Vintage Airplane - Jan 2011

JANUARY 2011

STRAIGHT & LEVEL GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Setting a course for 2011 Happy New Year to each and every member of the Vintage Aircraft Association. Here’s wishing you all a successful and prosperous 2011. What will 2011 bring to us? Time will tell, but we can likely assume that there will be a mixture of more attempts to modify, restrict, or in some cases, even deny us the opportunity to further enjoy our rights to our avia

left lane of GA’s highway! What will we be talking about next January that got pushed up the pipe during 2011? What are the real goals of the FAA, and the Transportation Security Administration, regarding regulatory issues for GA? The best we can do today is to stay informed, continue to be engaged, and reach out to local legislators, especially when they get

mote access to the dream of flight.” This is an easy one, and can be mostly accomplished by promoting membership in the EAA/VAA, and by simply writing that check to renew your own membership. To accomplish Tom’s third pillar, “Preserve the heritage of flight,” just visit the EAA AirVenture Museum to see what your EAA organization rou-

STRAIGHT & LEVEL GEOFF ROBISON PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Setting a course for 2011 Happy New Year to each and every member of the Vintage Aircraft Association. Here’s wishing you all a successful and prosperous 2011. What will 2011 bring to us? Time will tell, but we can likely assume that there will be a mixture of more attempts to modify, restrict, or in some cases, even deny us the opportunity to further enjoy our rights to our aviaavia tion-related passions. One example of course is the FAA’s continuing initiative to eliminate through-the-fence through-the -fence (TTF) operations at public-use airports. Where is the common sense? Come on, the mice running around in my hangar represent a lot more risk to me than the guy with a key to a gate he can taxi his Cessna through. We have seen some movement on the federal government’s part to continue the discussions and even delay implementation of its goals to lock out these users. Even though these TTF arrangements have existed for years, and to date have yet to represent any real threat to our security, these government officials do seem to be polite, but very much resolute. Where would we be today without those valued congressional members of the aviation caucus, our vocal EAA/VAA membership, and the EAA’s advocacy initiatives? For certain, our access to the general aviation (GA) system would be much more limited today. today. So where is this all going? What new initiatives will our government propose in the next 12 months? You have to wonder who in the world is really driving this truck down the

left lane of GA’s highway! What will we be talking about next January that got pushed up the pipe during 2011? What are the real goals of the FAA, and the Transportation Security Administration, regarding regulatory issues for GA? The best we can do today is to stay informed, continue to be engaged, and reach out to local legislators, especially when they get it right. They need to know they are supported in their efforts to defend GA. Let’s all stay the course. I recently reread a column that was written and published in the January issue of Vintage Airplane magazine right after the events of 9/11. The guest column was written by our own Tom Poberezny,, and he eloquently wrote of berezny what the terrorists did to damage general aviation on that fateful day. Not to dismiss the tragic loss of the thousands of American lives that occurred on that day, but Tom did a wonderful job of describing to the membership what we needed to do next to t o counteract these horrific circumstances. He said, “We need to protect, promote, preserve, and prepare. These are the four fundamental pillars of maintaining America’s free skies.” I will personally never forget that day or the nagging thoughts of “What will become of our rights to pursue our personal aviation interests?” Tom continued, “Protect our right to fly, and turn these negatives into positives by staying the course with our existing ongoing initiatives, whether it be through Young Eagles, advocacy initiatives, or communications.” He also stated that we should “pro-

mote access to the dream of flight.” This is an easy one, and can be mostly accomplished by promoting membership in the EAA/VAA, and by simply writing that check to renew your own membership. To accomplish Tom’s third pillar, “Preserve the heritage of flight,” just visit the EAA AirVenture Museum to see what your EAA organization routinely does to preserve our aviation heritage. This is why we still operate one of the few remaining B-17s, build a Bleriot, or restore an old Waco biplane. And finally, Tom promoted “preparing for the future of flight.” Please continue to reach out to our youth, and pave that path to a life of aviation, whether it’s through the sponsorship of a young person to EAA’s Air Academy at Oshkosh or your chapter participating with a Boy Scout Troop to accomplish their aviation merit badge. The interesting element here is that Tom’s remarks of nine years ago remain very much relevant to the organization today. today. Because of the events of 9/11, we need to continue to meet our challenges head on, challenges that will not always come from the FAA. We We truly are an entity that makes make s remarkable things happen. Let’s all strive to help make a difference in this ongoing debate. Remember, it’s time to run your checklist and buckle your seat belts, because 2011 is shaping up to be yet another exciting year for the Vintage Aircraft Association.

A I R P L A N E

Vol. 39, No. 1

 j a n u a r y

2011

CONTENTS IFC

Straight & Level Setting a course for 2011 by Geoff Robison

  News

2 4

The May Family’ Family’ss Spectacular 1936 Sportster “Rearwin popularity is proof of Rearwin superiority” by Sparky Barnes Sargent

 10 14

Type Club Listing The Antiques in Winter If airplanes could talk . . ., Part II

4

by Roger Thiel 16

My Friend Frank Rezich, Part IV The war years by Robert G. Lock

22

Light Plane Heritage The Longren Biplane by Jack McRae

24

2010 VAA VAA Hall of Fame Inductee Morton W. Lester by Jack Cox and Morton Lester

28

Test flights by Robert G. Lock 32

The Vintage Instructor Was that a landing? Or was it a carnival ride? by Steve Krog, CFI

34

Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

 37

24

The Vintage Mechanic

Classified Ads

COVERS FRONT COVER:  The Reawin marque seems to be a popular subject for a few recently completed

projects in the Antique airplane community. This is the May family’s Rearwin Sportster, originally built in the fall of 1936. Read more about it in Sparky Barnes Sargent’s article starting on page 4. Photo by Bonnie Kratz. BACK COVER:  Continuing our salute to great aviation magazine covers of the past, Model Airplane News has been a fixture within the modeling community for over 80 years, and is still going strong. This great cover, from September of 1934, created by famed illustrator Jo (Josef) Kotula depicts the Italian dual-engined seaplane racer, the Macchi-Castoldi 72 racer of 1933/34.

STAFF EAA Publisher Director of EAA Publications Executive Director/Editor Production/Special Project Photography Copy Editor Senior Art Director EAA Chairman of the Board

Rod Hightower Mary Jones H.G. Frautschy Kathleen Witman Jim Koepnick Colleen Walsh Olivia P. Trabbold Tom Poberezny

Publication Advertising: Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected]  Fax: 920-426-4828 Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]  Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: willi@flying-pages. willi@flying-pages.com com Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012 Interim Coordinator/Classified, Alicia Canziani Tel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected] 

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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VAA NEWS Naval Aircraft Get Extreme Extr eme Makeovers Help celebrate naval aviation centennial at Oshkosh EAA AirVenture 2011 is a designated Tier 1 event for the Centennial of Naval Aviation celebration this year, so get ready for a host of special appearances and activities in Oshkosh next July. While many initiatives have yet to be announced, one special treat is confirmed and well underway: repainting several current inventory airplanes in colors from previous eras. “It’s all part par t of our outreach to help celebrate the centennial of naval aviation,” said Capt. Richard Dann, director of history and outreach for the centennial. “We’re attempting to teach about the heritage, which many people may not be aware of.”

Examples include a pair of T-45 Goshawks painted in yellow-winged, pre-World War War II tactical aircraft air craft schemes; an S-3B Viking done up in the colors of naval airplanes that fought in the Battle of Midway; an MH-60S Seahawk helicopter painted like those of Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron THREE (HAL-3) Seawolf fire teams from the Vietnam era; and an F/A-18F with a truly unique scheme modeled after the current Navy Working Uniform. These aircraft “in every manner of heritage paint” will take part in designated Tier 1 events—including AirVenture Oshkosh 2011, Dann said. Although he could not commit to which airplanes would be participating at Oshkosh, he indicated that several of the approximately 26 aircraft will appear. To see a photo gallery of some of the airplanes you could see at Oshkosh this summer, visit EAA’s Facebook page. You can also learn more about Centennial of Naval Avi-  ation events, including the Curtiss-Ely Pusher replica (at right) built for the celebration, on page 20 of the January issue of Sport Aviation. Aviation.

Camp Scholler opens on June issue of Sport Aviation. The coupons Advance AirVenture 24, 2011, and those who make an are filled out and ready to mail in. Admissions, Camping, Flights advance purchase for camping get You can also enter online at www. Now Available Online  AirVenture.org/sweepstakes  or during Advance purchase of AirVen- the convenience of express registra-  AirVenture.org/sweepstakes ture 2011 admission and camping tion at the campground entrance, AirVenture 2011—but why wait? is now available on the AirVenture including specially designated lines The grand prize is a Cessna 162 website, and this year you can pre- on peak arrival dates. Skycatcher, along with fuel for a purchase camping at AirVenture’s Advance admission ticketing year courtesy of Shell Aviation. is made possible through sup- You’ll also h ave a chance to win Camp Scholler for all arrival dates. With rates remaining the same port from Jeppesen. To get your a 2011 Coleman camper—factory as last year, EAA members and non- advanced admission, visit www. new and loaded with features. Other  AirVenture.org/tickets. members can make prepurchases  AirVenture.org/tickets great prizes include a HotSeat Flight via a secure website, allowing ticket Also new for 2011, attendees can Sim GTX Extreme PC Bundle, Bose holders to speed through the ad- pre-purchase flights on EAA’s 1929 3·2·1 GSX Series III DVD home enmissions process. Both daily and Ford Tri-Motor, joining advance tertainment system, Canon EOS weekly admissions are available, as purchase flights of EAA’s B-17  Al u- 50D camera kit with lens, and Hamis the ability to join EAA and im- minum Overcast . ilton Men’s Khaki Pilot watch. mediately receive the best possible EAA thanks all sweepstakes paradmission prices available only to Win a Skycatcher ticipants for helping grow aviaEAA members. Discounts are avail- From Cessna and EAA! tion. Every donation to the EAA able to those who prepurchase AirEntering to win an airplane has Sweepstakes directly supports EAA Venture tickets online before June never been easier. We’ve made it programs. These programs help 15, 2011, including $2 on daily simple to enter the 2011 EAA Share members share the spirit of aviation adult admissions and $5 on weekly the Spirit Sweepstakes. You’ll find among fellow enthusiasts and the adult admissions. 10 entry coupons bundled with this next generation of aviators. 2

JANUARY 2011

VAA/EAA AirVenture Volunteers of the Year  Each year, near the end of the annual fly-in, the Vintage Aircraft Association honors two of its own as volunteers of the year. Each typifies the amazing talents and dedication exhibited by the hundreds of VAA volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of their time so their fellow members can have an enjoyable week away fr om home, immersed in the glories of recreational aviation. Here are this year’s honorees:

EAA AirVenture 2010 Art Morgan Flightline Volunteer of the Year—Bradford Payne Bradford Payne is a longtime EAA volunteer who has been coming to AirVenture since 1971. A professional pilot since 1994, and a current United Air Lines pilot, Brad earned his pilot certificate in 1986. From the beginning it was his destiny to become the aviation guru he is. He grew up in Dayton, Ohio, just three blocks from the Wright brothers’ house, and his uncle was Orville’s paperboy! For many years, Brad’s entire family attended EAA’s air show as a family vacation. Each of them has volunteered at EAA at some point. Brad and his brothers were particularly interested in the VAA, where they could ride the scooters! Bradford has been a flight line volunteer since 1984, and for volunteers who want to learn more Geoff Robison, Bradford Payne and about our aircraft, he teaches several aircraft identification classes George Daubner. during the fly-in. With his experience as a member of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association, where he competed in aircraft recognition, Bradford truly is an expert in identifying and explaining the differences among the various aircraft, and he does an impressive job teaching others how to learn to identify aircraft as well. Bradford also creates an information sheet each year for every type club aircraft we will be parking in the Vintage area as well as special identification fliers to help every volunteer become familiar with the aircraft in our division. Brad is one of the volunteers who can wear any hat and work any of the positions on the flightline—and is willing to do so! He continues to add to the VAA membership. Before they married, he told Jennifer, his then future wife, “Oshkosh is a non-negotiable part of the relationship.” Jennifer has also become a vital part of our division, and by this summer, they will have added a total of two upcoming members to our organization, as they will welcome their second child! Brad loves airplanes but enjoys the company of all the other volunteers in the VAA. He feels like he fits right in because it is the one place his passion for aircraft is shared by so many others! He looks forward for ward to attending every year. For him, it’s Christmas in July! Congratulations, Bradford Payne, on receiving the annual Art Morgan Flight Line Volunteer of the Year award!

EAA AirVenture 2010 Behind-the-Scenes Volunteer of the Year—Tom Hildreth If there ever was a volunteer who never says no to a request, that would be Tom Hildreth. Tom has been volunteering at school when he was a teacher, singing in his church, and “calling” square dances, his special love. Over several years, Tom has done everything from electrical work (helper) to carpentry work (he recently helped put in new flooring in the judges’ trailers) to helping install air conditioners and many other tasks. During the most recent work parties, however, he has been proven to be the Michelangelo of VAA painters. He has put a brush to almost every “metal color” building on the landscape. We all wonder how he seems to get all of the paint on the buildings and none on himself; it’s uncanny. Geoff Robison with Tom Hildreth. During AirVenture, at the Tall Pines Cafe, he is the head cashier, VAA breakfast greeter, official head counter, and pancake historian. He remembers hundreds of our guests and never fails to inquire about their families and flying buddies. Tom also has been a frequent soloist during the religious services in the EAA Fergus Chapel during AirVenture. If you ask Tom to do something, you had better get out of his way; before you know it, he’s already on the job. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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 T h e M a y F a m i l y ’ s

Spectacular 1936 Sportster

BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

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“Rearwin popularity is proof of Rearwin superiority”

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Dressed in a custom blackand-white scalloped paint scheme, replete with gold trim and chrome accents, the May f amily’ amily’ss Rearwin Sportster conjures a spectacular image of dapper 1930s blacktie formality, from its classy cowl right down to its wheel spats. It’s an aeronautical treasure that just keeps improving with age, thanks to the efforts of one Nebraskan family. Rearwin Sportster It’s estimated that Rearwin Airplanes, which was based at the Fairfax Airport in Kansas City, manufactured approximately 50 of the Model 8500s, and today, only seven are listed on the FAA Registry. The Model 8500 was similar to the earlier Model 7000, except it was powered by an 85-hp LeBlond 5DF engine and was endowed with a few extra features. Marketed primarily as a sportsman’s airplane, the tandem design measured 22 feet 3 inches from spinner to tailskid and had a wingspan of 35 feet. The Sportster’s gross weight was 1,460 pounds, it had a useful load of 830 pounds, and with its roomy tandem cabin, its baggage compartment carried at least 50 pounds. A 12-gallon fuel tank was in each wing, and with a 5 gph fuel burn, the Sportster could cruise 103 mph at 1900 rpm, thus offering a 480-mile range. A 1936 advertisement for the

Sportster Model when Dr. Otto Kostal purchased 7000 proudly an- it. Kostal kept it in good stead unnounced: “Rearwin til April 1945, when he sold it to popularity is truly in- Ed Swan in Kearney, Nebraska. ternational. The By then, the tailskid had been reshipment of two placed with a castering tail wheel. Rearwin ‘Sport- Swan, who was a good friend of sters’ now on  Je rr y Ma y, en jo ye d th e ai rp la ne the way to Air- until he sold it to Harold Olson of taxi Company, Minden, Nebraska, in 1952. Lt., Cape Town,  J er r y, wh o h ad be c om e we ll  Jer Union of South acquainted with the Sportster, reAfrica, proves inter- calls, “The aileron ribs were rotted national endorsement of Rear- by that point and had to be replaced. win engineering skill, Rearwin So they decided they’d switch over craftsmanship and Rearwin high to metal Piper Cub ribs, since that quality. The Modernistic lines of this would be easier to do than making marvelous plane represent streamlin- wood ribs—but the inspector said, ing at its best.” ‘No, you can’t change the design In 1937, Rearwin Airplanes’ mar- of the aircraft.’ They got disgusted, keting slogan declared: “Rearwin and finally they pushed the airplane popularity is proof of Rearwin superi- outside and tied it down, where it ority.” As touted in era advertising, a sat for almost three years. Anyway, Rearwin pilot’s letter to the company I asked him about the Rearwin one stated: “‘Everywhere the smart ap- day day,, because I had known this airpearance, efficiency and economy of craft almost all its whole life. We the Sportster elicited most favorable got together on a price finally, and I comment.’—Capt. Wm. W. Ford, went ahead and bought it in June of Richmond, Ky.” The company also 1954—I’ve had it ever since.” highlighted the Sportster’s capabiliAt first, Jerry figured he might ties by stating that it had the “…fast- end up using the airplane for parts, est take-off, quickest climb, highest but he was instead admonished by ceiling, [and] slowest landing in the his knowledgeable father to restore $2000-$3500 class…[and a] roomy, it. Together, they brought it back to luxurious cabin with unexcelled visi- flying condition. The Rearwin was, bility in all directions…. And it’s easy in retrospect, the first member of to own a Rearwin for you need pay  Jerry’s own family, for he wouldn’t wouldn ’t only one-third down.” meet and marry his lovely bride, Vivian, until 1963. “I rebuilt it and flew it for 20-some years,” says  N16473 The May family’s Model 8500,  Jerry, a gentle-mannered man with N16473 (serial number 502), flew a pleasant, unassuming personality. away from its birthplace in Kan- “Then we decided it needed to be sas City in September 1936, its Le- re-covered, because it had cotton ‘A’ Blond radial purring happily with on it,” he explains, “but this time, a Flottorp birch propeller spinning all kinds of projects of everybody on its nose. Landing in Hastings, else’s got in the way for all these Nebraska, under the care of Frank years. I didn’t get it done as soon as Cushing, its lustrous red factory I wanted to, but about three years finish, highlighted by a dark blue ago, I said, ‘It’s got to get finished stripe and gold pinstriping was ad- now!’ So we started in on it and put mired by onlookers. The Sportster in actually about a year and a half changed hands again in July 1937, of really serious work.” VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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JAY TOLBERT

down to his shop at the airport at an early age. Vivian lent a helping hand when needed with the airplane projects and laughs good-naturedly when she explains, “I just go along with them, and do a lot of cooking and praying for them! And keep them happy—they have strong wills, all three of them.” Aviating and working on airplanes naturally evolved into a way of life for the sons. Mike, the youngest son, reflects, “Since I grew up with it, I thought everybody had airplanes—then I’d go to school, and they were like, ‘What’s an airplane?’” Mike works with the family business, May’s Aircraft Services, and is working toward his inspection authorization (IA) rating. His son,  Josh, also also does aircra aircraft ft maintenance maintenance for the family business. Mark, who has his IA, has his own corporate maintenance facility, AOG Aircraft Services in Watkins, Colorado—and shares his love for aviation with his young daughter, Amelia.

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Three generations of the May family (L-R): Mark and daughter, Amelia; Mike; Vivian; Jerry; and Mike’s son, Josh.

One Generation After Another The May family comes by aviation honestly—it’s just in their genes. Jerry’s father, Walter, learned to fly in 1926 and barnstormed with Harold Warp [of Minden, Nebraska’s “Pioneer Village” fame, and the founder of Warp Brothers Plastics—Editor] in matching Swallow biplanes. Jerry’s eldest son, Mark, shares additional highlights of his grandfather’s aviation career: “My grandfather was an A&E, and was an excellent mechanic and welder, and also a machinist. … He was a great pilot, and was f riends with 6

JANUARY 2011

Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh. He was a [welding instructor] for Swallow Aircraft. He worked with Walter Beech, Lloyd and Waverly Stearman, and all the wonderful people at Swallow Aircraft. He also worked for my great-uncle Glen Morton, of Morton Aircraft, in Omaha. Later, he started May’s Aircraft Service Inc. with my father in Minden, Nebraska. My grandfather was instrumental in my father buying the Rearwin, and both of them restored it the first time.” When Jerry and Vivian had their own sons, Jerry happily influenced the youngsters by taking them

Teamwork The family worked together as a team to breathe new life into their languishing Sportster. Fortunately, they didn’t have to do any extensive hunting for parts, since the airframe and engine were complete. As for paperwork, Jerry says, “I have all of the

airframe and engine logs all the way back, even the service bulletins from the factory. I had everything for the project, which is very rare, and the airplane has never been wrecked in its whole life.” Still, wood and fabric deteriorate over time, and various parts needed repair. New wood ribs for the wings and ailerons were made by using a rib fixture based on the original rib patterns, and the original spars were stripped and inspected for cracks and dry rot. Surprisingly, they were found to be in airworthy condition and were reused, along with the original brackets, fittings, and drag wires. The wood turtledeck was repaired, and all of the wood components received three coats of spar varnish. New aluminum leading-edge skins were installed, new control cables were fabricated, and new tinted Lexan was used for the three-piece windshield (later models had a formed, curved one-piece windshield). Finally, Ceconite fabric was installed and finished with Air-Tech Coatings. “The instruments are all original,” says Jerry, “and it doesn’t have an altimeter, because it has a nonsensitive Zenith height meter—there are very few of them around. The compass was missing; somebody had put a little Airpath compass in it, so Mike found this bubble-faced one in California, which is the original type for the aircraft.” During the Rearwin’s previous restoration, it was painted green. This time, Jerry decided upon the blackand-white paint scheme. “I thought

it would be more attractive that way,” way ,” he says, adding with a gentle laugh, “and not being much for the red paint, I figured that would be the thing to do! That is the original kind of stripe that was on the aircraft, and the lettering on the fin is also in the exact location and what was on it from the factory. I painted it with a stencil, and had a friend do the gold pinstripe around the stripe. Then I decided to spruce it up a little more by adding the scalloping, which I did on every fourth rib, and of course on the tail section.” Custom Touches In addition to those scallops, another detail that really dresses up

the Sportster is the chrome—which, Mark readily admits with a big smile, “is my fault.” He just likes chrome— and you’ll see it on the rudder pedals, the custom kick plates on the new wood floorboards just below the pedals, the control sticks, the door handle and step—even the vented fuel caps. There are custom-made chrome cowling washers, as well, which bear the Rearwin name. Another shiny touch is the custom gold lettering on the varnished wood baggage compartment door and the wing root area surrounding the fuel gauges. Over the front seat, a skylight lights up the plush, soft gray leather upholstery and highlights the first-class interior..

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The simple and original instrument instr ument panel includes a Zenith height meter.

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The Sportster uses easily available 800x4 tires, thanks to a special ring that sizes the original 3-inch wheel to a 4-inch wheel.

The lettering on the tail is in keeping with the original.

The large windows, skylight, and original-type three-piece windshield provide excellent visibility visibility.. VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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 Jerry thought  Jerry thought of a nifty nifty way way to add add corrosion protection to two specific areas of the airplane. “A friend of mine applied a spray-on black coating—like you put in the bed of a pickup truck— behind the speed ring and also inside the wheelpants. It keeps it lightweight and stiffens that speed ring—it stays round when you mount it and tighten the bolts. It really makes a world of difference, and I’d recommend that— it’s the way to go!”

generally run about 40 to 45 mph on final. It’s slow, and it lands at 35 mph. It’s very easy to fly, and we make three-point landings because we like that better anyway.” Speaking of landings, the Model 8500 originally had Goodyear 18x8-3 tires and standard Rearwin oleo shock absorbers. “Those balloon tires are nonexistent now,” says Jerry, “but Bob Lamb in California was making rings to put over the wheels to convert them to 4 inches—just like a Cub

LeBlond The Model 8500’s 85-hp LeBlond 5DF was manufactured by LeBlond Aircraft Engine Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio. It was a five-cylinder, air-cooled radial, and an Eclipse Type Y-150 starter was optional, as was a  Jones Motor Motorola ola fuel f uel pump. p ump. For lubrication, it had a dry-sump, doublegear-type pump with both scavenger and pressure gears in a single unit. It weighed 220 pounds and sold for $1,250 at the factory. Parts availability for such an engine is a primary concern these days. Years ago, there were a few parts still available. “I had bought parts for a 70hp engine that I did for another aircraft, and when I did that, I thought, ‘They’re going to become sparse.’ So I bought extra valve springs, bushings, pins, pistons, and those types of items,” Jerry explains, “so I had my supply. Then when I overhauled it this time, I had them available to use—but now, there are no extras left! One thing we did add this time was an Airwolf filter, because we thought it would be beneficial.”

Flying the Sportster To the family’s delight, the Sportster returned to the Nebraska sky again in September 2007. Describing its flying characteristics, Jerry says, “It has great visibility, and it’s a very stable airplane. On takeoff, it’s pretty docile—you just push the stick all the way forward, and it picks the tail up and doesn’t run very far. It will fly off the ground, fully loaded, at 40 mph. If you really want to climb, it will climb at about a 45-degree angle. During approach to landings, we 8

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wheel. He had the approval, and I installed the kit during the first rebuild. So we just reused those rings and used Cub 800x4 tires. It has multi-disc mechanical brakes—one disc is stationary, the next moves with the wheel, and so on. When you push the heel brakes with your feet, it pulls the arm out and squeezes them together—it has excellent brakes. Those pads are nonexistent now, too, but these are still in great shape, and I think they’ll last for many years. The aircraft was built way ahead of its time, really; there are a lot of things on it you see years and years later—so Rearwin had some really great ideas.” Describing the landing gear, Mike says, “There is a coil inside the shock on the main landing gear—it’s a hydraulic spring shock. It has an orifice hole, a metal plunger, and rebound springs—and it’s the neatest, softest gear! You can bounce it hard, and it feels like you hardly touched.”

Warm Memories Ask any member of the May family, and they’ll tell you that what they like most about their treasured Rearwin is that it’s a family airplane. “Mike and I remember the fuselage sitting in the garage on its landing gear,” says Mark with a smile, “and playing in it—so it’s always been part of our lives.” Josh, tickled by his uncle’s comment, chuckles and says, “It was in that stage when we were little kids, too!” To which the entire family laughs heartily. Reminiscing, Mark says, “Back in the old days we used to all four go in the airplane. Mike would sit on Mom’s lap, and we’d trade in flight—I’d go to the back and he’d go to the front. I was 5 years old the last time that I flew it—we had a Sears catalog underneath me, and I was making landings. I’d flare, and Dad would do the rudder pedals. So I have a lot of good memories with the airplane. It was a big part of my grandfather’s life, too.” At age 73, this Sportster Model 8500 has only 575 hours’ total time, and around 35 hours since its recent restoration. Jerry has logged 100 hours on it during the years he’s had it flying—and that number will no doubt increase as the May family enjoys creating new memories with their Rearwin. The well-deserved accolades that N16473 received contribute to those memories; it garnered the Customized Aircraft Champion - Bronze Lindy at AirVenture 2009, and the Grand Champion, Rearwin Family, and Texas Chapter awards at Blakesburg 2008. There’s one thing for certain— when Jerry embraces a new member of his f amily—whether human or airplane—it’s for keeps. He’s owned the Rearwin Sportster for 55 years and his Luscombe 8A for 51 years. “I do hang on to things,” he says with a broad, contented smile, adding, “My wife feels safe! We’ve been married for 46 years.” To which Vivian quickly laughs and responds, “The older you get around him, the safer you are!” With that said, the future of the May family’s Rearwin is well-secured.

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This aircraft type club information is listed on our website, www.vintageaircraft.org , throughout the year.. We list it here for your added convenience. year These groups can be a great resource for you. A Type Club can save you money money,, keep you fr om making mistakes others have already made, show you how to restore, maintain and fly your airplane — in short, provide the equivalent of many years of hard won experience at a very low cost. Aeronca Aviators Club Robert Szego P.O. Box 66 Coxsackie, NY 12051 518-731-3131 [email protected], www www.aeronca.org  .aeronca.org  Dues: $29 1-yr, $55 2-yrs; Int’l $37 1-yr, $69 2-yrs Aeronca Aviator , Qtrly  Fearless Aeronca Aviators (f-AA) John Rodkey  280 Big Sur Dr. Goleta, CA 93117 805-968-1274 [email protected]  http://aeronca.westmont.edu  Dues: None National Aeronca Association Jim Thompson 304 Adda Street Roberts, IL 60962 [email protected]  www.aeroncapilots.com  Auster Club Stuart Bain 31 Swain Court Lake Ronkonkoma New York, NY 1179 631-285-1095 [email protected], ub . r  , www www.austerclub.org  .austerclub.org  . .

Bird Airplane Club Jeannie Hill P.O. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 815-943-7205 Postage donation American Bonanza Society  J. Whitney Hickman Exec. Dir. Mid-Continent Airport PO Box 12888 Wichita, KS 67277 316-945-1700 [email protected]  www.bonanza.org  $55/yr. US/Canada ABS Magazine , Monthly  National Bücker Jungmiester Club Celesta Price 300 Estelle Rice Dr. Moody, TX 76557 254-853-9067

Beech Aero Club www.beechaeroclub.org  . r 

Bücker Club Newsletter Editor Gordon Clement [email protected] Website Editor Stephen Beaver [email protected]  614-937-4189 www.bucker.info 

T-34 Association, Inc. c. 880 North County Road, Road,, 900-E Road Tuscola, IL 61953-7560 [email protected], www.t-34.com  $50/yr Paper; $25 Electronic Mentor Monitor , Qtrly 

Buhl LA-1 “Bull Pup” Owners Group William R. “Bill” Goebel 894 Heritage Creek D r. Rhome, TX 76078 940-627-5938 [email protected] 

Bellanca-Champion Clubb Robert Szego P.O. Box 100 Coxsackie, NY 12051 518-731-6800 [email protected]  i o c .com    www.bellanca-championclub.com  . $38 1-yr, $72 2-yrs; Int’l $43 1-y, $81 2-yrs Publication: B-C Contact!, Qtrly 

IInternational Bird Dog Association (L-19/O-1) Dan Kelly  343 Texas Heritage Dr. LaVernia, TX 78121 L 830-391-4120 [email protected]  www.IBDAweb.com  $30/yr US; $50 Int’l E-newsletter Monthly 

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Cessna 150/152 Club Lori Parsons P.O. Box 1917 Atascadero, CA 93423-1917 805-461-1958 [email protected]  www.cessna150152.com  $35/yr Internet; $45/yr Print U.S. Int’l see website Publication: 6/yr Cessna Flyer Association Jennifer Dellenbusch  jen@aviatio  jen@a viationgroup ngroupltd.co ltd.com, m, www www.cess .cessnaflyer naflyer.org  .org  $40/yr Cessna Owner Organization Dan Weiler, Executive Director N7450 Aanstad Rd Iola, WI 54945 1-888-692-3776 www.cessnaowner.org  $49.95/yr; or $29.95 Online Cessna magazine: Monthly  Cessna Pilots Association John Frank, Exec. Director 3940 Mitchell Rd. Santa Maria, CA 93455 805-934-0493 www.cessna.org  $55 US, Canada, Mexico; $70 Int’l CPA Magazine , Monthly  E-ATIS  Electronic  Electronic Wkly  Cessna T-50 “The Flying Bobcats” Jon D. Larson P.O. Box 566 Auburn, WA 98071 253-670-8218 [email protected]  m  www.angelfire.com.mi2/bobcat   /bobc  t  Contact club for dues info nfo Publication: Qtrly  Eastern Cessna 190/195 Association Cliff Crabs 25575 Butternut Ridge Road North Olmsted, OH 44070 440-777-4025 [email protected]  $15 initial, then as required Publication: 4/yr

Fairchild Club Mike Kelly  92 N. Circle Dr. Coldwater, MI 49036 517-278-7654 [email protected]  www.fairchildclub.org  $20/yr Publication: Qtrly  International Cessna 120/140 Association Christian Vehrs, President P.O. Box 830092 Richardson, TX 75083-0092 770-460-6164 [email protected]  www.cessna120-140.org  $25/yr US,Canada; $35/yr Int’l Publication: 6/yr International Cessna 170 Assoc. 22 Vista View Ln. Cody, WY 82414 307-587-6397 [email protected]  www.cessna170.org  $45/yr 170 News , Qtrly  International Cessna 180/185 Club Bob Warner P.O. Box 306 Van Alstyne, TX 75495 903-482-1805 [email protected]  www.skywagons.org  $25/yr Publication: 6/yr International Cessna 195 Club Coyle Schwab 632 N. Tyler Rd. St. Charles, IL 60174 630-513-7002 [email protected]  www.cessna195.org  $25/yr Web area for Members Only  Corben Club Robert Taylo Taylorr P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 magazines Culver Club Brent Taylor P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues de Havilland Moth & Chipmunk Club David M. Harris 2024 75th St Kenosha, WI 53143 262-652-7043 mothfl[email protected]  Paper Tiger , Electronic Ercoupe Owners Club Carolyn T. Carden P.O. Box 7117 Ocean Isle Beach, NC 28469 284 910-575-2758 [email protected]  www.ercoupe.org  $25/yr Electronic $30/yr Paper US; $35 Paper Int’l Coupe Capers , Monthly 

Fairchild Fan Club Robert L . Taylor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues. Fairchild Fan 

Howard Club & Howard Aircraft Foundation tion Michael Vaughan, President ident 6991 N CR 1200 E. Charleston, IL 61920 217-549-6103 [email protected]  d.net  www.howardaircraft.org  $30/yr Publication: Qtrly  The Arctic & Interstate League Steve Dawson, 262-642-364 262-642-3649 9 W626 Beech Dr. East Troy, WI 53120 [email protected]  Wayne Forshey, 740-472-1481 [email protected]  Newsletter Qtrly via email

International Fleet Club Jim Catalano 8 Westlin Ln. Cornwall, NY 12518 845-534-3947 fl[email protected]  http://web.mac.com/fleetclub  Contributions Publication: 3-4/yr

Interstate Club Robert L . Taylor P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues, Interstate Intercom 

Funk Aircraft Owners Association www.funkflyers.org [email protected]  $12/yr Funk Flyer , Monthly 

Continental Luscombe Association Mike Culver, President & Editor 17514 NE 33rd Pl. Redmond, WI 98052 425-861-8307

Great Lakes Club Robert L . Taylor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues

[email protected], www.luscombe-cla.org 

The American Yankee Association Stewart Wilson P.O. Box 1531 Cameron Park, CA 95682 530-676-4292 [email protected]  www.aya.org  $50/yr US & Int’l 1st yr U.S. +$7.50; Int’l +$10 American STAR , 6/yr Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association 244411 Airport Road Tillsonburg, ON N4G 3T9 Canada www.harvards.com  Hatz Biplane Association Chuck Brownlow P.O. Box 85 Wild Rose, WI 54984 920-572-5954 [email protected]  www.hatzbiplane.com  $20/yr Publication: Qtrly  Hatz Club Barry Taylor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues, Hatz Herald  Heath Parasol Club William Schlapman 6431 Paulson Road Winneconne, WI 54986 920-582-4454

$25/yr US; $27.50 Canada; $30 Int’l USD The Courant , 6/yr Luscombe Association Steve Krog 1002 Heather Lane Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 [email protected]  www.luscombeassoc.org  $30 US/Canada; $35 Int’l’l ’l U  U USD Luscombe Assoc. Newsletter  tter : 6/yrr The Luscombe Endowment Inc. Doug Combs 2487 S. Gilbert Rd Unit # 106 Gilbert, AZ 85295 480-650-0883 [email protected]  www.luscombe.org  Donations. Online and Print Meyers Aircraft Owners Association Doug Eshelman 1563 Timber Ridge Dr. Brentwood, TN 37027 615-400-3382 [email protected], www.meyersaircraftowners.org 

Postage fund donation Newsletter: 3-4/yr Monocoupe Club Frank & Carol Kerner 1218 Kingstowne Place St. Charles, MO 63304 636-939-3322 [email protected]  www.monocoupe.com  Dues: 25/yr Western Association of Mooney Mites Michael Harms P.O. Box 391641 Mountain View, CA 94039 650-966-8292 [email protected]  www.mooneymite.com Dues: None VINTAGE VINTAG E AIRPLANE

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N3N Owners & Restorers Association H. Ronald Kempka 2380 Country Road #217 Cheyenne, WY 82009 307-638-2210 [email protected]  $15/yr Newsletter: 2/yr American Navion Society  Gary Ranki Rankin n PMB 335, 16420 SE McGillivray # 103 Vancouver, WA 98683 May - Oct: 360-833-9921 Nov - April: 623-975-405 623-975-4052 2 [email protected], www www.navionsociety .navionsociety.org  .org  $60/yr US; $64 Canada; $74 Int’l USD The Navioneer , 6/yr Navion Pilots Association Jon Hartman P.O. Box 6656 Ventura, CA 93006 805-754-0044  [email protected], www.navionpilots.org  www.navionpilots.org  $25/yr Navion Skies Raleigh Morrow P.O. Box 2678 Lodi, CA 95241 209-482-7754 Fax: 209-367-939 209-367-9390 0 [email protected], www www.navionskies.com  .navionskies.com  Email newsletter monthly  NavionX...for the Navion Aficionado Chris Gardner 1690 Aeronca Lane Fleming Field Airport South St Paul, MN 55075 651-306-1456 www.navionx.org  Parrakeet Pilot Club Barry Taylor Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues The Parrakeet Pilot  Brodhead Pietenpol npol Association ss i tion Doc Mosher P.O. Box 3501 903Oshkosh, WI 54903-3501 www.p  p  s.. [email protected], www. www.pietenpols.org  $16/yr ly  Publication: Qtrly  Cub Club Steve Krog 1002 Heather Lane Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 [email protected], www www.cubclub.org  .cubclub.org  $35 US/Canada; $40 Int’l USD Cub Clues , 6/yr International Comanche Society  PO Box 1810 Traverse City, MI 49685-1810 888-300-0082 [email protected], www.comancheflyer.com  $69/yr US, Canada, Mexico More options listed on website The Comanche Flyer , Monthly  Piper Apache Club John J. Lumley  6778 Skyline Drive Delray Beach, FL 33446 561-499-1115 [email protected]  www.piperapacheclub.com  $36/yr 12

JANUARY 2011

Piper Aviation Museum Foundation 1 Piper Way  Lock Haven, PA 17745 [email protected]  www.pipermuseum.com  $20/yr The Cub Reporter , Qtrly  Piper Flyer Association Jennifer Dellenbusch  [email protected]  www.piperflyer.org  Piper Owner Society  www.piperowner.org  $49.95/yr U.S., add $20 Int’l In ’ Publication: Monthly  Shortwingpipers.org Steve Pierce 196 Hwy. 380 East Graham, TX 76450 940-549-6415 www.shortwingpipers.org  Donations: Min $25/yr Online Discussion Forum Short Wing Piper Club Eleanor Mills P.O. Box 10822 Springfield, MO 65808 417-883-1457 [email protected]  g.or  g. or  www.shortwing.org  Dues: $40/yr USA & Canada; a $50/yr y Int’l ’l Publication: 6/yr Short Wing Piper News  Supercub.org PO Box 150 Waldron, MO 64092 816-200-2827 www.supercub.org  Donations: Min. $25/yr Online Discussion Forum Porterfield Airplane Club Tom Porterfield 3350 Co Rd U; Hangar A Abernathy, TX 79311 806-328-5347 porterfi[email protected]  www.porterfieldplane.ning.com  Rearwin Club Robert L. Taylor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $18 for 3 issues International Ryan Club Lynne Orloff  P.O. Box 990 Groveland, CA 95321 209-962-4631 [email protected]  www.ryanclub.org  $15/yr online community 

Stinson Historical & Restoration Society  Robert Taylor P.O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  www.antiqueairfield.com  $24 for 3 issues Publication: SHARS  International Stinson Club Logan Boles 210 Blackfield Dr. Tiburon, CA 94920 415-383-3262 [email protected]  www.stinsonclub.org  $30/yr Publication: Monthly  National Stinson Club All Pre-War Models, 10,105, & V-77 Charlie Gay, President 25 Runway Road Tunkhannock, PA 18657 [email protected]  570-836-3473 voice $20 US & Canada; $25 Int’l Stinson Plane Talk , 4/yr Sentinel Owner & Pilots Association (Stinson L-5) James H. Gray  1951 W. Coolbrook Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85023 602-795-0413 [email protected], www.sentinelclub.org  $22 Electronic $30 US/Canada Print $40 Int’l Print Newsletter: 2/yr West Coast Swift Wing Gerry or Carol Hampton 3195 Bonanza Dr 2 Cameron Park, CA 95682 ax 530-676-7755 530-676-775 5 voice & fax [email protected]  $15/yr paper; $5/yr email Publication: Monthly  Taylorcraft Foundation, Inc. Forrest Barber, President 13820 Union Ave. NE Alliance, OH 44601 330-823-1168 [email protected] President [email protected], www.taylorcraft.org  $20/yr Taylorcraft Owners Club Steve Krog 1002 Heather Lane Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 [email protected]  www.taylorcraft.org  $35/yr US,Canada; $40 Int’l t’l USD D Taylorcraft News : Qtrly 

1-26 Association (Schweizer) A Division of the Soaring Society of America Susan von Hellens, Sec./Treas. [email protected] www.126association.org  $15/yr (website has add’l options) Publication: 6/yr

Travel Air Club Robert L. Taylor P. O. Box 127 Blakesburg, IA 52536 641-938-2773 antiqueairfi[email protected]  $18 for 3 issues Travel Air Talks 

Stearman Restorers Association 7000 Merrill Ave., Box 90 Chino Airport Chino, CA 91710 [email protected] www.stearman.net  $35/yr US The Flying Wire , Qtrly 

Travel Air Restorers Association Jerry Impell Impellezzeri ezzeri 4925 Wilma Way  San Jose, CA 95124 408-356-3407 [email protected], www.travelair.org  $15/yr US; $20 Int’l Travel Air Log , Qtrly 

American Waco Club,, Inc.. Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook ok Dr. Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-6490 [email protected]  .com  www.americanwacoclub.com  co  l  . $35 US; $45 Int’l Waco World News , 6/yr National Waco Club Andy Heins 50 La Belle St. Dayton, OH 45403 937-313-5931 [email protected]  www.nationalwacoclub.com  $25/yr US; $30 Int’l Waco Pilot , 6/yr Western Waco Association www.westernwaco.com  $10/yr Electronic; $20 Print Publication: Qtrly 

Other Aviation Organizations Aircraft Engine Historical Society  4608 Charles Dr. NW Huntsville, AL 35816 256-683-1458 [email protected]  www.enginehistory.org 

American Aviation Historical Society  2333 Otis Street Santa Ana, CA 92704 714-549-4818;Wed.10-4 www.aahs-online.org 

$39.50/yr US Publication: Qtrly  Beechcraft Heritage Museum P.O. Box 550 570 Old Shelbyville Hwy  Tullahoma, TN 37388 931-455-1974 [email protected]  www.beechcraftheritagemuseum.org 

$50/yr; $60 Int’l USD Cross & Cockade Bob Sheldon, Secretary  14329 S. Calhoun Ave. Burnham, IL 60633 708-862-1014 $15/yr Publication: 6/yr Deaf Pilots Association P.O. Box 364 Jeffersonville, IN 47131 [email protected], www.deafpilots.org  Reno Air Racing Association 14501 Mt. Anderson St. Reno, NV 89506 775-972-6663 www.airrace.org 

Glenn H. Curtiss Museum  8419 State Route 54  Hammondsport, Hammondspo rt, NY 14840  www.glennhcurtissmuseum.org

International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians Lynn Miller, Secretary-Treasurer P.O. Box 479 Seabrook, TX 77586 281-474-4260 [email protected], ww w.iffr.org  $40/yr US International Flying Farmers P.O. Box 309 Mansfield, IL 61854 217-489-9300 www.flyingfarmers.org  $70/yr Publication: 6/yr Int’l Liaison Pilot & Aircraft Association (ILPA) Bill Stratton 16518 Ledgestone San Antonio, TX 78232 210-490-4572 voice & fax www.centercomp.com/ILPA/index.html  $29/yr; $35 Int’l Liaison Spoken Here  Int’l Wheelchair Aviators P.O. Box 279 Kemah, TX 77565 281-703-7450 [email protected], www.wheelchairaviators.org  $10/yr Lake Amphibian Flyers Club Marc Rodstein 15695 Boeing Court Wellington, FL 33414 561-948-1262 contact@lakeflyers.com, www.lakeflyers.com  $62, $72 Int’l Lake Flyer  newsletter   newsletter National Air Racing Group Betty Sherman 1932 Mahan Avenue Richland, WA 99354 509-946-5690 [email protected]  $15 for first member in household $3 for each additional Professional Airracing , 4-13/yr National Association of  Priest Pilots (NAPP) Rev. Mel Hemann 127 Kaspend Pl Cedar Falls, IA 50613 319-266-3889 [email protected], www.priestpilots.org  $25/yr The Ninety-Nines, Inc., Women Pilots Organization 4300 Amelia Earhart Rd. Oklahoma City, OK 73159 800-994-1929 [email protected], hq@ninety-nines .org, www www.ninety-nines. .ninety-nines.org  org  $65/yr Publication: 4/yr

Florida Antique Biplane Association Larry Robinson 10906 Denoeu Road Boynton Beach, FL 33472 561-732-3250 [email protected]  $48/yr The Flying Wire , Monthly 

North American Trainer Association (T6, T28, NA64, NA50, P51, B25) Kathy & Stoney Stonich 25801 NE Hinness Rd. Brush Prairie, WA 98606 360-256-0066

Florida Cub Flyers, Inc. Larry Robinson 10906 Denoeu Road Boynton Beach, FL 33472 561-732-3250 [email protected]  $48/yr Cub Tales , Monthly 

OX5 Aviation Pioneers R.R. “Duke” Iden, Treasurer 3015 Homeworth Rd. Alliance, OH 44601 330-525-7920 [email protected]  Dues: $20/yr OX5 News , Monthly 

[email protected], www.NorthAmericanTrainer.org 

$50 US/Canada; $60 Int’l USD NATA Skylines , Qtrly 

Seaplane Pilots Association 3859 Laird Blvd. Lakeland, FL 33811 863-701-7979 [email protected], www.seaplanes.org  $45/yr US; $55/yr Int’l Water Flying , 6/yr Sentimental Journey to Cub Haven Kim Garlick/Carmen Banfill P.O. Box J-3 Lock Haven, PA 17745-0496 570-893-4200  [email protected]   j3cub@kcnet .org  www.sentimentaljourneyfly-in.com  $12/yr Individual, $17 Family  Publication: 2/yr Silver Wings Fraternity  Jerry Riesz 3288 Cherryview Ct. North Bend, OH 45052 513-941-8108 www.silverwings.org  $25/yr Slipstream , 6/yr Society of Air Racing Historians Herman Schaub 168 Marion Lane Berea, OH 44017 440-234-2301 www.airrace.com  $20/yr US; $23 Int’l Golden Pylons , 6/yr

Swift Museum Foundation Charlie Nelson P. O. Box 644 Athens, TN 37371-0644 Headquarters: 423-745-9547 Charlie: [email protected]  Secretary: [email protected]  www.swiftmuseumfoundation.org  www.SaginawWings.com 

$35/yr Publication: Monthly  United Flying Octogenarians Bart Bratko, sec’y/treas. 19 Bay State Rd Natick, MA 10760 508-651-8287 [email protected]  www.unitedflyingoctogenarians.org  $20yr UFO newsletter, 4/yr Vintage Sailplane Association 31757 Honey Locust Road Jonesburg, MO 63351-3195 www.vintagesailplane.org  $30/yr; $40 Int’l Bungee Cord , Qtrly  Waco Historical Society  Waco Aircraft Museum Don Willis, Exec. Dir. 1865 South County Rd. 25A Troy, OH 45373 937-335-9226; noon-5 Sat-Sun [email protected]  www.wacoairmuseum.org  $30/yr WACO Word , 4/yr Women in Aviation, International 3647 State Route 503 South West Alexandria, OH 45381 937-839-4647 www.wai.org  $39/yr; $29 students Aviation for Women , 6/yr WWI Aeroplanes, Inc. PO Box 730 Red Hook, NY 12571-0730 845-835-8121 [email protected], www.ww1aeroinc.org  Skyways  and  and WWI Aero  VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

13

The Antiques in Winter If airplanes could talk . . . BY ROGER THIEL

Part II

This is the second installment of a story, wherein a large communal lightplane hangar in the present-day American Midwest during winter, six antique airplanes come to life and tell their tales of Depression-era survival to the newer airplanes, who are worried about recent national economic issues. The Taylorcraft L-2’s Story

A gruff voice spoke up, as if an older officer in well-deserved retirement at a veteran’s center: “Complain, complain, complain! In a democracy democ racy,, in what is a peacetime home front, undergoing what for most of the world would be a routine economic adjustment which they have weathered many times before, I am dismayed with

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JANUARY 2011

what I hear. “I’d rather not undergo this occasional inactivity, but it’s not comparable to how I lived the first years of my life—as an observer/liaison airplane in World War II. “Compare today’s stateside situation to being shot at—hard, fast, early, and often! Compare it to not having my pilot know whether he and I would return from each of our assigned observation missions during the war. “I was among the very lightest and smallest of the warplanes, and it was up to my pilot—and me— to fly into combat in my fabriccovered, unarmed frame, with extra reserves of strength and spirit. “To “T o kill my pilot and, not incidentally, me was worth a great deal

to the enemy. In a scoring system, they gave two points for downing an escorted twin engine bomber, one point for a fighter, but two points for downing an Allied liaison aircraft. The rifles of gr ound troops were all but useless against a fighter or bomber bomber,, but not against me, and I was often the only thing for them to aim at. A German infantryman who brought down an Allied L-bird like me was rewarded with a 15-day leave! My ‘eyes in the sky’ were considered that valuable valuable.. “And this happened when I was brand new. It was the existence for which I was made! “Several bullets hit me, and all but one of the strikes were quickly identified and repaired. The field mechanic who fixed me in 1944 in

Italy, working on his third day withItaly, out sleep, saw that one hit to my tubing was only a crease and that it was okay. That crease has since been regarded by 22 civilian mechanics as a minor factory fluke. It is perfectly safe, but only I know the truth of that scary day when my frame deflected the bullet that would have otherwise killed my pilot. “For decades no one knew what I had been through. It would be 30some years after the war that enthusiasts and restorers depicted the L-bird experience and accorded us a historic dignity. “And so in those years right after the war, I never complained about hard student landings and of various other neglects and pilot mistakes. “But look at me now! In only the past few years, because of my weight, I have become eligible for something called ‘light sport,’ which enables some pilots to fly me all over again with a new energy.. And this is yet another breath ergy of goodness to my life, a life that could have ended so easily so many, many times. “Squeak if you must, but only when you really, really need grease. These times, by the standards of most of the world, are still quite grand.

“A salute to you all. And now now,, I’m going to sleep.” The Piper J-3 Cub’s Story

“My line of aircraft came from poverty,, from the low ebb of the poverty early 1930s and from a hard-hit area—rural central Pennsylvan Pennsylvania. ia. “Nothing from this situation suggested success for our line, and yet this is where we found it, when a reluctant oil man essentially inherited my aircraft factory as a bad debt. In an unlikely startup, he simply became determined that he was going to ‘make the best’ of it all. “The aerodynamics of the Piper line were made as if in reaction to poverty,, with the most elemental poverty design possible: a slow, flat-bottom wing that wrought every shred of lift it could from its modest powerplant. Lift, lift, lift—it turned anything it could find into an asset, clinging tenaciously to the winds themselves as if to say, ‘Give me a dime of forward , and I’ll give you back a dollar of up.’ “Popular as I became, in the beginning, times were tight. There were days at the factory when a customer came to pick up one of my ancestors and it would have no engine installed. It was at the town’s railroad depot waiting for a check. Some Piper

“Give me a dime of forward , and I’ll give you back a dollar of up  .” personnel would take the buyer to an orchestrated lunch while others took the payment check, presented it at the railroad, claimed my engine, and took it to the factory and installed and flight-tested it—all without the buyer even knowing!

“My Cub yellow paint was not originally the beautiful pigment you see now, but was colored with a more drab, sulfur powder the factory could get for almost nothing from the Pennsylvani Pennsylvania a hills. “Elements of my design have taken on a cute and emblematic identity—my ‘clamshell’ doors that I am soloed from the rear seat, and the cork-and-wire fuel gauge from my simplistic gravityfeed fuel tank. But all of this image is incidental; these features were each built into me for a gritty gritt y, must-do purpose. “My small engine was, in fact, a bold new design, made at a time when aircraft engines were large, round, and expensive. It would probably not have been a success except for the harsh times. My engine enhanced frontal view view,, making my more modest cabin design workable. All of these designs happened together, and they collected a host of brilliant personnel—all of whom somehow made their biggest steps in the hardest of times. “There are so many American manufacturers who started in the early 1930s and who have endured. From that pit, from that low ebb, they—including my makers—found a grain of survival and created what would become a longlasting success. “By 1940, the year in which I was made, Piper’s numbers had swelled so large that it could advertise to ‘outsell all other light aircraft combined.’ No other American factory has been able to make that claim before or since. “And with the decades, my name went on to become an emblematic name for what a lightplane is. “I am evidence of the saying of architect Frank Lloyd Wright that ‘humanity built most nobly in time of scarcity, when so much more was needed to build anything at all.’ And so, my makers, by the gritty nature of what was thrust on them and by ferocity of effort, proved that the worst of times can be made into the best.” VINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

My Friend

Frank Rezich Part IV

 The war years BY ROBERT  G.

Frank with his trademark unlit cigar in his mouth, standing next to a Consolidated C-109.

I

nducted in the Army Air Forces (AAF) and assigned to Air Transport Command —Ferry Command, the AAF recognized Frank’s experience, even as a young man of 20 years. For large aircraft such as bombers and transports, radial engines ruled, and Frank had plenty of experience maintaining and operating them. A position as a copilot/mechanic/flight engineer was the right place for his talents. And that is where he went; he eventually became one of the famous AAF “Flying Sergeants.” Frank told us, “Ford was producing a B-24 every eight hours in those days. If it was to become a ‘Hump’ airplane, it went to Memphis. If it was a bomber, it went to another location to be reassigned. We picked up all of ours at Memphis.” Frank talked about going to Memphis, Tennessee, to pick up new B-24s that had been converted to tanker ships by installation of special fuel tanks for 16

JANUARY 2011

LOCK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF REZICH FAMILY COLLECTION

long-range flights and to carry fuel from India into China. These aircraft were designated C-109s— they were essentially Consolidated B-24 ships constructed under contract by Ford, but stripped of all

“I got sent through basic school and wound up in the Air Transport Command— Ferry Division.” armament, bomb racks, etc. Some of these ships had their plastic nose and tail gun turrets faired in with sheet metal to make a smooth rounded nose and tail. In Memphis these aircraft were fit-

ted with welded aluminum fuel tanks in the nose and in the bomb bay areas. These tanks could carry an additional 2,900 U.S. gallons of fuel, and the aircraft’s fuel system could be plumbed into the tanks to provide extra-long range to ferry them from Miami, Florida, to India. These aircraft were developed specifically to supply the fuel needs of the B-29s operating out of China to bomb Japan. Frank indicated that the Laird Company manufactured the aluminum fuel tanks, while the Glenn L. Martin Company fitted collapsible Mareng fuel cells in the last of the modified aircraft. Some of the C-109s were ferried directly from Memphis to the Azores, then on to North Africa, and eventually Burma/India. Other ships were ferried to Pan Am Field in Miami or Dinner Key in south Florida, then across the Atlantic to the Azores and North Africa, landing at Libya or Tripoli. Frank indicated he made a

Pan Am base in Miami, Florida.

couple of flights across the Atlantic Ocean. In a telling statement Frank said, “I made a couple of mistakes. I should have stayed with Pan Am.” In the first photo in this article you can see Pan Am Field in Miami, Florida, as it appeared in 1945. The terminal and hangar complex and parking ramp are to the left of the photograph. Dinner Key was located nearby and was designed for amphibian and seaplane operation only. All Pan Am seaplane operations began and ended at this base. It was from this Pan Am Field that Frank ferried British aircraft to North Africa prior to his induction int o the military in 1943. Frank recalled his induction and service in the military. “I got sent through basic school and wound up in the Air Transport Command – Ferry Division. I took two C-46s and a C-47 to India. Whether you flew right seat or not depended on whom you had for a CO [commanding officer]. They used to

take the crew chief and make him the copilot. On the B-24s you would have a three- or four-man crew. A lot of the time we would get some of those green copilots, and the old man would say, say, ‘Frank you go.’ I can remember delivering four or five C-46s and some Vega Venturas, but I don’t remember ever going to the Boeing factory. I remember going to the Douglas factory and to the Curtiss factory in Buffalo and also to St. Louis. I remember going to the Douglas facility at Daggett, on the Mojave Desert, to pick up some A-20s in 1945 to ferry over to Europe.” The C-109s were used to ferry fuel to B-29 bombers stationed in China, which were to be used to bomb Japan. There were many frightful moments flying a fully loaded C-109 across the Himalayan Mountains, the famous “Hump.” Frank flew as a flight engineer on a fuel-laden C-109. His rank was sergeant. Frank was eventually based in the Assam Valley region in India.

U.S. bases were in Shamshan Agra and Teagon, India. Missions carrying fuel to China were across the Himalayan Mountains in the area that featured the highest mountain in the world, Mount Everest; after cresting the mountains, the flight path took them into Kunming, China. Occasional fuel stops had to be made in Burma on the return trip. There are several stories that emanated from his time in the service, and a couple will be documented here. “I have some pictures somewhere where we lost the entire nose case and propeller of the outboard engine while in flight. I recall the same situation when I was a flight engineer on C-54s near the end of the t he war.” Speaking about maintenance on the C-109s, Frank recalled, “Engine overhauls were done by a company in Calcutta called Indian Aviation. We were lucky t o get 500 or 600 hours out of the engines. We used to have to take off down the AsVINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

17

Frank served as a crewmember on the C-109, the aerial gas truck used to supply bases in the China/ Burma/India (CBI) theater of operations. The airplane had to gain an altitude of at least 19,000 feet to clear the mountainous terrain between India and China.

sam Valley. Valley. One day we took of f and about 100 feet the first engine craps out—blows up.

It blows a piston and all the s—t comes out. We get it feathered, but not too far down the road, tthe second engine on the ssame wing fails. Both guys [pilots] [ were standing on opposite rudder with both feet. We went maybe 30–40 miles down the valley and finally got it turn ed around and landed it. We dumped all the fuel we could to make the airplane lighter, but even so the airplane was st ill very heavy. I think I st ill have some of the pieces at home somewhere in a cigar box. Everybody had failures— that was our biggest risk, an engine failure on takeoff.” There were humorous moments that Frank recalled. “One day I was climbing on board the C-109, and there was a young copilot who demanded I discard my cigar. I told him it wasn’t lit, but he insisted I throw Perhaps taken when the end of the war was it away before the flight.” in sight, a young Frank Rezich, who so honor- Frank educated him imably served his country and became a mem- mediately. “Follow me, ber of the “greatest generation.” No cigar, sonny, and let me show but is that the neck of a bottle that obscures you something.” Frank his necktie? He sure looks happy! took the young man be18

JANUARY 2011

hind the flight engineer’s aft bulkhead and pointed to a device attached to the structure. “See that? It’s an auxiliary hydraulic pump. Now you stand there and watch it carefully while I throw the electrical switch.” When the electrically driven motor started there were sparks emitting from the unit, which was located less than a foot from a fuel tank loaded with 115/145 fuel. Frank came back and said, “See that, sonny? My unlit cigar won’t ignite that fuel tank, but that thing sure as hell will. Nothing more was said!” Near the end of the war, as the Allies continued to gain ground moving toward Japan, the B-29s based in China were moved to Guam and Saipan in the Mariana Islands. Long-range bombing would dispatch from these new bases, and the China bases were eventually abandoned. When flying the Hump to China was no longer required, Frank went back to ferrying aircraft wherever they were needed. Frank was released from military service after the war ended in 1945. Frank remembered what happened in December 1946: “I came home. No job. Just a little bit of discharge pay in my pocket.

Frank’s first airplane he purchased in 1942: a CPTP Waco UPF-7.

Mike came home first. What the heck, I find Mike is running a beer business for the southwest side of Chicago. Mike said come to work for me, driving a beer truck delivering Blatz beer. I tried it for a couple weeks, but things didn’t work out.”

So Frank went back to doing what he did before the war. The first airplane that Frank purchased after his discharge was a Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) Waco UPF-7 that had been ground looped. It was disassembled and hauled on a trailer to the fam-

ily house for rebuild. The family shop was in the house basement and storage was in the converted two-car garage. Frank completed repairs to the fuselage by replacing the right landing gear and the damaged tubing structure around the gear attach area. He found a

Frank’s nicely restored Waco UPF-7, NC32087. VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

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Mike Rezich bought this BT-13 for a commuter airplane to run back and forth from Stinson Aircraft outside of Detroit and the south side of Chicago.

set of good lower wings, re-covered remembered, “They tried a speand assembled the airplane, test cial clear coat on the polished surflying it and storing it at Willie faces, but it didn’t work, so the Howell’ss Airfield south of the Chi- airplane ended up getting painted Howell’ cago Municipal because of the mu- a sand/tan topcoat color.” Frank nicipal airport’s expanded size and painted a red stripe on the fuselage side and around the nose of higher traffic density. Frank’s UPF-7 was only the sec- the engine cowling. He would also ond airplane owned by other than have to paint the civilian registrabrother Mike. Up until this time, tion number on the rudder. The Mike owned all the family air- airplane was later modified as a planes. Nick bought a Culver Ca- skywriter, and Nick had a contract det new from the factory in 1942, to write “Muntz TV” over Chicago before Frank bought his Waco. one summer. He got some help The Culver was the only new air- from one of his friends, but had plane the family purchased. This problems when he wrote the ‘Z’ same Culver has been returned to in Muntz backward!” We’ve inthe family, as Nick’s son Jim now cluded a shot from Frank’s colowns it. (We’ll have more on it in lection of the BT-13 behind the Part 7.) Rezich home. Note the woo d T h a n k s t o t h e 5 0 - f o o t g a t e wings standing against the buildn e a r t h e R e z i c h h o m e o n L a - ing, on the right side of photo. Porte Street, Nick bought a sur-  Ji m r em em be r ed , “T he wo od en plus Vultee BT-13 ship to use as wings in the background are most a “commuter” when he briefly likely from Gordon Israel’s ‘Redworked for Stinson Aircraft in De- head’ racer. One day Mike decided troit after the war. The airplane to clean up and threw them in the was taxied to the family shop, burn pile.” where it was converted to civilReady to proceed with his life, ian status and received a CAA li- it was time to move away from cense complete with registration home. Frank recalled, “I looked number NC9535H. Nick’s son Jim around the airport, but there 20

JANUARY 2011

wasn’t much happening, so I checked with United Air Lines. Well, United said co me work for us as a junior flight engineer. But that is a bus driver’s job, so you can get laid off every six months. I thought, ‘I can do better than that.’ So I stayed home and started calling around and found a hangar just west of Chicago, a little ways on an airport that has a quarry on it—Stinson Airport. Airport . Okay, I can go over there and work as an A&E. There were guys buying up these surplus airplanes. Aha, we want to convert them for civilian use. So I opened the hangar—Rezich Aircraft—and the first and biggest jobs I had were Howard airplanes. So I worked that shop because it was right up my alley. Then Nick talked me into building a racer. I started that in 1946.” Next month, in Part 5, Frank designs the Rezich brothers racer for the Cleveland Air Races and is requested to join the Ford Motor Company as a technical representative on the Pratt & Whitney R-4360 radial engine, which was being built by Ford under a licensing agreement with Pratt & Whitney.

Light Plane Heritage  EAA Experimenter December 1990

published in

THE LONGREN BIPLANE BY JACK MCRAE

Albin K. Longren was a selftaught pilot from Topeka, Kansas, who started building and flying his own airplanes in 1910. In 1919 he formed the Longren Aircraft Cor-

poration of Topeka and in 1920 designed and built the New Longren, a side-by-side two-seat biplane that featured a well-streamlined, semimonocoque fuselage of molded fi-

ber. The wing panels, which were ber. braced by a Warren truss system of struts, could be folded back against the fuselage, giving an overall width of 9 feet. The engine was originally a three-cylinder, 60-hp Lawrance, but later models used the six-cylinder Anzani engine. The molded fiber fuselage was said to have a strength-to-weight ratio double that of plywood, and to be highly resistant to splintering. The combustion point of 650°F made it relatively fireproof. Ash longerons and frames were used for reinforcement. The cockpit was entered through a door that was designed to retain the strength of the fuselage. The wings used a modified U.S.A. No. 2 airfoil. The spars were built up “I” sections of spruce. The wing ribs had a plywood web and ash cap

 Experimenter  r  magazine Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in i n EAA’s EAA’s Experimente  magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this series, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF 22

JANUARY 2011

strips. Ailerons were used on the upper wing only and were interchangeable, with control by torque tube. Swivel fittings allowed the wings to be folded without affecting the controls. When folded, the wings were braced to the fuselage to allow towing to the airport by car. The tail surfaces were of a thick section for rigidity, with rudder and elevators operated by torque tubes. The elevator controls were entirely enclosed in the fuselage, and the rudder had only a short length of control cable exposed. The landing gear was of the cross axle type supported by streamlined V-struts on each side and used rubber cord for shock absorbers. The New Longren was intended to be a business and pleasure airplane of moderate price ($2,465) for the individual owner. The low cost of maintenance and small storage space required were big advantages. The U.S. Navy was experimenting with small airplanes in the early 1920s and purchased three of the New Longrens “to test the servicing performance of molded fiber construction; a potential answer to faster and cheaper construction.” After several years of testing, the Navy decided to buy additional airplanes from Longren, but by that time the company was no longer in existence. It had been unable to compete with the low prices of the World War I surplus airplanes that were then available. The New Longren reportedly flew and handled well, and at a flying meet in Kansas City in November 1921, it won the looping contest with 38 loops. The takeoff distance was 125 feet, and the landing run was 75 feet. It was reported that a total of six were built. Longren remained in the airplane business, however, and in the early 1930s built a very attractive twoplace, all-metal biplane in Kansas City, using the Martin 120-hp engine. He subsequently worked for the Spartan Aircraft Company in Tulsa and then moved to California, where he manufactured hydraulically operated metal-forming machinery.

Specifications of New Longren Biplane Weight Empty Useful Load Gross Weight Wing Area Wing Loading Power Loading Maximum Speed Range

550 pounds 500 pounds 1,050 pounds 189 square feet 5.55 pounds/square foot 17.5 pounds/square foot 9 6 mp h 250 miles Reference:

Aviation  magazine,  magazine, September 19, 1921 Aerial Age Weekly , September 26, 1921 Flight  magazine,  magazine, June 8, 1922 Aircraft Yearbook , 1923 VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

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2010 VAA Hall of Fame Inductee

Morton W. Lester EAA 55178, VAA 14 BY JACK COX AND MORTON LESTER

B

orn into an aviation family—his father was a pilot, aircraft owner, and owner of Martinsville’s first airport—Morton literally grew up in and around airplanes and was flying long before reaching the legal age. (He soloed at age 10.) After college and military service with the Army Signal Corps (Korea), he embarked on what would become a successful business career, which allowed him to become the owner of a long succession of aircraft, ranging from modern types such as Bonanzas, Comanches, and Meyers 200s to vintage Wacos, Travel Airs, Howards, Monocoupes, and many, many more. Of special significance were a number of prototypes and racing aircraft that Morton searched out, restored, and preserved for posterity by donating them to aviation museums. Included were the following: The Crosby CR-4 that competed in the Greve and Thompson Trophy air races in the late 1930s. Morton discovered the racer on a farm in North Carolina just days before it was to be hauled away to a dump. He had it re24

JANUARY 2011

stored and donated it to the EAA AirVenture Museum at Oshkosh. The Keith Rider Jackrabbit that competed in Greve Trophy races in the late 1930s. It ended up as a sign on a California restaurant—until

Morton purchased it, had it restored, and donated it to the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. The prototype Ryan SCW was languishing somewhere in Mexico until Morton was able to locate it, bring it

Lester Airport was a Piper dealer, and this pre-WWII photo shows their first J-5 Cruiser. Morton and his father are standing by the ship with Morton’s younger brother perched on the engine.

Will Rogers and Morton share a similar philosophy when Rogers said, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Well, Morton never met a plane he didn’t like. Whistlin’ Dixie was his Twin Beech. It began life as an Navy SNB. When people would ask what that stood for, Morton simply replied, “Secret Navy Bomber.” Today this ship is in Tullahoma, Tennessee, after Morton donated it to the Beechcraft Heritage Museum.

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The Monocoupe had such a rich heritage that it is in a class by itself. This is Morton and his clipped-wing Monocoupe 110 Special. He says, “It was a fun airplane, and each flight was a thrilling and exhilarating experience.”

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The Antique/Classic judges pause for a photo in 1972. Morton is the third one from the left, standing in the back.

back to the United States, restore it to flying condition, and donate it to the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. Morton purchased a derelict aircraft that at the time was believed to be the prototype Johnson Rocket, saving it from being junked. He subsequently sold it to Leonard McGinty, who had it restored. After Leonard’s death, the airplane was purchased by the Swift Museum Foundation. Subsequent research has revealed that the airplane was initially the Swift prototype and, later, after some modifications, was re-designated as the  Johnson Rocket Rocket prototype. It will be displayed in the Swift Museum. Several other vintage aircraft,

among them a Travel Air 6000 and a Beech 18 military version, have been placed on loan by Morton to other aviation museums. In addition to owning and restoring vintage aircraft, Morton has been active for decades in the activities of various aviation organizations. He was instrumental in the creation of the Virginia Aviation Museum in Richmond. He served 10 years on the Virginia Aviation Board, having been appointed by three Virginia governors. Morton served 35 years as a board member of the Blue Ridge Airport Authority, with 23 years as chairman. He also served as a director of the Sun ’n Fun Fly-In Lake-

This is my 1929 Travel Air Model 6000. It was truly a joy to fly. As a footnote, it flew much better fully loaded than it did when flying solo. 26

JANUARY 2011

land, Florida, for many years. Morton was an early member of EAA/VAA Chapter 3 and served as its president several times over the years. He served as a member of the board of directors of what is now the Vintage Aircraft Association, being instrumental in the organization at its start. He was the division’s vice president and authored many articles for Vintage Airplane. Morton also served on the EAA Aviation Foundation board for 30 years, including co-chairmanship of the building committee during the move from Hales Corners to Oshkosh and 20 years serving on the executive committee. His lifelong collection of aviation-related audiovisual materials formed a significant part of the nucleus of the collection of EAA’s audiovisual department when it was established in Oshkosh. Note: Morton has always been a generous soul with both his time and his resources, and to honor his time contributing to Vintage Airplane, we thought it only proper to present a selection of the photos lent to us with the captions in his own words. More of his photos are posted in a slideshow that you can access from our website at www.VintageAircraft. org/programs/hof.html.

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Vintage Mechanic

THE

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Test �ights �ig hts his month’s discussion is on a subject that can cause stress, both emotional and physical. It is the test flight . In previous publications we have discussed various subjects dealing with aircraft restoration, but now is a good time to talk about the “dreaded” test flight. Perhaps you have spent several years restoring your airplane to pristine condition and finally it’s time to see how well it flies. Here are some of my thoughts on the test flight, and hopefully, ideas that will make that first flight safe, successful, and enjoyable. When I was instructing A&P mechanics at Reedley College in central California, my airframe classes focused on restoring an aircraft to flyable condition. These aircraft were quite simple, mostly Aeronca 7AC and 11AC/11CC, Cessna 140, and Taylorcraft-type airplanes. My classes numbered 20 to 50 students who all took part in the “live” airplane work. I would have half of the class working in the lab, so I supervised 10-25 students, all involved with return-to-service aircraft. Needless to say I spent many hours after students left our facility closely inspecting their work. In the end, I was the fortunate soul to fire up and test fly the airplane. My duty as test pilot was also put to use in my own shop, as I completed restoration of antique aircraft. Having been in the seat for the first flight many times, I developed some guidelines that have worked well for me. First, test flights should be conducted in the early morning hours when the air is calm and cool. Select a day when there are no crosswinds to deal with so that demon won’t enter into the picture. The mental state of the test pilot is as important as the ability to fly an airplane. You must be ready and

T

up to the task at hand, with no distractions. I always flew a similar type of aircraft around the local area to scout out possible off-airport landing sites, which I hoped would never be needed. I never jumped into the airplane and took to the sky unprepared! My test flights were were conducted when I was ready, ready, not when the airplane was ready. There were times when the test flight took place one to four days after the airplane was ready for flight. These days leading up to the test flight were used to focus on the task at hand. I mentally conducted the flight hundreds of times, and usually didn’t get my normal sleep on the days leading up to the flight. I calculated the center of gravity (CG) location for the test flight using my actual body weight instead of the 170 pounds suggested by the FAA. I knew exactly how much fuel was in the tank; I never test flew with full fuel but would have enough fuel for at least two hours of flight. Knowing exactly where the CG was located gave an indication of where to set the trim, which I usually set in the center of travel (not necessarily neutral). When I had a good mental picture of the flight, I would transfer the mental picture to reality by flying the traffic pattern and local area to spot and memorize my off-airport landing sites, if needed. I knew when I was ready and I knew when the airplane was ready. Most of my first flights lasted 20-30 minutes. A landing was made and the aircraft and engine closely inspected for anything unusual. If everything was normal, I would get back into the air for another 45 minutes to an hour. Noted test p ilot Chuck Yeager has always said, “There ain’t nothin’ dull about a test flight . . . you never know the outcome until you’re back safely on the ground.” To which I say, Amen. I still remember nearly all of my test flights—and they were all suc-

. . . make that first flight safe, successful, and enjoyable.

28

JANUARY 2011

cessful—I got back with no injury. There is less stress if you can minimize how many sets of eyes are watching the event. Ground crew is essential, but I never liked inviting throngs of people to witness my test flight. There were a couple of times, however, when it seemed that the whole darned town was there to watch. Such was the case when I test flew a Stearman biplane. But it turned out well, despite the crowd. There are different approaches to engine break-in; I suppose I’ve done most of them. I recall test flying a Fairchild PT-26 with a newly overhauled Ranger 200hp engine and an Aeromatic propeller installed. Since the Ranger tended to overheat on the ground with prolonged run-up, I preheated the oil to about 175 degrees Fahrenheit, poured it into the oil tank, did only enough ground run to assure the engine was ready, then took off and flew. All the other test flights were conducted by running the engine on the ground until there was a rise in oil temperature. This would require several short runs to avoid glazing the cylinder walls. Before takeoff, always check that control surface deflection is in the proper direction, especially ailerons, elevators, and longitudinal trim. I always use full power on takeoff and into the initial climb. Horizontally opposed engines don’t mind being operated at full power for prolonged periods. Radial and inline engines, however, don’t like the full power for long periods. I would pull off some power, but not too much. Recent test flights behind the Wright R-760 radial engine were conducted by running the engine at full power for no more than three minutes, then backing off the power to 1800 rpm and leaving it there until it was time to descend and land. The Wright is placarded to operate from 1650-1800 rpm, so I ran it at 1800 rpm during break-in. Closely monitor all engine instruments for abnormalities, especially the oil pressure gauge. The oil pressure gauge is the most important instrument in the cockpit. If all other instruments fail, you can look outside the cockpit, fly the airplane, and land it safely. I normally climb to an altitude of 2,500 feet or above, and I stay over the airport in case of an emergency. If the field is tower controlled, tell the tower folks that you are conducting a test flight and wish to stay above the airport for the next 20 minutes. Usually a shallow left turn is good because it’s in the direction of torque. Normally a newly overhauled engine will run hot for the first few hours, so cylinder head and oil temperature indicators may read above normal. Next a test of flight controls, any unusual flight conditions should be noted immediately. If the airplane is assembled and rigged properly there should be no great surprises. If things aren’t going well, however, get the airplane back on the ground, but do it safely.

I like to do a small amount of slow flight, conducting a sample landing pattern starting at 2,500 feet above the ground. But while conducting any maneuvers it is important to keep the engine cool. The airplane should be trimmed for all flight attitudes and airspeeds. If the center of gravity is properly placed, this will happen. If the airplane is either nose- or tailheavy you will run out of trim travel before control stick pressure neutralizes. After 20-30 minutes I land to check the airplane and engine over before continuing. Takeoffs on a test flight can be fun, but the first landing is always a memorable event. Here are a couple of ideas to ponder. First, a good landing is always accompanied with a good approach. A lousy approach will usually result in a lousy landing. Biplanes have very poor visibility over the nose. They also come down fast if you pull the power off. With this in mind, make your approach to landing by holding some power all the way to the flare. At airfields where I can dictate the pattern (uncontrolled), I shoot the downwind at 800 feet AGL, turn base at 600 feet AGL, and turn final at 400 feet AGL. Keep pulling the power off; it’s a game to play on landing and keeps you from getting too bored. The game is to continue reducing power but not adding power to make the runway. To this day my approaches are a little high to allow me to see the runway over the engine. I will never shoot a low final and add substantial power to make the runway. You cannot see anything in front of you, so don’t do it! Another idea for the final approach is to use a little “slip” so you can see the runway. This trick worked well when I was flying a Pitts S2C with Sean Tucker and Ralph Riddel at Salinas. You could set up a cross control slip and when you crossed, the numbers just set the airplane down the runway—it was already flared to the three-point attitude. Hold it there until all three wheels touched down. Squeak and you’re down. Oh, it was fun! The second flight can be a more in-depth investiga-

Short final for 15. VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

29

tion of stability and control. Have a clipboard handy so you can record what the airplane does as you conduct the tests. First, the airplane should fly straight and level when trimmed. Fixed-wing aircraft have a tendency to roll to the left as a result of propeller rotation (P-factor) and torque. On aircraft powered by most American-built engines, the prop turns clockwise when viewed from the cockpit, so the airplane wants to turn counterclockwise. This can be corrected by washing out the right wing or washing in the left wing, or adjusting both settings. These adjustments are made until the wings remain level with the horizon in level flight. Wash-out is removing a small amount of the angle of incidence at wing tip, and wash-in is increasing incidence at the tip. This adjustment is done in small increments until the airplane flies wings-level at cruise power in level flight. The chances are good that the left wing will be washed in, so the slight increase in angle of incidence at the tip will cause a slight increase in drag on the left wing. This causes the nose to yaw to the left. This condition can be adjusted by adding a small ground-adjustable tab to the rudder and bending it to the left, which will cause the rudder to move to the right. Bend the tab until the yaw is removed. After these adjustments are completed, check the airplane in a power off stall; the wings should remain level through the stall. To stability test the airplane, begin at a safe altitude, at least 3,000 feet AGL. Set the power to cruise rpm and trim the airplane for level “hands off” flight. Now apply a small amount of back pressure on the stick to cause the nose to rise above the horizon. Observe if the nose oscillates below the horizon, and tends to return to level flight

equilibrium. If this happens and in a short time period, the airplane demonstrates good static and dynamic stability. If the nose tends to stay in the displaced attitude, the airplane demonstrates neutral stability . And if the nose tends to increase its oscillations above and below the horizon the airplane demonstrates negative stability.  Most old airplanes should demonstrate  positive or neutral stability. Flight control deflection should be capable of good control of the airplane at all airspeeds. Don’t try any spectacular maneuvers at this time; you just want to check stability and control response. Reduce power to check for slow flight-handling of the airplane as you prepare for landing. You can do this on the descent portion of your flight. I usually make an imaginary traffic pattern: crosswind, 90-degree downwind slightly reducing speed, 90-degree turn to base reducing speed, 90-degree turn to final, further reducing speed. You You can do this in your descent to get a feel of how the airplane will control in the traffic pattern, particularly if there are no recommended airspeed numbers written anywhere. Enter the pattern for landing and make a good cockpit check. One important check during this phase of the flight is the pilot. Make up your mind what type of landing you will make: three-point or wheel. For me, the first is usually a wheel landing; it’s just easier to fly the airplane onto the runway, and I will always have good rudder control due to the higher airspeed. This is especially true if it’s the first time I’ve flown this particular type of airplane. In all the airplanes I’ve flown I prefer the three-point landing once I get used to the ship. If the tail wheel is the steerable or locking type, three-point landings work well for me.

To stability test the

airplane, begin

at a safe altitude, at least 3,000 feet AGL.

Flight control and stability check. 30

JANUARY 2011

Landing at the end of the test flight.

There is nothing more exciting than a test flight in a strange airplane. When I first flew the Command-Aire from the Lakeland, Florida, airport in 1989, however, it felt like I had flown it before, perhaps in another life. It was sweet! After 11 long years of restoration, my pride and joy finally took to the air. This photograph shows the Command-Aire taxiing back to the Sun ’n Fun museum hangar after the successful test flight.

Airspeed control on final is critical to making good three-point landings. I have flown the Command-Aire since 1989 and have many takeoffs and landings in all types of wind conditions, so I have the three-point attitude memorized. I flare the airplane out to that threepoint attitude and hold it until a full-stall landing occurs at minimum airspeed. I even three-point land the airplane in crosswinds. The important point to remember is, the test flight is a check of systems, stability, and control. Make notes carefully so adjustments can be made in a controlled fashion. The airplane must be slowly “tweaked” until it flies just right. The photo above shows the New Standard completing a fly-by at low altitude for all those in attendance to see this beautiful airplane close up. Note that ailerons and elevator are streamlined, giving a clue that the rigging of the airplane is really close. Now go out and have some fun with that great biplane! Good luck and happy flying!  Edit or’s Note:  Editor’s N ote: EAA’ EAA’ss Fligh F lightt Advis A dvisor or progr program am isn’t just for homebuilders; it’s for any pilot who is preparing to test fly his newly constructed or restored aircraft. You can learn more about the program on t he Web Web at www.eaa. org/flightadvisors. org/flightadv isors. To find a Flight Advisor, log in to t o EAA’s EAA’s online community at www.Oshkosh365.org and click on the EAA Members Only tab in the bar; on the left side  you’ll see a listing for the program under the Flying heading. We urge anyone contemplating a first flight to take advantage of this important member benefit! —HGF  VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

31

Vintage Instructor THE

BY Steve Krog, CFI

Was that a landing? Or was it a carnival ride?

S

eldom is an incident or an accident the result of a single major mistake or system failure. Rather, it is the combination of a series of little mistakes that compound as the flight continues. This is the story of one of those incidents that demonstrates how little mistakes do accumulate. The result was painless and inexpensive, but it could have been much worse. While doing pattern work with a student, we landed, completed our back taxi, announced our intentions on the radio, and began taxiing into position for a takeoff on Runway 29. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed an airplane that appeared to be entering the traffic pattern for a landing on Runway 11. Neither the student nor I recognized the airplane other than it was a tailwheel aircraft. My student immediately demonstrated good common sense and stated, “I’m not sure what he’s up to,” and taxied off the runway until he could determine what the new arrival was going to do. The arriving airplane turned final and appeared to be aligned with the turf immediately adjoining the hard-surface runway. We We both noted that this “could be interesting,” as the wind was blowing about 10-12 mph from the northwest, creating a downwind landing situation. After turning final the airplane continued drifting southward toward the hard-surface runway. Be32

JANUARY 2011

fore touching down (the first time), how the scenario played out. he was nearly off the runway, with It all began on a sunny fall afhis right wing overhanging the ternoon. While driving home from runway lights. The touchdown was work, Dick* decided it would be a hard, the aircraft bounced quite good day to do a little flying. Arrivhigh, and it appeared that a lot of ing at the airport he met John, his left rudder was being applied as the friend from the next hangar, who nose swung to the left. The second also planned to do some flying. touchdown caused the plane to veer  Jo hn ha had d al alre re ad y co mp le lete te d hi s hard to the left, and the “carnival preflight and was ready to depart ride” began. He exited the runway causing Dick to hurry his preflight, to the left and rolled into a shallow so that they could depart together. drainage ditch, which launched the Small problem No. 1. Dick hurriedly entered the cockaircraft a third time. While airborne the nose began a swing to the right. pit and sat down hard in the seat. On the final touchdown, the air- He thought he heard a sound like plane executed a full ground loop metal cracking but decided to igto the left. nore it, as everything seemed norI shouted to my student, “Watch mal. The engine was started, and the wingtips!” but the arriving pi- Dick began taxiing toward the lot was quite lucky. While riding runway following his friend John. out a full 360-degree ground loop, While taxiing, Dick thought the the wingtips never touched the seat felt different but chose to igground, nor did the tail ever come nore it. After all, he had never had off the ground. Once stopped, the a previous problem with the seat. airplane was pointing northwest Small problem No. 2. into the wind. Once in the air the two friends The pilot who rode out this decided to fly to a nearby airport “spectacular” arrival was quite and get a little fuel. Dick fell a mile shaken and remained in the air- or so behind John, because he plane for quite some time before seemed to be having a bit of a probgetting his courage up to exit and lem with the rudder pedals. The airplane wanted to yaw to one side. look at the airplane. Some time later I had an oppor- It was easily controlled, so Dick tunity to speak with the pilot. Still didn’t think it was much of a probquite shaken, he began explaining lem. Small problem No. 3. Dick didn’t see John enter the what he thought had happened. After allowing time for him to vent traffic pattern and land, but he did and start to relax, we reviewed what observe that John was already at had happened step-by-step. Here’s the gas island. Not wanting to hold

 John up, Dick decided to enter the traffic pattern and land as quickly as possible. After all, the surface winds when they departed were light and variable. He entered on a left downwind for landing on Runway 11. The wind was blowing fr om the northwest at 10-12 mph, favoring Runway 29. Small problem No. 4. Turning final, Dick noticed that it was hard to keep the airplane aligned with the runway runway,, and things seemed to be happening a bit faster than normal. The rudder pedals felt uneven, and every time he relaxed the right rudder the airplane rapidly drifted to the left, causing him to overapply the right rudder, making the airplane drift to the right. Small problem No. 5. Rather than opting to go around and land on a 200-foot-wide turf runway, Dick continued his approach to 11, hoping he could prevent the airplane from running off the runway. Small problem No. 6. The touchdown was hard, and he bounced fairly high. While in the bounce, the plane wanted to veer hard to the left. Continuing with the landing, Dick tried to reposition his right foot on the right brake. But this caused him to relax on the right rudder, allowing the airplane to yaw even more to the left. Small problem No. 7. The second touchdown was also quite hard, rapidly causing a second bounce and allowing little or no braking action. A second metal crunch was heard, and the seat slid back and down. Small problem No. 8. Heading for the left side of the runway, Dick was now just along for the ride. All he could do was hang on and keep the stick back. The plane exited the runway, rolled into the drainage ditch, and again bounced back into the air. When it touched down the final time, it proceeded to complete a full 360-degree ground loop before finally coming to rest, pointing in the direction from which it came. No contact was made with runway lights, and the wingtip

never touched the ground. Upon close examination of the airplane, we found the seat was broken in two places. The initial break probably occurr ed when Dick first entered the airplane. The second happened on the second bounce while he was trying to jam the brake pedal to the floor, causing him to lose control of the airplane. Further,, we found Further f ound one tail spring and clip missing. It probably happened on takeoff, causing the rudder directional control pr oblems encountered during the flight and especially on landing. This would cause uneven pressure on one rudder pedal while in flight and the tail wheel to be cocked to one side when touching down. Could this spectacular arrival have been prevented? The sound of metal cracking upon first getting seated in the airplane should have caused a red flag to be raised. Even though it felt okay, something just wasn’t right. Secondly, a more thor-

ough preflight may have found the tail wheel spring in need of attention. Finally, being in a hurry and somewhat preoccupied withthe rudder problem, Dick failed to check the windsock for surface winds and most favorable runway, leading to a downwind landing. The combination of a broken seat, missing tail wheel spring, and downwind landing caused quite a ride for Dick. Thankfully the only thing broken was the seat frame; no other damage was done other than Dick’s bruised ego. The airplane has already been repaired, and new tail wheel control springs have been properly installed. Once the weather improves, Dick and I have scheduled some dual flights to repair his bruised ego! *As you can imagine, we’ve changed the names to avoid needlessly embarrassing a fellow pilot. We can all imagine how it would be to fly in his moccasins!

VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

33

by H.G. FRAUTSCHY

MYSTERY PLANE This month’s Mystery Plane comes to us via Wes Smith. It is a twin of foreign manufacture and registration.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be in no later than February 15 for inclusion

in the April 2011 issue of Vintage Airplane. You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to [email protected] .

Be sure to include your name plus your city and state in the body of your note and put “(Month) Mystery Plane” in the subject line.

OCTOBER’ S MYSTERY ANSWER

We enjoy your suggestions for Mystery Planes—in fact, more than half of our subjects are sent to us by members, often via e-mail. e-mail . Please remember that if you want to scan the photo for use in Mystery Plane, it must be at a resolution of 300 dpi or greater. You may send a lower-resolution version to us for our review, but the final version has to be at that level of detail or it will not print properly. Also, please let us know where the photo 34

JANUARY 2011

came from; we don’t want to willfully violate someone’s copyright. October’s Mystery Plane came to us from Duffy Thompson of Lakeland, Florida, who was given a book of aircraft photos that belonged to the late Don O.W. Emerson. Our first mailed response came to us from Tom Lymburn of Princeton, Minnesota: The October Mystery Plane is the Curtiss XPW-8 (Model 33) first prototype. It was given serial number

23-1201 after purchase by the Army on 27 April 1923. It had flown in  Jan  J an u ar y, w i t h t h e r at h e r c u mb er some moniker of “Curtiss Pursuit Air plan  pl ane, e, Ex Expe peri rime ment ntal al Typ Typee I. I.” ” Gi Give ven n the Wright Field test number P-295, it was converted at one point as a fake two-seater to be entered in the 1923  Pulitzer race as the CO-X, but was disqualified. It was finally “surveyed” at  McCook Field on 21 February 1925. Curtiss began development in September 1922 around its 440-hp D-12

engine, featuring flush-top wing ra- bat Planes of the 20th Century designations were a postwar system diators. Parts of the design were influ- and Dean and Hagedorn’s Curtiss of categorizing aircraft by their funcenced by Curtiss’ R-6 and R2C/E3C Fighter Aircraft: A photographic tion and powerplant and ran from the 1917-1948. “Type I” through the “Type XV.” The racers. These flush-mounted wing ra- History 1917-1948. And some additional informa- Type I (Roman numeral for “one”) rediators were meant to reduce drag but tended to leak, dumping hot water on tion from Wes Smith of Spring- ferred to “pursuit, water-cooled” types the pilot. They would also have been field, Illinois: (PW-1 to PW-9). While Peter M. Bowers refers to  D e s i g n o f t h e p r o t o t y p e m a very vulnerable in combat! Eventually, three XPW-8 prototypes were the PW-8 in Curtiss Aircraft 1907- chine was announced to the USAS in constructed (23-1202 to 23-1203) 1947 as the Model 33 (company des- September of 1922, and the prototype and 25 PW-8 (PW = pursuit, water- ignation L-18-1), I side with Dean was flown on January 23, 1923. The cooled) production aircraft (24-201 to and Hagedorn as they quote from new aircraft used the Curtiss D-12 24-225) were ordered on 14 Septem- the original report written by D.C. engine, a development of the wartime ber 1923. They were delivered from  Maier, and the photo pho to clearly c learly does ded e- Curtiss-Kirkh Curtiss-Kirkham am K-12 (by way of the prot otype, pe, whic which h was w as som somee- intermediate CD-12, “Curtiss, Direct  Junee t o Aug  Jun August ust 192 1924. 4. Arm Armed ed wit with h a  pict the prototy  pair  pa ir of .3 .300-ca calib lib er Ma Marl rlin in ma mach chin inee what different; the report goes on  Driv  Dr ive, e,” ” la late terr si simp mpli lifi fied ed to “D “D-1 -12” 2”))  guns  gu ns,, th thee PWPW-8 8 ha had d a to top p sp spee eed d of to state that the prototype only was designed by Charles B. Kirkham. By 165 mph at sea level, a range of 440 the L-18-1, not production PW-8s,  Apr  April il of 192 1923, 3, the USA USASS had h ad sho shown wn miles, and a ceiling of 23,300 feet. which were based on the second pro- an interest in the aircraft and sent from m McCook Field to the CurThe PW-8 led to the more famous P-1 totype. It should be mentioned that  Maier fro the U.S. Air Service (USAS) “t ype” tiss factory in order to test-fly and ex Hawk series of Curtiss Cur tiss fighters.  PW- 8s we re as si gn ed to th e 1s t  Pur  P ur s u it Gr o u p a t S el f r i d g e F ie l d , some even flying on skis. Lt. Russell  Maughan  Maug han fle flew w PW-8 P W-8 (24 (24-20 -204) 4) fro from m  Long Isla Island, nd, New York, to t o San Sa n FranFr ancisco on 23 June 1924, in a famous “dawn to dusk” flight that lasted 23 hours and 48 minutes with five refueling stops. It covered 2,607 miles.  Maugh  Mau ghan an had pre previo vio usl uslyy at attem tem pt pted ed two such flights in the prototype, 23-1201.  A similar sim ilar photo p hoto of 23-1201 23 -1201 in the t he snow,, but with a pilot in the cockpit, snow appears in Wagner’s American ComVINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

35

amine the machine. Impressed, the USAS appears to have purchased the aircraft as the XPW-8 (A.S. 23-1201;  McCook  McC ook Fiel d Projec Pr ojectt Numbe N umberr P-29 P -295 5 was added in May 1923). After i ts acquisition, on April 27, 1923, it was redesignated as a “Curtiss Pursuit Type I - PW-8,” the first aircraft in the U.S. Army to be designed solely as a pursuit airplane. Bowers states that the application of the “X” prefix was actually not used until it was adopted in March 1924. Nevertheless, after the procurement of the first three prototype aircraft (A.S. 1201-1203), a contract for 25 aircraft (A.S. 24-201–24225; MSN 10503-10528) followed in September 1923, and Curtiss ap plied  plie d the th e L-18-2 L- 18-2/PW-8 /PW-8 company c ompany designation to production aircraft. The second prototype was dimensionally somewhat larger than the L-18-1/   PW-8, and the radi radiator ator area was increased. The chord of the upper wing was extended, ailerons were added to the lower wings, and the vertical fin had an increased area. Th e rudder size and shape was altered, and the interplane gap was increased somewhat, increasing the height. An aerodynamic balance area was added to the vertical rudder, and the overall length was slightly increased. The span remained the same, but the airfoil was changed to the Curti ss C-62, and the positive load factor was increased from a maximum of 8 to 12. The L-18-2 had a Curtiss EX29048 wooden prop and a low-compression  D-12  D12 fi fitt tted. ed. An add it itio iona nall ai aircr rcr af aft, t, not a true PW-8, was also exported to  Japan  Jap an in 193 0. The pro produc ductio tion n PW8s were delivered from June 14 to Au gust 14, 14 , 1924. 1924 . The prototype aircraft can be identified by the slightly indented cowling between the cylinder banks and complex split-axle undercarriage, which was probably the first to use rubber discs in compression. This was simplified on the L- 18-2 and all subsequent aircraft. The PW-8 series is remembered for the unique surface evaporative cooling system, adopted from the earlier R-6 racers.  In this thi s system, system , the water wa ter from the enen 36

JANUARY 2011

 ple ted as the PW-8 PW-8A. A. In add addit ition ion to modified wings, it was later fitted with the chin-mounted tunnel radiator, which became standard on the Curtiss P-1 series.  P W - 8 s w e r e o p e r a t e d b y t h e 1st Pursuit Squadron at Selfridge  Field,, Michiga  Field Mi chigan, n, and an d were we re fitted fit ted with w ith skis for winter operations. In service,  PW-8s wer weree ret retrofi rofitte tted d with w ith Cur tis tisss Reed  Ree d forg f orged ed dur duralu alumin minum um pro propel peller ler s for higher speeds. On July 11, 1923, the L-18-1 was authorized by the chief of the USAS to be modified into a two-place aircraft in order to com pe te in th e th ir d ev en t of th e 19 23  Pul it itze zerr Rac e, whi ch was to be he held ld at Lambert Field, St. Louis. In addition to the rear observer’s cockpit, the original Curtiss X-9048 was initially replaced with a Curtiss EX29048-A wooden propeller. This in turn was replaced with a new Curtiss-Reed. A high-compression D-12 was also fitted, and on September 24, 1923, the aircraft was redesignated as the CO-X (corps observation, experimental).  Ho we ve r, th e U. S. Na vy pr ot es te d, based on the fact that this was not a true operational observation type, and hence, the St. Louis Air Board was forced to disqualify the aircraft. Sadly, the aircraft ended its days at  McCo  Mc Cook ok Fi Fiel eld, d, be bein ingg di disp spos osed ed of on  Februaryy 25, 1925.  Februar 19 25. The continued evolution of the prototype aircraft through the PW-8 series is a complex one, in which many modifications were made along the way.. The eloquent and definitiv e way history of this aircraft is given in the aforementioned Dean/Hagedorn book, and I refer one and all to that worthy tome for a detailed history.  Ad di ti on al ly, tw o dr aw i ng s of th e b een made over the t he years. year s. tal flight in July of 1923, using the  PW-8 have been  prototyp  prot otypee machi m achine. ne. He accom accompli plished shed The first, a William Wylam drawing, this feat the following year on June and the second, by Paul R. Matt. A PW-8 -8 ca n 24, 1924, using the fourth produc-  gr ea t de sc r ip ti on of th e PW tion PW-8 (A.S. 24-204) modified also be found in Peter Bowers’ book with additional fuel tanks (75-gallon Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947, and in main, 47-gallon rear, and 45-gallon Aviation,  Jul y 14 14,, 1 92 924 4 (V.17 N.2 . drop tank; McCook P-361). The first “The Curtiss PW-8 Pursuit Plane several PW-8s were used as test air- Described: Story of the Developcraft. A.S. 24-202 (P-358) was fitted ment of This Plane From Racing with an external supercharger. The Experience and Its Chief Construc746- 748). third prototype (L-18-3) was com- tional Features,” pp 746-748).  gi ne fl ow  gine owed ed in to tw twin in he ad ader er ta tank nk s on the dorsal side of the upper wing, ran across corrugated cores and back to the engine. The unique compartmentalized construction of the wings utilized multiple spars in place of the more traditional two-spar system. Lt.  Russ  Ru ssel el l Lo Lowe well ll Ma Maug ugha han, n, a co comb mbat at veteran of the 139th Aero Squadron during World War I, twice attempted (unsuccessfully) to make the socalled “dusk to dawn” transcontinen-

The second 

 prot  pr otot otyp ypee wa wass

dimensionally

somewhatt larger somewha

than the L-18-1/   PW-8  PW -8,, an andd th thee radiator area

was increased.

VINTAGE TRADER Somet hing to buy, sell, or trade? Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on first line. Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1, 2, or 3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts. Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired issue date (i.e., January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA reserves the right to reject any advertising in conflict with its policies. Rates cover one insertion per issue. Classified ads are not accepted via phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax (920-426-4828) or e-mail ([email protected] ) using credit card payment (all cards accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of card, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA. Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

MISCELLANEOUS

Upcoming Major Fly-Ins U.S. Sport Aviation Expo Sebring Regional Airport (SEF), Sebring, Florida January 20-23, 2011 www.Sport-Aviation-Expo.com 

Golden West Regional Fly-In and Air Show Yuba Yu ba County Airport (MYV), Marysville, California June 10-12, 2011 www.GoldenWestFlyIn.org 

Sun ’n Fun Fly-In Lakeland Linder Regional Regional Airpor t (LAL), Lakeland, Florida March 29-April 3, 2011 www.Sun-N-Fun.org 

Arlington Fly-In Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO), Arlington, Washingto Washington n July 6-10, 2011 www.ArlingtonFlyIn.org 

AERO Friedrichshafen Messe Friedrichshaf Friedrichshafen, en, Friedrichshafen, Friedrichsha fen, Germany  April 13-16, 2011 www.AERO-Friedrichshafen.com/html/  en 

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh, Wisconsin July 25-31, 2011 www.AirVenture.org 

Virginia Regional Festival of Flight Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ), Suffolk, Virginia April 30-May 1, 2011 www.VirginiaFlyIn.org 

Colorado Sport International Air Show and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC), Denver, Colorado August 27-28, 2011 www.COSportAviation.org 

EAA Calendar of Aviation Events Is Now Online EAA’s online Calendar of Events is the “go-to” spot on the Web to list and find aviation events in your area. The user-friendly, searchable format makes it the perfect web-based tool for planning your local trips to a fly-in. We invite you to access the EAA online Calendar of Events at http://www.eaa.org/ calendar/ 

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SERVICES  Always Flying Fl ying Aircraft Aircr aft Restoration Re storation,, LLC: Annual Inspections, Airframe recovering, fabric repairs and complete restorations. Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472-1481 Ohio and bordering states. Biplane Builder Ltd. Restoration, fabric, paint, fabrications, paperwork with 53 completed projects, Wacos, Moth’s, Champs, Pitts etc. Test Test flights and delivery. Indiana 812-343-8879  [email protected], www.  biplan  bip lanebu ebuild ilder er.co .com. m.

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 s.  t s  e   k  s  c   c  t i i  t i  c i  k  e t s c    e e  r  u  o  t u  g/  n  o r g  e .    e e   V  r  u  A i r r i r   V  e n t u  r r  u  y o w a t A  n  o  e   l  e n o  v    n n    i i  a    l  n  S  u y o  B

It’s gonna be It’s a big day. All week long. This year we’ve packed each day (and evening) of AirV AirVenture enture with special events and attractions  you’ll want to to plan aroun around. d. Monday, July 25 Opening Day Concert

Tuesday, July 26 Tribute to Bob Hoover

Wednesday, July 27 Navy Day

Thursday, July 28 Tribute to Burt Rutan

Friday, July 29 Salute to Veterans

Saturday, July 30 Night Air Show Returns

Sunday, July 31 Big Finale, the Military Scramble

 Join us  Join us for for a big big cel celebr ebrati ation on of t he 100t 00thh Anniversary of Naval Aviation. See it all, from the Curtiss Pusher replica to the Navy’s hottest hardware. All week long.

 Advance tickets made possible possible by 

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION OFFICERS President Geoff Robison 1521 E. MacGregor Dr. New Haven, IN 46774 260-493-4724 [email protected]

Vice-President George Daubner N57W34837 Pondview Ln Oconomowoc, WI 53066 262-560-1949  [email protected] 

Secretary Steve Nesse 2009 Highland Ave. Albert Lea, MN 56007 507-373-1674 [email protected]

Treasurer Dan Knutson 106 Tena Marie Circle Lodi, WI 53555 608-592-7224 [email protected] 

DIRECTORS

Membership Services Directory Enjoy the many benefits of EAA and EAA’s Vintage Aircraft Association

EAA Aviation Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086 Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873 Web Sites: www www.vintageaircraft.org, .vintageaircraft.org, www www.airventure.org, .airventure.org, www www.eaa.org/memberbenefits .eaa.org/memberbenefits E-Mail: E-Mail: [email protected]   [email protected]  EAA and Division Membership Services (8:00 AM–6:00 PM Monday–Friday CST) 800-564-6322 FAX 920-426-4873 www.eaa.org/memberbenefits [email protected]  •New/renew memberships •Address changes •Merchandise sales •Gift memberships EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

888-322-4636

 

www.a www .airv irven entu ture re.o .org rg

airve ai rvent ntur ure@ e@ea eaa. a.or org  g 

Sport Pilot/Lig Pilot/Light-S ht-Sport port Aircraft Aircraft Hotline Hotline 877-3 877-359-12 59-1232 32

 

www.s www .spo portp rtpililot ot.o .org rg

sport sp ortpi pilo lot@ t@ea eaa. a.or org  g 

Programs and Activities Auto Fuel STCs

920-426-4843

EAA Air Academy

920-426-6880

EAA Scholarships

920-426-6823

Librar y Ser vices/Research

920-426-4848

   

Steve Bender 85 Brush Hill Road Sherborn, MA 01770 508-653-7557 [email protected] 

Dale A. Gustafson 7724 Shady Hills Dr. Indianapolis, IN 46278 317-293-4430 [email protected]

David Bennett 375 Killdeer Ct Lincoln, CA 95648 916-952-9449 [email protected]

 Jeannie Hill P.O. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033-0328 815-943-7205

EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan

866-647-4322

EAA VISA Card

800-853-5576 ext. 8884

EAA He Her tz tz Re Rent-A- Ca Car Pr Pr og ogram

800- 65 654-2200

Espie “Butch” Joyce 704 N. Regional Rd. Greensboro, NC 27409 336-668-3650 [email protected]

VAA Ed Edit itor oria ial/ l/Ex Exec ecut utiv ivee Dir Direc ecto torr

92092 0-42 4266-48 4825 25

VAA Office

920-426-6110

 Jerry Brown 4605 Hickory Wood Row Greenwood, IN 46143 317-422-9366 [email protected] Dave Clark 635 Vestal Lane Plainfield, IN 46168 317-839-4500 [email protected]   John S. Copeland 1A Deacon Street Northborough, MA 01532 508-393-4775 [email protected] Phil Coulson 28415 Springbrook Dr. Lawton, MI 49065 269-624-6490 [email protected]

Steve Krog 1002 Heather Ln. Hartford, WI 53027 262-966-7627 [email protected] Robert D. “Bob” Lumley 1265 South 124th St. Brookfield, WI 53005 262-782-2633 [email protected] S.H. “Wes” Schmid 2359 Lefeber Avenue Wauwatosa, WI 53213 414-771-1545 [email protected]

DIRECTORS EMERITUS Robert C. Brauer 9345 S. Hoyne Chicago, IL 60643 773-779-2105  [email protected]

Charlie Harris PO Box 470350 Tulsa, OK 74147 918-622-8400 [email protected]

Gene Chase 2159 Carlton Rd. Oshkosh, WI 54904 920-231-5002 [email protected] 

E.E. “Buck” Hilbert 8102 Leech Rd. Union, IL 60180 815-923-4591 [email protected]

Ronald C. Fritz 15401 Sparta Ave. Kent City, MI 49330 616-678-5012 [email protected]

Gene Morris 5936 Steve Court Roanoke, TX 76262 817-491-9110  genemorr is@char ter.net ter.net

 John Turgyan Turgyan PO Box 219 New Egypt, NJ 08533 609-758-2910  jrturg yan4@aol. com

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[email protected] 

www.aira www.a iraca cade demy my.o .org rg

aira ai raca cade demy my@e @eaa aa.o .org  rg 

 

[email protected]  slur [email protected] g

Benefits AUA Vintage Insurance Plan

800-727-3823

EAA Members Information Line

 

www.auaonline.com www.eaa.org/memberbenefits [email protected] 

 

www.e www .eaa aa.o .org rg/h /hert ertzz

memb me mber ersh ship ip@e @eaa aa.o .org  rg 

www.vin www .vintag tageai eaircra rcraft.o ft.org rg

vintag vin tage@e e@eaa. aa.org  org 

 

[email protected] 

888-EAA-INFO (322-4636)

Use this toll-free number for: information about AirVenture Oshkosh; aeromedical and technical aviation questions; chapters; and Young Eagles. Please have your membership number ready when calling. Office hours are 8:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (Monday - Fri day, CST)

MEMBERSHIP INFORMA I NFORMATION TION EAA Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION . Family membership is an additional $10 annually. All major credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for International Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States bank payable in United States dollars. Add required Foreign Postage amount for each membership. VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION Current EAA members may join the Vintage Aircraft Association and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE  magazine for an additional $36 per year. EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine and one year membership in the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46 per

year (SPORT (SPORT AVIATION  magazine  magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

WARBIRDS Current EAA members may join the EAA Warbirds of America Division and receive WARBIRDS  magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, WARBIRDS  magazine and one year membership in the Warbirds Division is available for $55 per OficAVIATION  VIATION  magazine year ( SPORT OficA   magazine not included). (Add $7 for International Postage.)

IAC

Current EAA members may join the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. Division and receive SPORT AEROBATICS magazine for an additional $45 per year. EAA Membership, SPORT AE ROBAT ROBAT-ICS  magazine and one year membership in the IAC Division is available for $55 per year (SPORT AVIATION  magazine  magazine not included). (Add $15 for Foreign Postage.)

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions

Copyright ©2011 by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved. VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EAA Vintage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: [email protected]. Membership to Vintage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of Vintage Airplane magazine, is $36 per year for EAA members and $46 for non-EAA members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing of fices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40063731 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Pitney Bowes IMS, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES — Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via surface mail. ADVERTISING — Vintage Aircraft Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken. EDITORIAL POLICY: Members 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. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800 . EAA® and EAA SPORT AVIATION®, the EAA Logo® and Aeronautica™ are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited. VINTAGE VINT AGE AIRPLANE

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Black Carry Tote This roomy leather tote is equiped with all the essentials for an over night trip. 5265032500000

$19.95

Leather Briefcase Patched leather with lasered VAA logo has many compartments. Approx: Appr ox: 11h x16wx 4d. 5265032300000

$25.95

*

$34.99

Brown Carry Tote

Large tote that is perfect for those short trips where an overnight bag is needed. Has soft tan faux leather with a lasered VAA logo. 5265855800000

Leather Flight Cap In the cockpit or out in the elements, this hat is perfect for warmth. 5265821003083 MD Brown * 5265821004083 LG Brown

$48.95

 Vintage B-15A Bomber Bomber Jacket Jacket This jacket is a replica of the 1946 issue. Quilted lining with strategic air command print. 100% cotton shell, zipper sleeve pocket knit waist and cuff. Imitation fur collar is removable. Men’s sizing. 5265697302082 SM 5265697303082 MD * 5265697304082 LG 5265697305082 XL 5265697306082 2XL —*

$57.99 } $61.99

Canvas Flight Cap 5265341503053 5265341504053 5265341503084 5265341504084

MD Sage LG Sage MD Tobacco LG Tobacco

$36.95 SAGE

TOBACCO

www.shopeaa.com/vaa  Telephone Orders: 800-843-3612  From US and Canada (All Others Call 920-426-5912)

40

JANUARY 2011

*Shipping and handling NOT included. Major credit cards accepted. WI residents add 5% sales tax.