes after the last radio com­munication was received from the airplane.

"Eyewitnesses to the crash advised the investigators that the airplane went into a dive of approximately 55 degrees and that a section of wing from the outboard engine was missing. This wing section was seen in the air float­ing down somewhat like a piece of paper and was found approximately a quarter of a mile away from the crashed airplane .

'The investigators were advised that ice had collected on the entering edge of the airplane wing on the flight in question, and it is, therefore, assumed that ice had also collected around the hub of the propeller. It is possible that a substantial piece of ice may have bro­ken loose from the hub and been struck by one of the propeller blades, result­ing in the breakage of the blade.

"With one blade thus broken, the re­sultant shock to the entire structure was probably transmitted through the brace struts . .. Such a shock would have been sufficient to have broken the pro­peller hub and to have caused the wing rupture ."

There were other theories about what caused the wing to break off, and also subsequent and more complete ac­cident reports. Readers wishing greater details and photographs are referred to American Aviation Historical Society Journals (Fall/Winter 1983, Summer 1984, Spring 1985, Fall 1986).

The sudden death of Knute Rockne and seven others in the crash of TWA Flight 5 on March 31, 1931, in a field near Bazaar, Kansas , caused not one , but three very large, separate and dis­tinct shock-waves in American life.

One shock wave was in the sports world. Rarely, if ever, has the death of a sports celebrity caused such uni­versal grief among American athletes. Even teams regularly beaten by the "Fighting Irish of Notre Dame" held memorial services . Some newspapers had the story bordered in black.

A second shock wave was in the larger world of American society. Knute Rockne, as a football coach, was amazingly well-known, both by name and reputation in all walks of life, something rarely known before or since, and therefore hard to understand by later ge·nerations. Newspapers some two years later still speculated on the

causes of his accident, and mourned Knute Rockne. A movie was made of his life . There was a Rockne au­tomobile . And there still is a Rockne Memorial on the exact spot of the crash , in a remote, hard-to-find field near Bazaar, Kansas.

The third shock wave was not as pre­dictable, perhaps, but infinitely longer lasting in its effects . . . the field of commercial aviation. Airplanes had been crashing from the beginning, and as they grew larger, there was of course , a larger loss of life , sometimes considerably more than was lost in NC999E. Never before 'The Rockne Crash" (as it soon came to be known), however, and not until over half a cen­tury later has an airliner crash caused such an impact on commercial avia­tion, or such a public outcry: A. The Department of Air Commerce tem­porarily "grounded" all Fokker Trimotors , the first general airliner­grounding by type, in history. The U.S . Government soon established new safety rules and regulations for all civil aircraft that, in greatly expanded form , even private pilots are still living with today. B. In a very real way be­cause of the Rockne Crash-together with other business problems, the economic Depression, the stronger all­metal Ford Trimotors, and the soon-to­fly more modem Boeing 247-the Fokker Aircraft Corporation of America, by then controlled by Gen­eral Motors, soon disappeared. And C. Because of the Rockne Crash, the major airlines feared public resistance to flying in that type of aircraft. The term "trimotor" even made the old Ford airliner suspect. The major air­lines all wanted new equipment, but United Air Lines had monopolized the new Boeing 247 production line. There was nothing else available. TWA, badly stung by the Rockne publicity, asked several aircraft companies for an entirely new design ... and the rest is well-known history. A little company making military fabric-covered, open­cockpit biplanes out in southern California got the order with an im­provement on the little Boeing. It was simply called the DC-I, and it even had flaps! And so the great Douglas Company, with its massive production of DC-2s through DC-lOs-including their most famous DC-3s--{)wes its impetus in a very real way to Knute Rockne's death . . .

in a forgotten fabric-covered airliner . . on a rain-soaked Kansas hillside .. so many years ago . •

PASS IT 10 --1] An information exchange column with input from readers.

by Buck Hilbert (EAA 21, Ale 5) P.0. Box 145 Union, IL 60180

Things are heating up here at the Funny Farm. With the advent of the winter-ee weather it seems people are spending more time indoors and think­ing more about their airplanes. I've had several calls this month. Jim Morgan EAA 4229 from the Kansas City area, an old acquaintance from my Ryan PT days at the Dacy Airport, called to say that Andy Anderson at Bates City, Missouri, another of our "good ole boys, always there when you need him," antiquers, is a good source for parts and stuff. I know Andy and so does everyone else from the old school. I'm glad to hear he's still around and still helping people. Take it easy on him now, if you're gonna write to him please include a self ad­dressed stamped envelope. Also be serious! At his stage of the game he doesn't need pen pals or late-night phone calls. Andy just might be the source for those Lamb wheel conver­sions and also the old instruments that

one fel\a wants for his Fairchild 22 pro­ject.

And; speaking of wants and what nots, I'm beginning to realize I have passed up the best deal going. That "Best" Deal is the Vintage Trader in our magazine THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Hey, for five bucks a guy can tell all our members what his needs are or if he has some surplus to dispose of. Look back there. I'm going to have some ads there and I'll tell you why.

Number-one son Robert, (he's a Classic judge) bought himself a Cessna 170A during the Convention . Now he has always wanted one, wanted it so bad he was even willing to purchase it with a sick engine, so he did it! I looked it over and found that a cylinder had shed chrome and that it was all through the engine . I didn't even want him to ferry it home after reading the logs, but he did anyway. Well to shor­ten up the story, when we split the case there was nothing but garbage inside .

Thereupon we embarked upon a very expensive and time-consuming search in an attempt to find a Continental C­145 or an early 0-300 with an eight­bolt flange. I'll bet we've invested bet­ter than $200.00 in telephone calls, and what's the date? We haven't hit paydirt yet! This telephone campaign started 'cause we thought we'd save time. Well, guess again! I think we'll put that five dollar ad in Vintage Trader. Vintage Trader is a direct pipeline to the really hard-core, interested mem­bers of our organization . It weeds out a lot of the speculator types, too, and gets right to the heart of the matter with people who have the same interest, likes and dislikes as you do.

I know! The time involved is a big stumbling block. With the lead time for publication being before the fif­teenth of one month there is no possi­ble way you'll get any action before 30 or even 45 days, but shucks! We've been on the phone since the third week in August and we've contacted less than one percent of the people who read THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. It ' s looking better to me all the time. I'm gonna try it!

I'm just home from the October Board meeting up at HQ. This was an especially rewarding time because after each division had its meetings we met for a huge joint session. More than 100 attending directors and officers from our division, Warbirds, lAC, The Museum Foundation and EAA all got a chance to "kick the gong around." This sharing of mutual problems and ideas is the greatest experience we could hope for. The lAC with its tre­mendous esprit de corps, the Warbirds with their elan, the EAAers and their dreamships, the Museum board guys from all the divisions, our own Antique & Classic people, the Ultralighters, and the Canadians, all in the same room along with the staff of EAA. It has to be the highlight of the year. We are all so busy at the Convention we haven't time to get together like this. And it's here we see how great our

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25

leaders like Tom and Paul Poberezny are in action. I just wish all of you could be there! But then again, you ARE! You 've got your division offic­ers and directors who are your reps . You ' ll find their names and addresses in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE masthead. Give them a chance to front for you if you've got something on your mind. They'll do it! Our new president " Butch" Joyce is a real jewel, too . This past meeting was my first opportunity to work with him and get a little insight as to his way of doing things. He may be a soft- spoken south­ern boy , but he 's good!

One of the subjects we kicked around, with Ben Owen-Tech director and Fred Cailey-IAC, was a concern of everyone who may fly or own one. The Citabria-Decathalon series of airplanes . I haven ' t exact numbers on this, but there have been several "fat­als" as a result of overstressing the machines. This gives me qualms be­cause I was one of the people who shot down the NPRM when the FAA wanted a mandatory spar inspection . I was really in a quandry wondering if we 'd made a mistake defeating the NPRM .

Well , as it turns out. The "failures" to date have not been in the area the NPRM targeted to be inspected, but just about a foot outboard of the wing attach fitting or outboard of the strut attach fitting . These have all been the result of overloads, in the opinion of the FAA investigators . EAA staff member , Ben Owen, helped me with thi s investi gation , and thi s comes di­rect from his FAA source .

Overloads? What' s causing them? Are the guys trying to make a Pitts out of a Citabria or a Decath? Well, maybe! But the two I'm most familiar with don ' t read that way. The final finding has not been officially released yet , but I can tell you that the scenario looks something like this.

Picture now , a 2S0-pound guy in the front seat. He had to grunt a little get­ting in didn't he. He supported himself with the seat back as he climbed in. Both feet on the floor with all hi s weight butted up against it as he slid down and fastened the belts. And now they are airborne. We see them do a nice easy loop. At the bottom the wing folds and the airplane augers in . No­body got out! What happened?

Well , the indications on two of these accidents point to that seat back. Under the G loads at the bottom of the loop, it broke! The thing just let GO, and the pilot or passenger as the case might 26 JANUARY 1989

be, fell into the back seat shoving the rear stick all the way AFT!

What a way to end the scene . . . Let' s tell all the owners and pilots of these machines to fly them within their limits and to give that seat back a real once over--often!

VFR DIRECT IN A TAYLORCRAFT

Dear Buck , Just read your October column and

wanted you to know I recently did my long cross country (for my private license) using VFR direct. I had to! I did it in my '40 Tay lorcraft BL-6S. It was an experience all right! Six hours at 1,500 feet, 90-degree temperatures and I got passed by three National

"Hey, for five bucks

a guy can tell what his needs

are."

Guard helicopters! I wouldn't trade that experience for ANYTHING!

Sincerely, Ted Jones South Haven , Michigan

Hi Ted, Sure nice ot hear from you, espe­

cially since you do MY kind offly in , . I had a T-Cart once, a '46 BC-I. It only had one door on the passenger side . It was a little gem to fly but what a beast to get in and out of, especially if the passenger wasn't a good prop man. You had to chock it or tie it, prop it and then crawl in before the passen­ger could get in . I flew it a lot from the right side, even though the brakes were on the left only. Wish I had it now, but then I have a love affair going with every airplane I see or think about. If [' d had half as many girlfriends as [' ve had airplanes, [' d have been dead years ago!

Over to you, Buck

Dear Buck , I enjoyed your column in the

November issue but it left one question in my mind . What are you going to do to correct the sticking valve problem in your engine, or is Mogas and Mys­tery Oi l the final solution?

I am not tryi ng to be a wise guy but only searching for information as an A&P mechanic with a recently ac­quired license. I am not familiar with nor were we exposed to the peculiarities of the LeBlond eng ine at our school.

I also thought it was gratifying to read about the people who were willing to help in your time of need . Maybe it would be a good idea for our organiza­tion to solicit on a regular basis from the readers the names of people who have helped them in their time of need and publish these names as a "Good Samaritan" column. It would be a small recognition to the person or firm who helped out and at the same time generate some pos itive news when vir­tually everything we see, read or hear from the media is so negati ve . It may also encourage other people to be more helpful.

Sincerely yours, Francis Krieger (A/C 9207)

Hello Fran, Appreciate your letter and the ques­

tion you ask regarding the final solu­tion to the dry valve problems on the LeBlond. This is not the only "old" engine that suffers the same problem . The Marvel-Outboard-Two-cycle 50­to-one mix of seven ounces to 10 gal­lons offuel, preferably the leaded reg­ular as used in that day, is the only solution other than one being used by some ofthe antiquers as a supplement.

Th is involves pulling all the valves at top overhaul and having a specialty house apply a mollybidinium sulfide coating to the stems. This coating, ap­proximately I I 1,000 thick, then acts as a self lubricant that is heat resistant and will help prevent sticking and siez­ing if the valve stem runs dry in the guide. This does not replace the lub­ricant and I doubt that the FAA would approve, but it does work . About 12 to 15 years ago, this technology helped a lot of race cars and high-temp engine operators.

The latest is to coat the valve stems with a ceramic dry film plating. This can only be described as experimental as well. The ceramic can be applied to any thickness desired. It does much the same thing as the mollybidinium sul­

fide , but the ceramic can be built up to almost any depth (thickness) de­sired. The valve guide then must be reamed to the proper clearance .

Sure nice to hear from you . f'm sure you understand why I can' t recom­mend or reveal a source for the above methods . I think your suggestion to put the "Good Guys" in print where all would know and meet them is a good one. Meanwhile , it's always a pleasure to hear from a fellow mechanic who is at least interested in learning about "old world" technology. We are in the computer age and the $30,000 diag­nostic interpreter for the computer readout that they need to tune up a new Ford or Chevy just ain ' t available for these old airplane engines. We learn from experience and we try to pass it on so the next guy will have an idea where to start.

Over to you, "Buck"

The fo llowing is a section from an original LeBlond service manual. The text and diagrams may be of interest to fans of "old world" engines such as the LeBlond:

Lubrication System

The oil tank should have at least two gallons capacity and should be located in such a manner as to insure some air circulation around it during warm weather. It is best to locate the bottom of the tank just above the inlet to the pump although oil cir­culation may be maintained with the tank in a lower pos­ition, once the pump is primed.

The line to the pressure pump should be located near the bottom of the tank, and some sort of a trap or screen should be provided if possi­ble to prevent particles ofdirt

or metal from reaching the pump. The scavenging or re­turn line should either enter the tank from the top, or through a stand pipe if it should prove more conve­nient to make the connection at the bottom. A standard 11 4-inch pipe tap is provided in the gear case to attach a pipe for venting the oil tank into the engine. This will insure against loss of oil from the tank either in maneuvers or through expansion.

"I doubt that the FAA

would approve,

but it does work"

Both pressure and scavenging oil lines should be 5/8-inch I. D., being at­tached to the connections on the pump through a flexible hose and clamps. At least one or more such flexible connections should be placed between the pump and tank at suitable posi­tions if a metal pipe is used. Better still is an approved flexible pipe line which re­quires no joints and has even less possibility of breaking. This is something that de­mands careful attention, as a broken oil line is not only un­

pleasant but may prove ex­tremely serious at times.

The pressure line to the gauge is 1I4-inch O.D., a 1/8 pipe thread for a standard SAE pipe connection being prOvided at the rear of the gear case. The gauge should be able to register pressures up to 120 psi. The usual care should be exercised in eliminating the possibility of a broken line.

All oil connections should be made tight to prevent pos­sible leaks as the pump will otherwise not function prop­erly. When the connections on the pump are placed in a desirable position and the oil pressure is found satisfac­tory, everything should be safetied by lock wires.

There is no necessity to in­stall an oil cooler or radiator as the heat given to the oil by the engine is not excessive. The oil will cool itself in the engine and return line or in a tank of sufficient capacity if the required amount of air circulation is permitted. Every air-cooled engine should be equipped with an oil thermometer as this is the only simple means by which the engine temperature can be recorded in an airplane. Care should be used when installing the oil thermome­ter as it is usually a delicate instrument. The bulb of the thermometer is inserted into the oil sump, and the tubing should be clipped or taped for support at several conve­nient points. The dial should have graduations from 100 to 212 degrees Farenheit Prices and reccomendations on these instruments will be furnished on request

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27

"7(J" LEBLOND "85"

MODEL 5E.

From the LeBlond service manual.

28 JANUARY 1989

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THREE EARLY CLASSICS OF AERO­NAUTICAL LITERATURE

By the last decade of the 19th Century the leadership in aeronautical research had shifted to the United States . In Europe Li­lienthal was dead and researchers did little to share data or co-operate with one another.

In America under the leadership of Oc­tave Chanute serious aeronautical research­ers were able to keep in contact with one another. Chanute and other leaders, primar­ily, James Means in Boston and Samuel Langley in Washington, spread the word of progress in research through publications that have become classics of aeronuatical literature. These publications were some of the main source materials used by the Wright Brothers in their pursuit of powered flight.

When Wilbur Wright communicated with the Smithsonian Institution in 1899 wishing to avail himself of "all that is al­ready known" concerning the problem of mechanical flight , the institution recom­mended three books for study . These were: PROGRESS IN FLYING MACHINES by Octave Chanute , THE AERO NAUTICAL ANNUAL edited by James Means and EX­PERIMENTS IN AERODYNAMICS by Samuel P. Langley .

OCT AVE CHANUTE PROGRESS IN FLYING MACHINES New York, 1894, 308 p. Reprinted by Lorenz & Herweg, 1976 .

This book was a compilation of a series of 27 articles that had appeared in the American Engineer and Railroad Journal from October, 1891 to November, 1893.

Chanute, one of America ' s leading civil engineers, was nearly 64 years old when he took an interest in aeronautics. He col­lected everything in print related to the sub­ject, instituting correspondence with re­searchers in the United States and in Europe.

His study and correspondence was shared through a series of articles that ap­peared in the railway engineering journal mentioned above. It was these articles that were later compiled and edited as his book in 1894.

When Chanute retired from his profes­sion as a civil engineer in 1896, he began his own experiments in manned flight. With the help of August Herring he de­veloped a range of gliders that were flown

from the sand dunes of Indiana east of Chicago where over 300 flights were made.

The main value of Chanute's book was the detailed survey of prior developments on the road to powered flight from the likes of Henson and Stringfellow to his contem­poraries: Hargrave, Lilienthal and Langley. His concluding chapter was a summary of the theories covered in the book along with his comments on how the information could be used to "conduce a possible solu­tion of the problem of aviation ."

The two problems he thought to be the most difficult to solve for successful pow­ered flight were the development of a motor and the ability for the aircraft to maintain equilibrium.

JAMES MEANS THE AERONAUTICAL ANNUAL, Bos­ton, 1895 , 1896, 1897 .

Of less technical stature than Chanute, but important in this time period was James Means. Means was a shoe manufacturer who gave up his business when he had amassed enough money for his family to live on and then devoted his energies to the study and promotion of aeronautics.

Although Means studied bird flight , and built kites and gliders , his greatest influ­ence was in disseminating the aeronautical information provided in his three annuals. Means believed that by publishing the in­formation "it might bring experimenters to­gether, thus preventing waste of effort."

He collected and edited the most signif­icant papers he could find on past and cur­rent developments. His contributors in­cluded Lilienthal, Chanute , Hargrave, Langley and others. He also provided a ser­vice by reprinting the classic. British papers of Cayley and Wenham.

These volumes, which were also pub­lished in London, provided valuable data and encouragement to those seriously in­terested in heavier-than-air flight. The first volume of 1895 contained mainly historic papers. It was sent gratis to known ex­perimenters around the world and to all United States public libraries in cities of over 100,000 population. This in tum brought in contributions that he used for the second and third volumes.

When the time came to prepare the fourth volume Means found that he didn ' t have enough material, and as circulation had mostly been gratuitous, he decided not to proceed.

SAMUEL PIERPONT LANGLEY EXPERIMENTS IN AERODYNAMICS Washington DC, 1891

The first major figure in American aeronautics, Samuel P. Langley was trained in architecture and civil engineering but later turned to astronomy and as­trophysics. His interest in aeronautics dated from the time he read a paper presented at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

From 1887 until his death in 1906 he was Secretary of the Smithsonian Institu­tion . After years of experiment he success­fully demonstrated heavier-than-air flight in 1896 with the flight of a steam powered tandem wing model aircraft. A full size version of the "Aerodrome" was completed in 1902 but failed to achieve flight.

He started serious investigation of flight in 1887, when he constructed a whirling arm 60 feet in diameter to test flat planes, in order to "demonstrate experimentally certain propositions in aerodynamics which prove that such flight under proper direc­tions practicable ."

His work is reported in EXPERIMENTS IN AERODYNAMICS . He concluded that one horsepower could sustain over 200 pounds in the air at a horizontal speed of somewhat over 60 feet per second.

The book is important in that it fully documents not only the results of the exper­iments, but the conditions of the experi­ments . It provides detailed tables of results and drawings of both the test apparatus and of the measuring devices.

Langley ' s work plotting angle of attack of the test planes against pressure was able to verify earlier formulas for predicting lift and drag for lifting planes . He believed his work "demonstrated that we already pos­sess in the steam engine as now con­structed, or in other heat engines, more than the requisite power to urge a system of rigid planes through the air at a great velocity, making them not only self-sus­taining but capable of carrying other than their own weight."

This he was able to demonstrate in 1896 when his No.5 " Aerodrome" flew for over 3,000 feet.

UPDATE on the September VINTAGE article on aviation bibliographies: Jay Mil­ler of Aero Fax has announced that he has copies of the Hannibal bibliography AIR­CRAFT, ENGINES AND AIRMEN avail­able for sale at $39.95. Write Jay at: AeroFax, P.O . Box 200006, Arlington, TX 76006 .

30 JANUARY 1969

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00 for one year, including 12 issues of Sport Aviation. Junior Membership (under 19 years of age) is available at $18.00 annually. Family Member­ship is available for an additional $10.00 annually.

ANTIQUE/CLASSICS EAA Member - $18.00. Includes one year membership in EM An­tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of ThB Vintage Airplane and membership card. Applicant must be a current EM member and must give EM membership number.

Non-EAA Member - $28.00. In­cludes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Air­plane, one year membership in the EM and separate membership cards. Sport Aviation not included.

lAC Membership in the Intemational Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an­nually which includes 12 issues of Sport AerobBtJcs. All lAC members are required to be members of EM.

WARBIRDS Membership in the Warbirds of America, Inc. is $25.00 per year, which includes a subscription to Warblrds. Warbird members are required to be members of EAA.

EAA EXPERIMENTER EM membership and EAA EXPERI­MENTER magazine is available for $28.00 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 aI/ letters to EAA or the particular division at the fol­lowing address:

WITTMAN AIRFIELD OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086

PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS:

8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI.

32 JANUARY 1989

S\f\~"'''A\'] THE JOURNAl OF ~ THE AIRPlANE 1920·1 940

leo Opdycke, Editor

W.W.1 AERO (1900-1919), and SKYWAYS (1920-1940): our two Journals, which contain:

• information on current projects • historical research • news of museums and airshow5 • workshop notes • technical drawings, data • in formation on paint and color • photographs • aeroplanes. engines, parts for sale • scale mOdelling mater ial • PLUS: your wants and disposals • news 01 current publ icat ions 01 all kinds • PLUS more ...

Sample copies $4 each.

Published by WORLD WAR 1 CJ.e,t.,~ , INC. 15 Crescell! Koad. POIl}lllkeepsic. NY

25c per word, 20 word minimum. Send your ad to The Vintage Trader, WIHman Airfield

Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591 .

AIRCRAFT: Chester's GOON, GEE BEE's, "BULL DOG, " MONOCOUPE "110", Culver "Cadet", etc. Plans catalog $3.00, REFUNDABLE. Vern Clements, AI C 5989, 308 Palo Alto Drive, Caldwell, ID 83605. (1-89)

(2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks, 1931 and 1934. Pack­age includes extra engine and spares. Fuselage, wing spars and extra props. Museum quality! $30.000 firm! Hisso 180-hp Model "E". 0 SMOH with prop and hub and stacks. Best oHer over $10,000. 20 hours on engine. $12,500. No tire kickers, collect calls or pen pals, please! E.E. "Buck" Hilbert, P.O. Box 424, Union . Illinois 60180-0424.

PLANS: POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying . Big, roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3'12 gph at cruise setting. 15 large instruction sheets. Plans - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609 .

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to lollow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw­ings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing ­$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building ­$12.00 plus $2.50 postage. Send check or money order to : ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462. Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.

ENGINES 108-hp Lycoming 0-235-C2C engine. 1,985 hours n on 2,400-hour TBO. Logs available. Cur­rently flying on a 1973 Grumman AA1-B. Mags and harness not included. $2,500. Contact Mark Phelps, 414/426-4825.

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet. ..

1260 1. USA 19 14 1473·3679

MISCELLANEOUS: Miscellaneous OX-5 Parts, Swallow Biplane con­trol surfaces, PT-19 engine panels, and miscel­laneous, 200 Ibs. small parts, Penguin trainer. Phil Stier, 414/394-3431. (1-89)

Have We Got A Part for You! 20 years accumula­tion 01 parts for all types of aircraft - antiques, classics, homebuilts, warbirds. Everything from the spinner to the tail wheel. Air Salvage of Arkansas, Rt. I , Box 8020, Mena, AR 71953, phone 501 /394­1022 or 501 /394-2342. (3-2/579111 )

CUSTOM EMBROIDERED PATCHES. Made to suit your design, any size, shape, colors. Five patch minimum. Free random sample and brochure. Hein Specialties, 4202P North Drake, Chicago, IL 60618-1113. (c-2/89 )

1910-1950 Aviation items for sale - helmets, goggles, instruments, manuals, everything original and old. 44-page catalog available, $5.00. Air­mailed. Jon Aldrich , POB-706, Airport, Groveland, CA 95321. (1-89/5)

WANTED: Wanted: Cowling for 1939 Pre-war Aeronca Chief S-65C with top exhausts. Need nose bowl, the baffling that goes around cylinders, also lower one piece. Need good pants, have junk now. 712/262­8971 after 9:00 p.m. COT. (1-89)

Wanted: Information leading to the location and recovery of a rebuild able Loening C2C Flying Boat. Letters answered. Bob Foster, Box 175, Wayne, Maine 04284. (1-89)

Wanted : Vintage motorcycle to go with my 1937 Monocoupe. Let me know what you have. Ed, 7797 Baseline, Boulder, CO 80303, 303/499-4070 . (I I 89-2)

TOOLS: Tools, hand & power for all aircraft work. Rivet­ers - Drills - Fasteners - Accessories - Tool Kits. Everything for the kit builder - 96-page catalog available. $2.00 (refundable with first order). U. S. Industrial Tool & Supply Company, 15159 Cleat Street, Plymouth, MI 48170. Call toll-free 1-800­521 -4800. (4/89-6)

RE-UVEITI The fabulous times of Turner, Doolittle, Wedell

and Wittman recreated as never before in this 600-page two-volume series. Printed on high grade paper with sharp, clear photo reproduction. Official race results 1927 through 1939 - more than 1,000 photos - 3-view drawings - scores of articles about people and planes that recapture the glory, the drama, the excitement of air racing during the golden years.

Vol. I (no. 21-14452) and Vol. II (no. 21 -14451) are sold for $14.95 each, with postage charges of $2.40 for one volume and $3.65 for two volumes. Send your check or money order to: EAA Aviation Foundation, Attn: Dept. MO, Wittman Airfield, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 414/426-4800. Outside WisconSin, phone 1-800-843-3612.

Fly high with a quality Classic interior

Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation.

Custom quality at economical prices.

• Cushion upholstery sets • Wall panel sets • Headliners • Carpet sets • Baggage compartment sets • Firewall covers • Seat slings • Recover envelopes and dopes

Free catalog of complete product line.

Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 33

"The Odyssey of Amelia Earhart" ­

THE BUILDING OF VOYAGER $49.95

The complete, in-depth story of one of aviation's greatest achievements ­the non-stop, non-refueled flight around the world by Voyager - and the dedicated crew that made it pos­sible. Narrated by Cliff Robertson, this revealing tape takes you behind the scenes to recount every aspect in the amazing saga of this incredible "do­it-yourself high tech" accomplish­ment. VHS 21-36421; Beta 21-36422; 8mm 21-36853.

WITNESS TO THE EXECUTION $34.00 (Video/Book Combination)

startling reva­lations in this painstakingly researched book and companion video by T. C. Brennan. Eyewitness accounts and documented evidence to support conclusions reached by the author. Exciting, in­triguing, a story you won't soon forget. Video/ book conbination sent in a special. convenient. hand­some package for easy access or storing. VHS 21-36433; Beta 21-36434; 8mm 21-36857.

Video only - $19.95 VHS 21-36431; Beta 21-36432;

8mm 21-36856 Softcover Book only - $11.95

21-37871

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BASIC AIRCRAFT PAINTING $39.95

Leam the secrets of the experts with these detailed instructions on how to paint an all metal aircraft. Tips and techniques by professional painters that covers 10 different topics includ­ing stripping, etching, filling and sand­ing, base colors, spraying colors, and more. Another in EAA's continuing "How-To" series. 60 minutes. VHS 21­36467; Beta 21-36468; 8mm 21-36854.

BEAVER COUNTRY $39.95

Floatplane flying at its best! An in­depth look at the deHaviland Beaver­its history, flying characteristics, water handling techniques and demonstra­ting proper takeoff and landing pro­cedures for variable water surface conditions. Excellent air to air photo­graphy. Breathtaking scenery. VHS 21­36435; Beta 21-36436; 8mm 21-36858.

BE SURE TO SPECIFY VHS, BETA OR 8mm Shipping and Handling Charges Extra

WI residents add 5% Sales Tax to all orders.

THEY UVE FOREVER $39.95

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I To order by mail (include check, money order or credit card number) I tain aircraft to "Grand Champion" EAA quality. I write: EAA Catalog Sales, Wittman Field, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. I Interviews with aviation pioneers, restorers, pilots.L_______~~i~~~a~~~~.________I See judges in action. 60 minutes of nostalgia and

rare visual treats! VHS 21-36471; Beta 21-36472.

by George A. Hardie, Jr

The manufacturer of thi s aircraft was well known in the 1930s. The photo was submitted by George Goodhead of Tulsa, Oklahoma , date and location not given. Answers will be published in the April, 1989 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is February 10, 1989.

The Mystery Plane in the October, 1988 issue brought some interesting re­sponses . Jack McRae of Huntington Station, New York identified it as fol­lows:

"When I saw the October Mystery Plane I couldn't resist looking it up in the Civil Register. From January I , 1935 li st it seems to be the Landis­Earle , 2 PCLM Ser. No. WI Mfg. 1934; Engine Cirrus 90 HP, George L. Landis, 4633 Cramer St. , Milwaukee , Wis. I couldn't find it in the 1936 Re­gister so it may not have been around very long ."

John Underwood of Glendale , California submitted the following : "The mystery plane featured in the Oc­tober issue is the Landis & Earle 101, built in Milwaukee in 1934. It had a 90 Cirrus and accommodated two side by side. No washout in the short span tapered wing must have made for a worrisome stall.

"R" could have been applied for a number of uses other than racing, such as ag work, predator control, topo/sur­vey, etc ."

(Actually "R" stood for Restricted, which covered a multitude of uses as John points out. "X" stood for Experi­mental, and numbers without a letter prefix were for Unlicensed Identifica­tion .)

But there 's more to the story . Ed Effenheim , a Milwaukee mechanic­builder, recalls driving a truck to Fond du Lac where a wing and other parts were picked up , probably from a Pheasant Traveler, a single-place monoplane being developed by the Pheasant Company. The wing was cut in half and a center section inserted to accommodate a wider fuselage for

side-by-side seating . The new fuselage was welded at the Milwaukee Parts Corp. by Earle Blodgett , a partner in the project (hence the Landis-Earle name). George Landis was a photo­grapher and intended to use the airplane for aerial photo work . As John Underwood surmised, its performance was marginal and eventually the airplane was sold. Cliff Gould of Mil­waukee remembers the airplane was unofficially named the "Quivering Quail." He'd like to locate the present address of Earle Blodgett since he worked with him at Milwaukee Parts.

Incidentally , the photos were ac­quired at a local flea market and given to the EAA library. No one could inde­ntify the airplane , so by publishing this column another mystery was solved .

Additional answers were received from C.R. Foster, Wayne, Maine.

More on the Viking biplane which was the Mystery Plane in the July issue. John Underwood writes:

"Re the Kitty Hawk's "designer": This was actually an unauthorized spinoff of the Kinner Airster , produced here in Glendale during the 1923-27 period . Long story. Suffice to say a then unknown airwoman, who was representing Kinner in the Boston area, was a witness to what Bourdan & Company ·were up to and warned Kin­

ner that he should take steps to protect his designs. Kinner, preoccupied with hi s engines, took no action, possibly because he had already sold the Airster design rights to Crown Coach . The young lady was none other than Amelia Earhart.

The Airster had an all-wood air­frame and Bourdon wanted steel tube fuselage and a more reliable engine. Frank Kurt, newly graduated from MIT, was hired to replicate the Airster. He was also the test pilot and sales manager. Frank went on to greater things under the aegis of Robert Gross, who reorganized the Bourdan Com­pany under the Viking label. Seaplanes were always Frank 's great love and he had a long and distinguished career at Grumman . Pete Bowers, in his Kitty Hawk writings, refers to an engineer named John E. Simmons . No matter. Simmons or Summers, it was Frank Kurt who did the deed ."

landis and Earle 1

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35