PUBLICATION STAFF

PUBLISHER Paul H Poberezny

DIRECTOR MARKETING amp COMMUNICATIONS

Dick Matt

EDITOR Gene R Chase

MANAGING EDITOR Mary Jones

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Norman Petersen

FEATURE WRITER George A Hardie Jr

EAA ANTIQUECLASSIC DIVISION INC

OFFICERS

President R J Lickteig

1620 Bay Oaks Drive Albert Lea MN 56007

507373-2351

Secretary Treasurer Ronald Fritz E E Buck Hilbert

15401 Sparta Avenue PO Box 145 Kent City MI 49330 Union IL 60180

616678-5012 815923-4591

DIRECTORS

John S Copeland Stan Gomoll 9 Joanne Drive 1042 90th Lane NE

Westborough MA 01581 Minneapolis MN 55434 617366-7245 6121784-1172

Claude L Gray Jr Dale A Gustafson 9635 Sylvia Avenue 7724 Shady Hill Drive

Northridge CA 91324 Indianapolis IN 46274 213349-1338 317293-4430

Robert G Herman bull Arthur R Morgan WI64 N9530 Water Street 3744 North 51st Blvd

Menomonee Falls WI 53051 Milwaukee WI 53216 414251-9253 414442-3631

Morton W Lester AI Kelch PO Box 3747 66 W 622 N Madison Ave

Martinsville VA 24112 Cedarburg WI 53012 703632-4839 414377-5886

Gene Morris John R Turgyan 24 Chandelle Drive Box 229 RFD 2

Hampshire IL 60140 Wrightstown NJ 08562 3121683-3199 6091758-2910

S J Wittman George S York Box 267~ 181 Sloboda Ave

Oshkosh WI 54901 Mansfield OH 44906 414235-1265 419529-4378

ADVISORS

Espie M Joyce Jr Daniel Neuman Box 468 1521 Berne Circle W

Madison NC 27025 Minneapolis MN 55421 919427-0216 6121571 -0893

Ray Olcott Roy Redman 1500 Kings Way Rt 3 Box 208

Nokomis FL 33555 Faribault MN 55021 813485-8139 507334-5801

S H Wes Schmid Gar Williams 2359 Lefeber Road Nine South 135 Aero Drive

Wauwatosa WI 53213 Naperville IL 60540 4141771 -1545 3121355-9416

MAY 1984 bull VOL 12 NO5

Contents

3 Straight and Level by Bob Lickteig

4 AlCNews by Gene Chase

5 The Remainder of the Tale by Chet Wellman

6 Learning to Fly in a Cessna 170 See Page 5 by Deborah Richardson

8 A Brief History of the Nut Tree Airport by Deborah Richardson

9 Calendar of Events 10 Mystery Plane

by George Hardie Jr 11 KLMs Douglas DC-2 Arrives at

Melbourne 12 Aeronca Comes to Middletown

by W O Baldwin 15 Members Projects See Page 6 16 In the Air Again

by Betty J Mattson 18 The Aviator Comes to Town 19 39 Chief

by Gene Chase 20 Stinson in a Carport

by Morton E Clark 21 Letters to the Editor

FRONT COVER Dick James (EAA 50549 AlC 5064) taxies his Spad VII to the EAA Aviation Museum after landing at Wittman Field at the end of a 26-hour flight from Torrance CA The plane a WW I replica built by Carl Swanson is on display in the Museum and will be a gift to the EAA Aviation Foundation

(Photo by Ralph Mosling)

BACK COVER features Oshkosh 84 convention program cover

The words EAA ULTRALIGHT FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION EAA ANTIQUE amp CLASSIC DIVISION INC INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC are registered trademarks THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly prohibited

Editorial Policy Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor Material should be sent to Gene R Chase Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591

The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc of the Experimental Aircraft ASSOCiation Inc and is published monthly at Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903shy2591 Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh WI 54901 and additional mailing offices Membership rates for EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc are $1800 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $1200 is for the publication of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation

ADVERTISING - AntiqueClassic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertisshying We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken

Postmaster Send address changes to EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591

2 APRIL 1984

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

By Bob Lickteig President

AntiqueClassic Division

It wont be long before the first 30 students will be atshytending EAA Air Academy 84 What a thrill and experishyence for them and what a gratifying feeling those of us have who had a small part in making it all possible The first class will be made up of boys and girls ages 15 to 17 from coast to coast and border to border

Chuck Larsen Education Director for the EAA A viashytion Foundation tells me he is very impressed with the quality of students applying to participate This is where your AntiqueClassic Division comes into playas we may raise money to provide this unique aviation experience to these fine young people I am sure we can count on the AntiqueClassic Division and its members to provide this needed funding

And what an opportunity we have presented to these fine young people to become exposed to all the glorious aspects of flight - yes the freedom of fligh t

My wife and I had the pleasure of raising five children and as busy as Ive been all my life I tried to expose and acquaint each one with the thrill excitement and opshyportunities in aviation Out of the five one became inshyvolved Perhaps a batting average of one for five fits our industry Some of us like redheads some likes blondes and some like brunettes and thats the way it is

Now lets look at the 35 students in our own Academy - no not the blondes and redheads but the numbers If our batting average is one for five that means we will start six or seven of these students on the road leading to an aviation career No I wouldnt bet that all will end up in the left seat but aviation today and tomorrow offers hundreds of industry opportunities in a variety ofcareers

The current aviation community is responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs and professions and please remember we are not very old The progress made in aviashytion the first 80 years is astounding and like Al Jolson said You aint seen nothing yet

Maybe we take too many things for granted today and I wonder if we ever realize that nowhere else in the world could anything like this happen bringing a group of 15 to 17 year olds together for an experience like this and hands-on learning of this style The program has been expanded to include introductory flights a little dual a little fun and in what - you guessed it - J-3 Cubs Can anyone think of a better place to start I volunteered the use ofmy sons J -3 and old Dad is looking forward to riding in the front seat

I am eager for the privilege of meeting the first class of students at our Academy What a cross-section they

represent of this great country Our students are young and bright with eyes as big as the wheels on Lindberghs Spirit of St Louis And what a tribute to the one who had the foresight and vision to bring EAA to where it is today Once again we can all tip our hats to our President Mr Paul Poberezny

It wont be too long before some of us will be hanging up our scarves and goggles and these young people will pick up from there and carry aviation on into the space age

So whats next This being our first year we are all involved in a learning curve but it is the first step toward a wonderful and most ambitious goal The EAA Air Academy and its programs will undoubtedly be expanded in years to come

So at this time I speak for each and every student of the EAA Air Academy Class of 84 - thanks to each of you AntiqueClassic Division members who made this possible And what a tribute to our Division for supportshying such a wonderful and exciting program as Oshkosh Air Academy 84

Its going to be a great year and a great convention Make the AntiqueClassic area your headquarters for Oshkosh 84

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

~ewsU Compiled by Gene Chase

OFFICIAL 1984 EAA CONVENTION VIDEO TAPE OFFERED

The EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series will offer an official video tape of EAA 84 For the first time a special EAA video team will capture the color and exciteshyment of the EAA Oshkosh Convention The one-hour EAA 84 documentary will feature the airplanes personalities air shows press conferences and forums of the eight-day celebration of flight Only EAA has the experience to produce this unique and dazzling view of the worlds greatshyest aviation event The EAA 84 video tape is offered to EAA members at a special pre-convention discount price of $3900 Order your video tape today by sending your check or money order to EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series - EAA 84 Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903shy2591 Please specify VHS or Beta

PIPER LIFT STRUT FITTING FAILURE

Fatigue failures of the lower attach fork fittings on high wing Piper lift struts continue to be reported to the FAA Problems with cracked forks date back to 1958 Since that time airworthiness directives emergency airshyworthiness directives and numerous AD amendments have been issued by the FAA on the subject

Preventative actions in the form of AD mandatory repetitive inspections and the installation of improved forks have effectively brought the problem under control Nevertheless the FAA continues to receive reports from AampPs on cracked forks Since October 1980 FAA enshygineering has had 60 forks returned to them from AampPs reported as cracked Upon a thorough re-inspection by FAA engineering all forks were found to be in fact not cracked at all

It is therefore clear that some AampPs are not only inspecting the forks improperly but they are also incurring unnecessary costs and sending shock waves through the ranks of Piper owners

The Piper aircraft models affected are J-3 J-4 L-4 J-5 PA-11 PA-12 PA-14 L-14 PA-15 PA-16 PA-17 PA-18 L-18 PA-19 PA-20 L-21 PA-22 AE-1 HE-I Although forks are relatively easy to inspect comshy

pliance with all the requirements of the AD is very complishycated

- The rules vary depending upon the airplane model involved and 19 models are involved

- The rules vary between seaplanes and landplanes - Four old part numbers are involved and four new

numbers are involved - New forks look just like old forks Piper has proshy

vided no obvious identification to distinguish between new and old forks

- Piper does not reply to written requests from AampPs for their recommended inspection proceshydures to detect cracks

Because of the serious consequences resulting from a cracked fork the Authorized Inspectors Association has prepared a free Airworthiness Inspection Bulletin which is available to any Piper owner and any AampP who requests it Send a 4 x 91f2 stamped self-addressed envelope to AlA P O Box 464 Goldenrod FL 32733-0464

The Authorized Inspections Association is a group of unpaid AampPs who are tired of complacency in aviation and are working to clarify and simplify maintenance and FAR problems confronting AampPs and aircraft owners

FUNK SERIAL NO1 IS SOUGHT

The Funk Aircraft Owners Association is searching for Funk NX14100 SIN 1 which was last reported to be in the Hudson or Alliance Ohio area Contrary to some beshylief SIN 1 was not flown to Coffeyville Kansas and changed to SIN 13 Number 13 was pulled off the line in Akron Ohio and used as an experimental test bed SIN 1 had been given to an employee long before that The last word on it was when Joe Funk saw it sitting on the Hudshyson Ohio airstrip during WW II

Anyone having information concerning this aircraft is asked to contact G Dale Beech Editor of The Funk Flyer 1621 Dreher St Sacramento CA 95814

BUCKER JUNGMANN PROPELLERS

The Bucker Jungmann News Letter reports that a good source for propellers for these popular aerobatic planes is Edward Sterba Aircraft Propellers 3209 S Woods McHenry IL 60050 815455-2575 Ed has a shop on a small airport and will make props for the 150 Tigre engine just like the originals for the 125 Tigre

This newsletter is edited by Chris Arvanites 425 Cumshyberland Lane Bolingbrook IL 60439 3121759-6821

SPARTAN ALUMNI FLY-IN Alumni of Spa rtan School of Aeronautics and owners

of Spartan aircraft are invited to a fly-in June 8-9 (Friday and Saturday) at George Malls famous International Busshyiness Aircraft Inc at Tulsa (Oklahoma) International Airport The program will include the Spartan Alumni Annual Meeting For details contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz Spartan Alumni Office P O Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

EAA AIR ACADEMY 84 EAA Air Academy 84 needs a few good EAA

craftsmen to provide hands-on instruction in workshop activities Individuals skilled in the crafts required to build restore and maintain aircraft are needed to work hand-in-hand with participating youth to pass the love and skills of aviation so dear to EAAers hearts An experishyenced sheet metal aircraft builder (or builders) is also needed to prepare and supervise the construction of the MONI to be assembled during the Academy from July 15 through August 4 this summer Consider expanding your OSHKOSH EXPERIENCE by instructing in the new EAA program for youth For details contact Chuck Larsen Director of Education at the EAA Aviation Centerbull

4 MAY 1984

The 1~ell1ainder Of The Tale By Chet Wellman (EAA 759 AlC 1115)

406 Napoleon Street Rockford IL 61105

I enjoyed the two-part story in the November and Deshycember 1983 issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE by Ted Businger entitled A Kids View of the 1937 National Air Races I was particularly interested in the top parashygraph on page 9 of the December issue regarding Gus Gotch and the troubles he had with the Schoenfeldt-Rider racer named Firecracker It seems that Gus had troushybles with the gear mechanism but more serious was the problem with the magnetos cutting out Tony LeVier piloted the plane in 1938 and mastered the gear raising mechanism but at times was plagued by the magnetos cutting out It continued in 1939 and now we come to the rest of the story

In 1975 at the EAA Convention in Oshkosh we honshyored and had an Aviation Greats Day All of the famous great names of aviation were invited and all who were able to come attended including Matty Laird Fish Salshymon Tony LeVier Ed and Bob Granville Claude Ryan Eldon Cessna Bernie Pietenpol and others On Wednesshyday afternoon the EAA Officers Directors and the Aviashytion Greats were invited to Steve Wittmans house at 400 oclock A large tent had been erected which housed the tables heavily laden with sumptuous food for the evening dinner and an open bar There were tables for sitting in the tent and also out on Steves beautiful lawn The idea was to watch the evening air show and imbibe a few drinks but largely to renew old acquaintances and friendships while enjoying Steves hospitality and good food Needless to say it was a tremendous success and probably should be repeated

Director Van White and I were seated at a table closely adjacent to the open bar engaging in conversation with Fish Salmon and Tony LeVier The conversation conshytinued for some time and finally the talk turned to the Cleveland Air Races (Unfortunately neither Van nor I had a tape recorder present as the stories were priceless) At any rate Tonywas telling us about the trouble he had with the magnetos of the Firecracker The mags had been

(Photo by Lee Fray) Some of the Aviation Greats at Steve and Dorothy Wittmans party during Oshkosh 75 L-R Ed Granville Len Povey Matty Laird Paul Poberezny Eldon Cessna Tony LeVier Fish Salmon and the evershysmiling Steve Wittman

worked on by the best mechanics and had been twice rebuilt by Bendix In 1939 Tony flew his qualifying lap at full bore and the engine never missed a beat

During the Greve Race everything was going fine for Tony until the 9th lap when 10 and behold the mags started acting up and Tony was forced to land Later Tony with help pushed the plane into an almost empty hangar and he thought he was alone He gave the tires a healthy kick venting his anger on the plane as well as calling it several derogatory names

Suddenly he heard someone say Tony youre going to break your toe but I know how you feel Whats the matter Tony turned and saw a tall young man there with a broad grin on his face

Tony explained his problem with the mags running fine for 6 or 7 laps and then cutting out and added that nobody had been able to fix them

The young man with the grin said Tony I had the same problem and the way I fixed it was to make two scoop vents about 2-3 inches across to direct cooling air to the mags At full bore the mags are turning very fast and heat builds up and the coils foul out Try it and I am sure you will be rid of the problem

The young man with the grin turned to leave and Tony said Wait Steve I want to thank you and Steve Wittman said Theres no need for you to thank me Tony - just get that plane back in the air

Back in the tent Tony said Of course the fix worked and he raised his glass (as we did) to drink a toast to Steve Wittman for his unselfish devotion to air racing as well as several other toasts to Steve for his helpfulness sterling character and yes even for his famous grin

The moral of this story is t) point out the type of man our own Steve Wittman is He willingly gave his knowlshyedge and experience to a competitor who might defeat him in order to get him back in the air Steve is truly completely devoted to the cause of aviation and a tremenshydous credit to EAA bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171)

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589Learning To Fly In A

(Photos by Author Except as Noted)

C6essna170

Debbie and Jim Richardson and their 170

It all began this love for flying with my first airplane ride at the age of eight in a transcontinental ear-shatshytering 12-hour trip in a TWA Constellation This was during the phase-out of the propeller-driven transports and I was somewhat saddened upon subsequent flights to be hurried along my journey in a jet There is someshything romantic and courageous about listening to the drone of four round engines and watching the red glow from the exhaust at night while lumbering noisily over unseen territory

It began again this love of being airborne when my husband bought a two-place open cockpit homebuilt airplane It was not until its second year ofownership that I overcame my apprehension of homebuilts when I grew weary of staying on the ground while all the fun was clearly happening in the air I crawled into the confines of its cramped front cockpit to be taken for a ride that would never fade from memory

The little plane had no electrical system or intercom and we invented a primitive set of hand signals in case this adventure needed to be shortened I again told my husband Jim that I wasnt enthusiastic about flying in an airplane built by a total stranger in his equally strange garage After being strapped in I held the brakes as the plane was propped to life we began our trek to the dirt runway Appearing as if dressed for Halloween in helmet and goggles I weakly nodded to his Ready to go Ratshytling down the dirt strip dust billowing behind us wind steadily increasing its caress we were quickly airborne and climbing above the treetops Such unconfined joy was that first flight 6 MAY 1984

I became my husbands constant flying companion incessant were my urgings to be taken aloft Always unshyconvinced when I was told it was too windy or ceiling too low or the runway too muddy to fly I began entertaining thoughts of learning this delicate balancing act this art of flying After serving us faithfully for 21f2 years our homebuilt airplane was traded for a 53 Cessna 170B to serve as my training airplane

My training was most eventful We moved from Schellville Airport a haven for antiques south of Sonoma California to the Nut Trees paved runway where Cessna 152s are in abundance My quest for locating a CFI curshyrent in taildraggers and competent in 170s took me six months My lessons were marked by long interruptions by poor weather and mechanical malfunctions My instrucshytor Richard Atherton also was working at Trans Air ferrying Cessnas from the factory in Wichita to the Nut Tree where they were fitted with long range fuel tanks and flown to Hawaii New Zealand and beyond I was averaging one lesson a week

In time my lessons became more frequent as were the unusual events that accompanied them It was during my early hours of flight instruction near Yolo County Airport that the first of these events occurred It is common for the farmers in the valley to burn their crops when the crop has yielded its last creating poor visibility and an unshyforgettable aroma I was busy struggling with stalls when Richard and I smelled smoke We scanned the area for fields aflame but the sky was clear and the expected colshyumns of smoke were absent The electrical system was

Debbie became her husband Jims constant flying companion in this nifty Spezio Tuholer N4498

(Photo by Jim Richardson) Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B N9277

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted Since we were over an airport the threat of danger was minimized and I thought this to be very thrilling Probably very expenshysive but thrilling Upon landing Richard discovered that an errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stack of the engine which created my first in-flight emershygency That bit of excitement taught me the value of a meticulous pre-flight

Shortly before my first solo my lessons were comprised of touch and goes Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrent problem and chose this day to behave badly Toward the conclusion of the lesson no amount of rudder and brake could keep me on the centerline of the runway After a few of these maddening landings I declared that Id had enough for the day Upon rolling the airplane into the hangar it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbed a hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which became cocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing

Spin training was made a requirement for me since I always managed to spin the airplane on my attempts to duplicate my in~tructors accelerated stalls I never beshycame proficient in this type of stall but I did master spins and the ever-popular spin recovery

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautiful summer day a holiday falling on a Monday and the Nut Tree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse I was most uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and the throngs of spectators lined up alongside the runway That was the moment on the busiest day of the summer that I chose to drive my airplane off the runway after touchdown

Summoning all its courage the 170 aimed itself careshyfully between the runway lights doing itself no harm and came to rest beside the runway in the weeds I sank in the seat covered my red face with my hands and begged my instructor to get me out of here Being good-natured and quite used to our eventful exploits Richard taxied back to the runway and the onlookers became smaller and less fierce as we climbed away

Upon turning final during my next approach the pryshying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present in ever-increasing numbers anxiously waiting I too was anxiously waiting Somehow I regained my shaken confishydence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making an acceptable landing Richard between waves of laughter told me his only thought during our unexpected detour through the weeds was that his parents spent a mere forshytune straightening his teeth and I was doing everything possible to knock out a few of them

My landings became a source of amusement for the locals at the Nut Tree The runway was closed for a month for resurfacing and the plane was moved to the Napa Airport uprooting her from her hangar and apologeticalshyly tying her down in the only space available in the weeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds The day the Nut Trees new runway was opened even before the centerline was painted I decided to be among the first to land on the new surface My eagerness to land resulted in a bounce or two Jimmy Rollison my dear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 of which I am a former member reported in the newsletter Debbie Richardson doesnt know the bumps have been removed from the runway since shes still bouncing down it

CFI Richard Atherton Debbies flight instructor

As the months rolled by it became clear that the dreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon As with finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers finding ltn appropriately qualified examiner posed the same problem I finally located Ken McIntosh an examiner who had some time in 170s He agreed to meet me at the Antioch Airport for aviations version of the Chinese Water Torture I faced this with alternating feelshyings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination Determination became the victor and I put together a commendable performance and caused myself not a moshyment of disgrace I spent the rest of the day basking in the glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable A heady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched that of my first unsure flight in my husbands tiny homebuilt Ive come full circle bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

By Bob Lickteig President

AntiqueClassic Division

It wont be long before the first 30 students will be atshytending EAA Air Academy 84 What a thrill and experishyence for them and what a gratifying feeling those of us have who had a small part in making it all possible The first class will be made up of boys and girls ages 15 to 17 from coast to coast and border to border

Chuck Larsen Education Director for the EAA A viashytion Foundation tells me he is very impressed with the quality of students applying to participate This is where your AntiqueClassic Division comes into playas we may raise money to provide this unique aviation experience to these fine young people I am sure we can count on the AntiqueClassic Division and its members to provide this needed funding

And what an opportunity we have presented to these fine young people to become exposed to all the glorious aspects of flight - yes the freedom of fligh t

My wife and I had the pleasure of raising five children and as busy as Ive been all my life I tried to expose and acquaint each one with the thrill excitement and opshyportunities in aviation Out of the five one became inshyvolved Perhaps a batting average of one for five fits our industry Some of us like redheads some likes blondes and some like brunettes and thats the way it is

Now lets look at the 35 students in our own Academy - no not the blondes and redheads but the numbers If our batting average is one for five that means we will start six or seven of these students on the road leading to an aviation career No I wouldnt bet that all will end up in the left seat but aviation today and tomorrow offers hundreds of industry opportunities in a variety ofcareers

The current aviation community is responsible for hundreds of thousands of jobs and professions and please remember we are not very old The progress made in aviashytion the first 80 years is astounding and like Al Jolson said You aint seen nothing yet

Maybe we take too many things for granted today and I wonder if we ever realize that nowhere else in the world could anything like this happen bringing a group of 15 to 17 year olds together for an experience like this and hands-on learning of this style The program has been expanded to include introductory flights a little dual a little fun and in what - you guessed it - J-3 Cubs Can anyone think of a better place to start I volunteered the use ofmy sons J -3 and old Dad is looking forward to riding in the front seat

I am eager for the privilege of meeting the first class of students at our Academy What a cross-section they

represent of this great country Our students are young and bright with eyes as big as the wheels on Lindberghs Spirit of St Louis And what a tribute to the one who had the foresight and vision to bring EAA to where it is today Once again we can all tip our hats to our President Mr Paul Poberezny

It wont be too long before some of us will be hanging up our scarves and goggles and these young people will pick up from there and carry aviation on into the space age

So whats next This being our first year we are all involved in a learning curve but it is the first step toward a wonderful and most ambitious goal The EAA Air Academy and its programs will undoubtedly be expanded in years to come

So at this time I speak for each and every student of the EAA Air Academy Class of 84 - thanks to each of you AntiqueClassic Division members who made this possible And what a tribute to our Division for supportshying such a wonderful and exciting program as Oshkosh Air Academy 84

Its going to be a great year and a great convention Make the AntiqueClassic area your headquarters for Oshkosh 84

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

~ewsU Compiled by Gene Chase

OFFICIAL 1984 EAA CONVENTION VIDEO TAPE OFFERED

The EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series will offer an official video tape of EAA 84 For the first time a special EAA video team will capture the color and exciteshyment of the EAA Oshkosh Convention The one-hour EAA 84 documentary will feature the airplanes personalities air shows press conferences and forums of the eight-day celebration of flight Only EAA has the experience to produce this unique and dazzling view of the worlds greatshyest aviation event The EAA 84 video tape is offered to EAA members at a special pre-convention discount price of $3900 Order your video tape today by sending your check or money order to EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series - EAA 84 Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903shy2591 Please specify VHS or Beta

PIPER LIFT STRUT FITTING FAILURE

Fatigue failures of the lower attach fork fittings on high wing Piper lift struts continue to be reported to the FAA Problems with cracked forks date back to 1958 Since that time airworthiness directives emergency airshyworthiness directives and numerous AD amendments have been issued by the FAA on the subject

Preventative actions in the form of AD mandatory repetitive inspections and the installation of improved forks have effectively brought the problem under control Nevertheless the FAA continues to receive reports from AampPs on cracked forks Since October 1980 FAA enshygineering has had 60 forks returned to them from AampPs reported as cracked Upon a thorough re-inspection by FAA engineering all forks were found to be in fact not cracked at all

It is therefore clear that some AampPs are not only inspecting the forks improperly but they are also incurring unnecessary costs and sending shock waves through the ranks of Piper owners

The Piper aircraft models affected are J-3 J-4 L-4 J-5 PA-11 PA-12 PA-14 L-14 PA-15 PA-16 PA-17 PA-18 L-18 PA-19 PA-20 L-21 PA-22 AE-1 HE-I Although forks are relatively easy to inspect comshy

pliance with all the requirements of the AD is very complishycated

- The rules vary depending upon the airplane model involved and 19 models are involved

- The rules vary between seaplanes and landplanes - Four old part numbers are involved and four new

numbers are involved - New forks look just like old forks Piper has proshy

vided no obvious identification to distinguish between new and old forks

- Piper does not reply to written requests from AampPs for their recommended inspection proceshydures to detect cracks

Because of the serious consequences resulting from a cracked fork the Authorized Inspectors Association has prepared a free Airworthiness Inspection Bulletin which is available to any Piper owner and any AampP who requests it Send a 4 x 91f2 stamped self-addressed envelope to AlA P O Box 464 Goldenrod FL 32733-0464

The Authorized Inspections Association is a group of unpaid AampPs who are tired of complacency in aviation and are working to clarify and simplify maintenance and FAR problems confronting AampPs and aircraft owners

FUNK SERIAL NO1 IS SOUGHT

The Funk Aircraft Owners Association is searching for Funk NX14100 SIN 1 which was last reported to be in the Hudson or Alliance Ohio area Contrary to some beshylief SIN 1 was not flown to Coffeyville Kansas and changed to SIN 13 Number 13 was pulled off the line in Akron Ohio and used as an experimental test bed SIN 1 had been given to an employee long before that The last word on it was when Joe Funk saw it sitting on the Hudshyson Ohio airstrip during WW II

Anyone having information concerning this aircraft is asked to contact G Dale Beech Editor of The Funk Flyer 1621 Dreher St Sacramento CA 95814

BUCKER JUNGMANN PROPELLERS

The Bucker Jungmann News Letter reports that a good source for propellers for these popular aerobatic planes is Edward Sterba Aircraft Propellers 3209 S Woods McHenry IL 60050 815455-2575 Ed has a shop on a small airport and will make props for the 150 Tigre engine just like the originals for the 125 Tigre

This newsletter is edited by Chris Arvanites 425 Cumshyberland Lane Bolingbrook IL 60439 3121759-6821

SPARTAN ALUMNI FLY-IN Alumni of Spa rtan School of Aeronautics and owners

of Spartan aircraft are invited to a fly-in June 8-9 (Friday and Saturday) at George Malls famous International Busshyiness Aircraft Inc at Tulsa (Oklahoma) International Airport The program will include the Spartan Alumni Annual Meeting For details contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz Spartan Alumni Office P O Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

EAA AIR ACADEMY 84 EAA Air Academy 84 needs a few good EAA

craftsmen to provide hands-on instruction in workshop activities Individuals skilled in the crafts required to build restore and maintain aircraft are needed to work hand-in-hand with participating youth to pass the love and skills of aviation so dear to EAAers hearts An experishyenced sheet metal aircraft builder (or builders) is also needed to prepare and supervise the construction of the MONI to be assembled during the Academy from July 15 through August 4 this summer Consider expanding your OSHKOSH EXPERIENCE by instructing in the new EAA program for youth For details contact Chuck Larsen Director of Education at the EAA Aviation Centerbull

4 MAY 1984

The 1~ell1ainder Of The Tale By Chet Wellman (EAA 759 AlC 1115)

406 Napoleon Street Rockford IL 61105

I enjoyed the two-part story in the November and Deshycember 1983 issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE by Ted Businger entitled A Kids View of the 1937 National Air Races I was particularly interested in the top parashygraph on page 9 of the December issue regarding Gus Gotch and the troubles he had with the Schoenfeldt-Rider racer named Firecracker It seems that Gus had troushybles with the gear mechanism but more serious was the problem with the magnetos cutting out Tony LeVier piloted the plane in 1938 and mastered the gear raising mechanism but at times was plagued by the magnetos cutting out It continued in 1939 and now we come to the rest of the story

In 1975 at the EAA Convention in Oshkosh we honshyored and had an Aviation Greats Day All of the famous great names of aviation were invited and all who were able to come attended including Matty Laird Fish Salshymon Tony LeVier Ed and Bob Granville Claude Ryan Eldon Cessna Bernie Pietenpol and others On Wednesshyday afternoon the EAA Officers Directors and the Aviashytion Greats were invited to Steve Wittmans house at 400 oclock A large tent had been erected which housed the tables heavily laden with sumptuous food for the evening dinner and an open bar There were tables for sitting in the tent and also out on Steves beautiful lawn The idea was to watch the evening air show and imbibe a few drinks but largely to renew old acquaintances and friendships while enjoying Steves hospitality and good food Needless to say it was a tremendous success and probably should be repeated

Director Van White and I were seated at a table closely adjacent to the open bar engaging in conversation with Fish Salmon and Tony LeVier The conversation conshytinued for some time and finally the talk turned to the Cleveland Air Races (Unfortunately neither Van nor I had a tape recorder present as the stories were priceless) At any rate Tonywas telling us about the trouble he had with the magnetos of the Firecracker The mags had been

(Photo by Lee Fray) Some of the Aviation Greats at Steve and Dorothy Wittmans party during Oshkosh 75 L-R Ed Granville Len Povey Matty Laird Paul Poberezny Eldon Cessna Tony LeVier Fish Salmon and the evershysmiling Steve Wittman

worked on by the best mechanics and had been twice rebuilt by Bendix In 1939 Tony flew his qualifying lap at full bore and the engine never missed a beat

During the Greve Race everything was going fine for Tony until the 9th lap when 10 and behold the mags started acting up and Tony was forced to land Later Tony with help pushed the plane into an almost empty hangar and he thought he was alone He gave the tires a healthy kick venting his anger on the plane as well as calling it several derogatory names

Suddenly he heard someone say Tony youre going to break your toe but I know how you feel Whats the matter Tony turned and saw a tall young man there with a broad grin on his face

Tony explained his problem with the mags running fine for 6 or 7 laps and then cutting out and added that nobody had been able to fix them

The young man with the grin said Tony I had the same problem and the way I fixed it was to make two scoop vents about 2-3 inches across to direct cooling air to the mags At full bore the mags are turning very fast and heat builds up and the coils foul out Try it and I am sure you will be rid of the problem

The young man with the grin turned to leave and Tony said Wait Steve I want to thank you and Steve Wittman said Theres no need for you to thank me Tony - just get that plane back in the air

Back in the tent Tony said Of course the fix worked and he raised his glass (as we did) to drink a toast to Steve Wittman for his unselfish devotion to air racing as well as several other toasts to Steve for his helpfulness sterling character and yes even for his famous grin

The moral of this story is t) point out the type of man our own Steve Wittman is He willingly gave his knowlshyedge and experience to a competitor who might defeat him in order to get him back in the air Steve is truly completely devoted to the cause of aviation and a tremenshydous credit to EAA bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171)

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589Learning To Fly In A

(Photos by Author Except as Noted)

C6essna170

Debbie and Jim Richardson and their 170

It all began this love for flying with my first airplane ride at the age of eight in a transcontinental ear-shatshytering 12-hour trip in a TWA Constellation This was during the phase-out of the propeller-driven transports and I was somewhat saddened upon subsequent flights to be hurried along my journey in a jet There is someshything romantic and courageous about listening to the drone of four round engines and watching the red glow from the exhaust at night while lumbering noisily over unseen territory

It began again this love of being airborne when my husband bought a two-place open cockpit homebuilt airplane It was not until its second year ofownership that I overcame my apprehension of homebuilts when I grew weary of staying on the ground while all the fun was clearly happening in the air I crawled into the confines of its cramped front cockpit to be taken for a ride that would never fade from memory

The little plane had no electrical system or intercom and we invented a primitive set of hand signals in case this adventure needed to be shortened I again told my husband Jim that I wasnt enthusiastic about flying in an airplane built by a total stranger in his equally strange garage After being strapped in I held the brakes as the plane was propped to life we began our trek to the dirt runway Appearing as if dressed for Halloween in helmet and goggles I weakly nodded to his Ready to go Ratshytling down the dirt strip dust billowing behind us wind steadily increasing its caress we were quickly airborne and climbing above the treetops Such unconfined joy was that first flight 6 MAY 1984

I became my husbands constant flying companion incessant were my urgings to be taken aloft Always unshyconvinced when I was told it was too windy or ceiling too low or the runway too muddy to fly I began entertaining thoughts of learning this delicate balancing act this art of flying After serving us faithfully for 21f2 years our homebuilt airplane was traded for a 53 Cessna 170B to serve as my training airplane

My training was most eventful We moved from Schellville Airport a haven for antiques south of Sonoma California to the Nut Trees paved runway where Cessna 152s are in abundance My quest for locating a CFI curshyrent in taildraggers and competent in 170s took me six months My lessons were marked by long interruptions by poor weather and mechanical malfunctions My instrucshytor Richard Atherton also was working at Trans Air ferrying Cessnas from the factory in Wichita to the Nut Tree where they were fitted with long range fuel tanks and flown to Hawaii New Zealand and beyond I was averaging one lesson a week

In time my lessons became more frequent as were the unusual events that accompanied them It was during my early hours of flight instruction near Yolo County Airport that the first of these events occurred It is common for the farmers in the valley to burn their crops when the crop has yielded its last creating poor visibility and an unshyforgettable aroma I was busy struggling with stalls when Richard and I smelled smoke We scanned the area for fields aflame but the sky was clear and the expected colshyumns of smoke were absent The electrical system was

Debbie became her husband Jims constant flying companion in this nifty Spezio Tuholer N4498

(Photo by Jim Richardson) Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B N9277

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted Since we were over an airport the threat of danger was minimized and I thought this to be very thrilling Probably very expenshysive but thrilling Upon landing Richard discovered that an errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stack of the engine which created my first in-flight emershygency That bit of excitement taught me the value of a meticulous pre-flight

Shortly before my first solo my lessons were comprised of touch and goes Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrent problem and chose this day to behave badly Toward the conclusion of the lesson no amount of rudder and brake could keep me on the centerline of the runway After a few of these maddening landings I declared that Id had enough for the day Upon rolling the airplane into the hangar it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbed a hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which became cocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing

Spin training was made a requirement for me since I always managed to spin the airplane on my attempts to duplicate my in~tructors accelerated stalls I never beshycame proficient in this type of stall but I did master spins and the ever-popular spin recovery

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautiful summer day a holiday falling on a Monday and the Nut Tree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse I was most uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and the throngs of spectators lined up alongside the runway That was the moment on the busiest day of the summer that I chose to drive my airplane off the runway after touchdown

Summoning all its courage the 170 aimed itself careshyfully between the runway lights doing itself no harm and came to rest beside the runway in the weeds I sank in the seat covered my red face with my hands and begged my instructor to get me out of here Being good-natured and quite used to our eventful exploits Richard taxied back to the runway and the onlookers became smaller and less fierce as we climbed away

Upon turning final during my next approach the pryshying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present in ever-increasing numbers anxiously waiting I too was anxiously waiting Somehow I regained my shaken confishydence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making an acceptable landing Richard between waves of laughter told me his only thought during our unexpected detour through the weeds was that his parents spent a mere forshytune straightening his teeth and I was doing everything possible to knock out a few of them

My landings became a source of amusement for the locals at the Nut Tree The runway was closed for a month for resurfacing and the plane was moved to the Napa Airport uprooting her from her hangar and apologeticalshyly tying her down in the only space available in the weeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds The day the Nut Trees new runway was opened even before the centerline was painted I decided to be among the first to land on the new surface My eagerness to land resulted in a bounce or two Jimmy Rollison my dear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 of which I am a former member reported in the newsletter Debbie Richardson doesnt know the bumps have been removed from the runway since shes still bouncing down it

CFI Richard Atherton Debbies flight instructor

As the months rolled by it became clear that the dreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon As with finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers finding ltn appropriately qualified examiner posed the same problem I finally located Ken McIntosh an examiner who had some time in 170s He agreed to meet me at the Antioch Airport for aviations version of the Chinese Water Torture I faced this with alternating feelshyings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination Determination became the victor and I put together a commendable performance and caused myself not a moshyment of disgrace I spent the rest of the day basking in the glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable A heady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched that of my first unsure flight in my husbands tiny homebuilt Ive come full circle bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

~ewsU Compiled by Gene Chase

OFFICIAL 1984 EAA CONVENTION VIDEO TAPE OFFERED

The EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series will offer an official video tape of EAA 84 For the first time a special EAA video team will capture the color and exciteshyment of the EAA Oshkosh Convention The one-hour EAA 84 documentary will feature the airplanes personalities air shows press conferences and forums of the eight-day celebration of flight Only EAA has the experience to produce this unique and dazzling view of the worlds greatshyest aviation event The EAA 84 video tape is offered to EAA members at a special pre-convention discount price of $3900 Order your video tape today by sending your check or money order to EAA Aviation Foundation Video Series - EAA 84 Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903shy2591 Please specify VHS or Beta

PIPER LIFT STRUT FITTING FAILURE

Fatigue failures of the lower attach fork fittings on high wing Piper lift struts continue to be reported to the FAA Problems with cracked forks date back to 1958 Since that time airworthiness directives emergency airshyworthiness directives and numerous AD amendments have been issued by the FAA on the subject

Preventative actions in the form of AD mandatory repetitive inspections and the installation of improved forks have effectively brought the problem under control Nevertheless the FAA continues to receive reports from AampPs on cracked forks Since October 1980 FAA enshygineering has had 60 forks returned to them from AampPs reported as cracked Upon a thorough re-inspection by FAA engineering all forks were found to be in fact not cracked at all

It is therefore clear that some AampPs are not only inspecting the forks improperly but they are also incurring unnecessary costs and sending shock waves through the ranks of Piper owners

The Piper aircraft models affected are J-3 J-4 L-4 J-5 PA-11 PA-12 PA-14 L-14 PA-15 PA-16 PA-17 PA-18 L-18 PA-19 PA-20 L-21 PA-22 AE-1 HE-I Although forks are relatively easy to inspect comshy

pliance with all the requirements of the AD is very complishycated

- The rules vary depending upon the airplane model involved and 19 models are involved

- The rules vary between seaplanes and landplanes - Four old part numbers are involved and four new

numbers are involved - New forks look just like old forks Piper has proshy

vided no obvious identification to distinguish between new and old forks

- Piper does not reply to written requests from AampPs for their recommended inspection proceshydures to detect cracks

Because of the serious consequences resulting from a cracked fork the Authorized Inspectors Association has prepared a free Airworthiness Inspection Bulletin which is available to any Piper owner and any AampP who requests it Send a 4 x 91f2 stamped self-addressed envelope to AlA P O Box 464 Goldenrod FL 32733-0464

The Authorized Inspections Association is a group of unpaid AampPs who are tired of complacency in aviation and are working to clarify and simplify maintenance and FAR problems confronting AampPs and aircraft owners

FUNK SERIAL NO1 IS SOUGHT

The Funk Aircraft Owners Association is searching for Funk NX14100 SIN 1 which was last reported to be in the Hudson or Alliance Ohio area Contrary to some beshylief SIN 1 was not flown to Coffeyville Kansas and changed to SIN 13 Number 13 was pulled off the line in Akron Ohio and used as an experimental test bed SIN 1 had been given to an employee long before that The last word on it was when Joe Funk saw it sitting on the Hudshyson Ohio airstrip during WW II

Anyone having information concerning this aircraft is asked to contact G Dale Beech Editor of The Funk Flyer 1621 Dreher St Sacramento CA 95814

BUCKER JUNGMANN PROPELLERS

The Bucker Jungmann News Letter reports that a good source for propellers for these popular aerobatic planes is Edward Sterba Aircraft Propellers 3209 S Woods McHenry IL 60050 815455-2575 Ed has a shop on a small airport and will make props for the 150 Tigre engine just like the originals for the 125 Tigre

This newsletter is edited by Chris Arvanites 425 Cumshyberland Lane Bolingbrook IL 60439 3121759-6821

SPARTAN ALUMNI FLY-IN Alumni of Spa rtan School of Aeronautics and owners

of Spartan aircraft are invited to a fly-in June 8-9 (Friday and Saturday) at George Malls famous International Busshyiness Aircraft Inc at Tulsa (Oklahoma) International Airport The program will include the Spartan Alumni Annual Meeting For details contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz Spartan Alumni Office P O Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

EAA AIR ACADEMY 84 EAA Air Academy 84 needs a few good EAA

craftsmen to provide hands-on instruction in workshop activities Individuals skilled in the crafts required to build restore and maintain aircraft are needed to work hand-in-hand with participating youth to pass the love and skills of aviation so dear to EAAers hearts An experishyenced sheet metal aircraft builder (or builders) is also needed to prepare and supervise the construction of the MONI to be assembled during the Academy from July 15 through August 4 this summer Consider expanding your OSHKOSH EXPERIENCE by instructing in the new EAA program for youth For details contact Chuck Larsen Director of Education at the EAA Aviation Centerbull

4 MAY 1984

The 1~ell1ainder Of The Tale By Chet Wellman (EAA 759 AlC 1115)

406 Napoleon Street Rockford IL 61105

I enjoyed the two-part story in the November and Deshycember 1983 issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE by Ted Businger entitled A Kids View of the 1937 National Air Races I was particularly interested in the top parashygraph on page 9 of the December issue regarding Gus Gotch and the troubles he had with the Schoenfeldt-Rider racer named Firecracker It seems that Gus had troushybles with the gear mechanism but more serious was the problem with the magnetos cutting out Tony LeVier piloted the plane in 1938 and mastered the gear raising mechanism but at times was plagued by the magnetos cutting out It continued in 1939 and now we come to the rest of the story

In 1975 at the EAA Convention in Oshkosh we honshyored and had an Aviation Greats Day All of the famous great names of aviation were invited and all who were able to come attended including Matty Laird Fish Salshymon Tony LeVier Ed and Bob Granville Claude Ryan Eldon Cessna Bernie Pietenpol and others On Wednesshyday afternoon the EAA Officers Directors and the Aviashytion Greats were invited to Steve Wittmans house at 400 oclock A large tent had been erected which housed the tables heavily laden with sumptuous food for the evening dinner and an open bar There were tables for sitting in the tent and also out on Steves beautiful lawn The idea was to watch the evening air show and imbibe a few drinks but largely to renew old acquaintances and friendships while enjoying Steves hospitality and good food Needless to say it was a tremendous success and probably should be repeated

Director Van White and I were seated at a table closely adjacent to the open bar engaging in conversation with Fish Salmon and Tony LeVier The conversation conshytinued for some time and finally the talk turned to the Cleveland Air Races (Unfortunately neither Van nor I had a tape recorder present as the stories were priceless) At any rate Tonywas telling us about the trouble he had with the magnetos of the Firecracker The mags had been

(Photo by Lee Fray) Some of the Aviation Greats at Steve and Dorothy Wittmans party during Oshkosh 75 L-R Ed Granville Len Povey Matty Laird Paul Poberezny Eldon Cessna Tony LeVier Fish Salmon and the evershysmiling Steve Wittman

worked on by the best mechanics and had been twice rebuilt by Bendix In 1939 Tony flew his qualifying lap at full bore and the engine never missed a beat

During the Greve Race everything was going fine for Tony until the 9th lap when 10 and behold the mags started acting up and Tony was forced to land Later Tony with help pushed the plane into an almost empty hangar and he thought he was alone He gave the tires a healthy kick venting his anger on the plane as well as calling it several derogatory names

Suddenly he heard someone say Tony youre going to break your toe but I know how you feel Whats the matter Tony turned and saw a tall young man there with a broad grin on his face

Tony explained his problem with the mags running fine for 6 or 7 laps and then cutting out and added that nobody had been able to fix them

The young man with the grin said Tony I had the same problem and the way I fixed it was to make two scoop vents about 2-3 inches across to direct cooling air to the mags At full bore the mags are turning very fast and heat builds up and the coils foul out Try it and I am sure you will be rid of the problem

The young man with the grin turned to leave and Tony said Wait Steve I want to thank you and Steve Wittman said Theres no need for you to thank me Tony - just get that plane back in the air

Back in the tent Tony said Of course the fix worked and he raised his glass (as we did) to drink a toast to Steve Wittman for his unselfish devotion to air racing as well as several other toasts to Steve for his helpfulness sterling character and yes even for his famous grin

The moral of this story is t) point out the type of man our own Steve Wittman is He willingly gave his knowlshyedge and experience to a competitor who might defeat him in order to get him back in the air Steve is truly completely devoted to the cause of aviation and a tremenshydous credit to EAA bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171)

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589Learning To Fly In A

(Photos by Author Except as Noted)

C6essna170

Debbie and Jim Richardson and their 170

It all began this love for flying with my first airplane ride at the age of eight in a transcontinental ear-shatshytering 12-hour trip in a TWA Constellation This was during the phase-out of the propeller-driven transports and I was somewhat saddened upon subsequent flights to be hurried along my journey in a jet There is someshything romantic and courageous about listening to the drone of four round engines and watching the red glow from the exhaust at night while lumbering noisily over unseen territory

It began again this love of being airborne when my husband bought a two-place open cockpit homebuilt airplane It was not until its second year ofownership that I overcame my apprehension of homebuilts when I grew weary of staying on the ground while all the fun was clearly happening in the air I crawled into the confines of its cramped front cockpit to be taken for a ride that would never fade from memory

The little plane had no electrical system or intercom and we invented a primitive set of hand signals in case this adventure needed to be shortened I again told my husband Jim that I wasnt enthusiastic about flying in an airplane built by a total stranger in his equally strange garage After being strapped in I held the brakes as the plane was propped to life we began our trek to the dirt runway Appearing as if dressed for Halloween in helmet and goggles I weakly nodded to his Ready to go Ratshytling down the dirt strip dust billowing behind us wind steadily increasing its caress we were quickly airborne and climbing above the treetops Such unconfined joy was that first flight 6 MAY 1984

I became my husbands constant flying companion incessant were my urgings to be taken aloft Always unshyconvinced when I was told it was too windy or ceiling too low or the runway too muddy to fly I began entertaining thoughts of learning this delicate balancing act this art of flying After serving us faithfully for 21f2 years our homebuilt airplane was traded for a 53 Cessna 170B to serve as my training airplane

My training was most eventful We moved from Schellville Airport a haven for antiques south of Sonoma California to the Nut Trees paved runway where Cessna 152s are in abundance My quest for locating a CFI curshyrent in taildraggers and competent in 170s took me six months My lessons were marked by long interruptions by poor weather and mechanical malfunctions My instrucshytor Richard Atherton also was working at Trans Air ferrying Cessnas from the factory in Wichita to the Nut Tree where they were fitted with long range fuel tanks and flown to Hawaii New Zealand and beyond I was averaging one lesson a week

In time my lessons became more frequent as were the unusual events that accompanied them It was during my early hours of flight instruction near Yolo County Airport that the first of these events occurred It is common for the farmers in the valley to burn their crops when the crop has yielded its last creating poor visibility and an unshyforgettable aroma I was busy struggling with stalls when Richard and I smelled smoke We scanned the area for fields aflame but the sky was clear and the expected colshyumns of smoke were absent The electrical system was

Debbie became her husband Jims constant flying companion in this nifty Spezio Tuholer N4498

(Photo by Jim Richardson) Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B N9277

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted Since we were over an airport the threat of danger was minimized and I thought this to be very thrilling Probably very expenshysive but thrilling Upon landing Richard discovered that an errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stack of the engine which created my first in-flight emershygency That bit of excitement taught me the value of a meticulous pre-flight

Shortly before my first solo my lessons were comprised of touch and goes Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrent problem and chose this day to behave badly Toward the conclusion of the lesson no amount of rudder and brake could keep me on the centerline of the runway After a few of these maddening landings I declared that Id had enough for the day Upon rolling the airplane into the hangar it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbed a hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which became cocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing

Spin training was made a requirement for me since I always managed to spin the airplane on my attempts to duplicate my in~tructors accelerated stalls I never beshycame proficient in this type of stall but I did master spins and the ever-popular spin recovery

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautiful summer day a holiday falling on a Monday and the Nut Tree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse I was most uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and the throngs of spectators lined up alongside the runway That was the moment on the busiest day of the summer that I chose to drive my airplane off the runway after touchdown

Summoning all its courage the 170 aimed itself careshyfully between the runway lights doing itself no harm and came to rest beside the runway in the weeds I sank in the seat covered my red face with my hands and begged my instructor to get me out of here Being good-natured and quite used to our eventful exploits Richard taxied back to the runway and the onlookers became smaller and less fierce as we climbed away

Upon turning final during my next approach the pryshying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present in ever-increasing numbers anxiously waiting I too was anxiously waiting Somehow I regained my shaken confishydence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making an acceptable landing Richard between waves of laughter told me his only thought during our unexpected detour through the weeds was that his parents spent a mere forshytune straightening his teeth and I was doing everything possible to knock out a few of them

My landings became a source of amusement for the locals at the Nut Tree The runway was closed for a month for resurfacing and the plane was moved to the Napa Airport uprooting her from her hangar and apologeticalshyly tying her down in the only space available in the weeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds The day the Nut Trees new runway was opened even before the centerline was painted I decided to be among the first to land on the new surface My eagerness to land resulted in a bounce or two Jimmy Rollison my dear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 of which I am a former member reported in the newsletter Debbie Richardson doesnt know the bumps have been removed from the runway since shes still bouncing down it

CFI Richard Atherton Debbies flight instructor

As the months rolled by it became clear that the dreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon As with finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers finding ltn appropriately qualified examiner posed the same problem I finally located Ken McIntosh an examiner who had some time in 170s He agreed to meet me at the Antioch Airport for aviations version of the Chinese Water Torture I faced this with alternating feelshyings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination Determination became the victor and I put together a commendable performance and caused myself not a moshyment of disgrace I spent the rest of the day basking in the glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable A heady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched that of my first unsure flight in my husbands tiny homebuilt Ive come full circle bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

The 1~ell1ainder Of The Tale By Chet Wellman (EAA 759 AlC 1115)

406 Napoleon Street Rockford IL 61105

I enjoyed the two-part story in the November and Deshycember 1983 issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE by Ted Businger entitled A Kids View of the 1937 National Air Races I was particularly interested in the top parashygraph on page 9 of the December issue regarding Gus Gotch and the troubles he had with the Schoenfeldt-Rider racer named Firecracker It seems that Gus had troushybles with the gear mechanism but more serious was the problem with the magnetos cutting out Tony LeVier piloted the plane in 1938 and mastered the gear raising mechanism but at times was plagued by the magnetos cutting out It continued in 1939 and now we come to the rest of the story

In 1975 at the EAA Convention in Oshkosh we honshyored and had an Aviation Greats Day All of the famous great names of aviation were invited and all who were able to come attended including Matty Laird Fish Salshymon Tony LeVier Ed and Bob Granville Claude Ryan Eldon Cessna Bernie Pietenpol and others On Wednesshyday afternoon the EAA Officers Directors and the Aviashytion Greats were invited to Steve Wittmans house at 400 oclock A large tent had been erected which housed the tables heavily laden with sumptuous food for the evening dinner and an open bar There were tables for sitting in the tent and also out on Steves beautiful lawn The idea was to watch the evening air show and imbibe a few drinks but largely to renew old acquaintances and friendships while enjoying Steves hospitality and good food Needless to say it was a tremendous success and probably should be repeated

Director Van White and I were seated at a table closely adjacent to the open bar engaging in conversation with Fish Salmon and Tony LeVier The conversation conshytinued for some time and finally the talk turned to the Cleveland Air Races (Unfortunately neither Van nor I had a tape recorder present as the stories were priceless) At any rate Tonywas telling us about the trouble he had with the magnetos of the Firecracker The mags had been

(Photo by Lee Fray) Some of the Aviation Greats at Steve and Dorothy Wittmans party during Oshkosh 75 L-R Ed Granville Len Povey Matty Laird Paul Poberezny Eldon Cessna Tony LeVier Fish Salmon and the evershysmiling Steve Wittman

worked on by the best mechanics and had been twice rebuilt by Bendix In 1939 Tony flew his qualifying lap at full bore and the engine never missed a beat

During the Greve Race everything was going fine for Tony until the 9th lap when 10 and behold the mags started acting up and Tony was forced to land Later Tony with help pushed the plane into an almost empty hangar and he thought he was alone He gave the tires a healthy kick venting his anger on the plane as well as calling it several derogatory names

Suddenly he heard someone say Tony youre going to break your toe but I know how you feel Whats the matter Tony turned and saw a tall young man there with a broad grin on his face

Tony explained his problem with the mags running fine for 6 or 7 laps and then cutting out and added that nobody had been able to fix them

The young man with the grin said Tony I had the same problem and the way I fixed it was to make two scoop vents about 2-3 inches across to direct cooling air to the mags At full bore the mags are turning very fast and heat builds up and the coils foul out Try it and I am sure you will be rid of the problem

The young man with the grin turned to leave and Tony said Wait Steve I want to thank you and Steve Wittman said Theres no need for you to thank me Tony - just get that plane back in the air

Back in the tent Tony said Of course the fix worked and he raised his glass (as we did) to drink a toast to Steve Wittman for his unselfish devotion to air racing as well as several other toasts to Steve for his helpfulness sterling character and yes even for his famous grin

The moral of this story is t) point out the type of man our own Steve Wittman is He willingly gave his knowlshyedge and experience to a competitor who might defeat him in order to get him back in the air Steve is truly completely devoted to the cause of aviation and a tremenshydous credit to EAA bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171)

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589Learning To Fly In A

(Photos by Author Except as Noted)

C6essna170

Debbie and Jim Richardson and their 170

It all began this love for flying with my first airplane ride at the age of eight in a transcontinental ear-shatshytering 12-hour trip in a TWA Constellation This was during the phase-out of the propeller-driven transports and I was somewhat saddened upon subsequent flights to be hurried along my journey in a jet There is someshything romantic and courageous about listening to the drone of four round engines and watching the red glow from the exhaust at night while lumbering noisily over unseen territory

It began again this love of being airborne when my husband bought a two-place open cockpit homebuilt airplane It was not until its second year ofownership that I overcame my apprehension of homebuilts when I grew weary of staying on the ground while all the fun was clearly happening in the air I crawled into the confines of its cramped front cockpit to be taken for a ride that would never fade from memory

The little plane had no electrical system or intercom and we invented a primitive set of hand signals in case this adventure needed to be shortened I again told my husband Jim that I wasnt enthusiastic about flying in an airplane built by a total stranger in his equally strange garage After being strapped in I held the brakes as the plane was propped to life we began our trek to the dirt runway Appearing as if dressed for Halloween in helmet and goggles I weakly nodded to his Ready to go Ratshytling down the dirt strip dust billowing behind us wind steadily increasing its caress we were quickly airborne and climbing above the treetops Such unconfined joy was that first flight 6 MAY 1984

I became my husbands constant flying companion incessant were my urgings to be taken aloft Always unshyconvinced when I was told it was too windy or ceiling too low or the runway too muddy to fly I began entertaining thoughts of learning this delicate balancing act this art of flying After serving us faithfully for 21f2 years our homebuilt airplane was traded for a 53 Cessna 170B to serve as my training airplane

My training was most eventful We moved from Schellville Airport a haven for antiques south of Sonoma California to the Nut Trees paved runway where Cessna 152s are in abundance My quest for locating a CFI curshyrent in taildraggers and competent in 170s took me six months My lessons were marked by long interruptions by poor weather and mechanical malfunctions My instrucshytor Richard Atherton also was working at Trans Air ferrying Cessnas from the factory in Wichita to the Nut Tree where they were fitted with long range fuel tanks and flown to Hawaii New Zealand and beyond I was averaging one lesson a week

In time my lessons became more frequent as were the unusual events that accompanied them It was during my early hours of flight instruction near Yolo County Airport that the first of these events occurred It is common for the farmers in the valley to burn their crops when the crop has yielded its last creating poor visibility and an unshyforgettable aroma I was busy struggling with stalls when Richard and I smelled smoke We scanned the area for fields aflame but the sky was clear and the expected colshyumns of smoke were absent The electrical system was

Debbie became her husband Jims constant flying companion in this nifty Spezio Tuholer N4498

(Photo by Jim Richardson) Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B N9277

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted Since we were over an airport the threat of danger was minimized and I thought this to be very thrilling Probably very expenshysive but thrilling Upon landing Richard discovered that an errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stack of the engine which created my first in-flight emershygency That bit of excitement taught me the value of a meticulous pre-flight

Shortly before my first solo my lessons were comprised of touch and goes Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrent problem and chose this day to behave badly Toward the conclusion of the lesson no amount of rudder and brake could keep me on the centerline of the runway After a few of these maddening landings I declared that Id had enough for the day Upon rolling the airplane into the hangar it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbed a hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which became cocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing

Spin training was made a requirement for me since I always managed to spin the airplane on my attempts to duplicate my in~tructors accelerated stalls I never beshycame proficient in this type of stall but I did master spins and the ever-popular spin recovery

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautiful summer day a holiday falling on a Monday and the Nut Tree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse I was most uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and the throngs of spectators lined up alongside the runway That was the moment on the busiest day of the summer that I chose to drive my airplane off the runway after touchdown

Summoning all its courage the 170 aimed itself careshyfully between the runway lights doing itself no harm and came to rest beside the runway in the weeds I sank in the seat covered my red face with my hands and begged my instructor to get me out of here Being good-natured and quite used to our eventful exploits Richard taxied back to the runway and the onlookers became smaller and less fierce as we climbed away

Upon turning final during my next approach the pryshying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present in ever-increasing numbers anxiously waiting I too was anxiously waiting Somehow I regained my shaken confishydence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making an acceptable landing Richard between waves of laughter told me his only thought during our unexpected detour through the weeds was that his parents spent a mere forshytune straightening his teeth and I was doing everything possible to knock out a few of them

My landings became a source of amusement for the locals at the Nut Tree The runway was closed for a month for resurfacing and the plane was moved to the Napa Airport uprooting her from her hangar and apologeticalshyly tying her down in the only space available in the weeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds The day the Nut Trees new runway was opened even before the centerline was painted I decided to be among the first to land on the new surface My eagerness to land resulted in a bounce or two Jimmy Rollison my dear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 of which I am a former member reported in the newsletter Debbie Richardson doesnt know the bumps have been removed from the runway since shes still bouncing down it

CFI Richard Atherton Debbies flight instructor

As the months rolled by it became clear that the dreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon As with finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers finding ltn appropriately qualified examiner posed the same problem I finally located Ken McIntosh an examiner who had some time in 170s He agreed to meet me at the Antioch Airport for aviations version of the Chinese Water Torture I faced this with alternating feelshyings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination Determination became the victor and I put together a commendable performance and caused myself not a moshyment of disgrace I spent the rest of the day basking in the glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable A heady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched that of my first unsure flight in my husbands tiny homebuilt Ive come full circle bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171)

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589Learning To Fly In A

(Photos by Author Except as Noted)

C6essna170

Debbie and Jim Richardson and their 170

It all began this love for flying with my first airplane ride at the age of eight in a transcontinental ear-shatshytering 12-hour trip in a TWA Constellation This was during the phase-out of the propeller-driven transports and I was somewhat saddened upon subsequent flights to be hurried along my journey in a jet There is someshything romantic and courageous about listening to the drone of four round engines and watching the red glow from the exhaust at night while lumbering noisily over unseen territory

It began again this love of being airborne when my husband bought a two-place open cockpit homebuilt airplane It was not until its second year ofownership that I overcame my apprehension of homebuilts when I grew weary of staying on the ground while all the fun was clearly happening in the air I crawled into the confines of its cramped front cockpit to be taken for a ride that would never fade from memory

The little plane had no electrical system or intercom and we invented a primitive set of hand signals in case this adventure needed to be shortened I again told my husband Jim that I wasnt enthusiastic about flying in an airplane built by a total stranger in his equally strange garage After being strapped in I held the brakes as the plane was propped to life we began our trek to the dirt runway Appearing as if dressed for Halloween in helmet and goggles I weakly nodded to his Ready to go Ratshytling down the dirt strip dust billowing behind us wind steadily increasing its caress we were quickly airborne and climbing above the treetops Such unconfined joy was that first flight 6 MAY 1984

I became my husbands constant flying companion incessant were my urgings to be taken aloft Always unshyconvinced when I was told it was too windy or ceiling too low or the runway too muddy to fly I began entertaining thoughts of learning this delicate balancing act this art of flying After serving us faithfully for 21f2 years our homebuilt airplane was traded for a 53 Cessna 170B to serve as my training airplane

My training was most eventful We moved from Schellville Airport a haven for antiques south of Sonoma California to the Nut Trees paved runway where Cessna 152s are in abundance My quest for locating a CFI curshyrent in taildraggers and competent in 170s took me six months My lessons were marked by long interruptions by poor weather and mechanical malfunctions My instrucshytor Richard Atherton also was working at Trans Air ferrying Cessnas from the factory in Wichita to the Nut Tree where they were fitted with long range fuel tanks and flown to Hawaii New Zealand and beyond I was averaging one lesson a week

In time my lessons became more frequent as were the unusual events that accompanied them It was during my early hours of flight instruction near Yolo County Airport that the first of these events occurred It is common for the farmers in the valley to burn their crops when the crop has yielded its last creating poor visibility and an unshyforgettable aroma I was busy struggling with stalls when Richard and I smelled smoke We scanned the area for fields aflame but the sky was clear and the expected colshyumns of smoke were absent The electrical system was

Debbie became her husband Jims constant flying companion in this nifty Spezio Tuholer N4498

(Photo by Jim Richardson) Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B N9277

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted Since we were over an airport the threat of danger was minimized and I thought this to be very thrilling Probably very expenshysive but thrilling Upon landing Richard discovered that an errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stack of the engine which created my first in-flight emershygency That bit of excitement taught me the value of a meticulous pre-flight

Shortly before my first solo my lessons were comprised of touch and goes Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrent problem and chose this day to behave badly Toward the conclusion of the lesson no amount of rudder and brake could keep me on the centerline of the runway After a few of these maddening landings I declared that Id had enough for the day Upon rolling the airplane into the hangar it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbed a hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which became cocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing

Spin training was made a requirement for me since I always managed to spin the airplane on my attempts to duplicate my in~tructors accelerated stalls I never beshycame proficient in this type of stall but I did master spins and the ever-popular spin recovery

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautiful summer day a holiday falling on a Monday and the Nut Tree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse I was most uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and the throngs of spectators lined up alongside the runway That was the moment on the busiest day of the summer that I chose to drive my airplane off the runway after touchdown

Summoning all its courage the 170 aimed itself careshyfully between the runway lights doing itself no harm and came to rest beside the runway in the weeds I sank in the seat covered my red face with my hands and begged my instructor to get me out of here Being good-natured and quite used to our eventful exploits Richard taxied back to the runway and the onlookers became smaller and less fierce as we climbed away

Upon turning final during my next approach the pryshying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present in ever-increasing numbers anxiously waiting I too was anxiously waiting Somehow I regained my shaken confishydence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making an acceptable landing Richard between waves of laughter told me his only thought during our unexpected detour through the weeds was that his parents spent a mere forshytune straightening his teeth and I was doing everything possible to knock out a few of them

My landings became a source of amusement for the locals at the Nut Tree The runway was closed for a month for resurfacing and the plane was moved to the Napa Airport uprooting her from her hangar and apologeticalshyly tying her down in the only space available in the weeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds The day the Nut Trees new runway was opened even before the centerline was painted I decided to be among the first to land on the new surface My eagerness to land resulted in a bounce or two Jimmy Rollison my dear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 of which I am a former member reported in the newsletter Debbie Richardson doesnt know the bumps have been removed from the runway since shes still bouncing down it

CFI Richard Atherton Debbies flight instructor

As the months rolled by it became clear that the dreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon As with finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers finding ltn appropriately qualified examiner posed the same problem I finally located Ken McIntosh an examiner who had some time in 170s He agreed to meet me at the Antioch Airport for aviations version of the Chinese Water Torture I faced this with alternating feelshyings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination Determination became the victor and I put together a commendable performance and caused myself not a moshyment of disgrace I spent the rest of the day basking in the glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable A heady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched that of my first unsure flight in my husbands tiny homebuilt Ive come full circle bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

(Photo by Jim Richardson) Debbie Richardson in the family 53 C-170B N9277

shut down and the smell of smoke persisted Since we were over an airport the threat of danger was minimized and I thought this to be very thrilling Probably very expenshysive but thrilling Upon landing Richard discovered that an errant rag was smouldering beside the exhaust stack of the engine which created my first in-flight emershygency That bit of excitement taught me the value of a meticulous pre-flight

Shortly before my first solo my lessons were comprised of touch and goes Tailwheel shimmy had been a recurrent problem and chose this day to behave badly Toward the conclusion of the lesson no amount of rudder and brake could keep me on the centerline of the runway After a few of these maddening landings I declared that Id had enough for the day Upon rolling the airplane into the hangar it was noticed that the tailwheel shimmy rubbed a hole through the tailwheel tire and tube which became cocked to one side wreaking havoc on landing

Spin training was made a requirement for me since I always managed to spin the airplane on my attempts to duplicate my in~tructors accelerated stalls I never beshycame proficient in this type of stall but I did master spins and the ever-popular spin recovery

One of my post solo lessons was arranged on a beautiful summer day a holiday falling on a Monday and the Nut Tree airport resembled the proverbial madhouse I was most uncomfortable with the abundance of traffic and the throngs of spectators lined up alongside the runway That was the moment on the busiest day of the summer that I chose to drive my airplane off the runway after touchdown

Summoning all its courage the 170 aimed itself careshyfully between the runway lights doing itself no harm and came to rest beside the runway in the weeds I sank in the seat covered my red face with my hands and begged my instructor to get me out of here Being good-natured and quite used to our eventful exploits Richard taxied back to the runway and the onlookers became smaller and less fierce as we climbed away

Upon turning final during my next approach the pryshying eyes lined up beside the runway were still present in ever-increasing numbers anxiously waiting I too was anxiously waiting Somehow I regained my shaken confishydence and disappointed the thrill seekers by making an acceptable landing Richard between waves of laughter told me his only thought during our unexpected detour through the weeds was that his parents spent a mere forshytune straightening his teeth and I was doing everything possible to knock out a few of them

My landings became a source of amusement for the locals at the Nut Tree The runway was closed for a month for resurfacing and the plane was moved to the Napa Airport uprooting her from her hangar and apologeticalshyly tying her down in the only space available in the weeds She was beginning to show a fondness for weeds The day the Nut Trees new runway was opened even before the centerline was painted I decided to be among the first to land on the new surface My eagerness to land resulted in a bounce or two Jimmy Rollison my dear friend and President of EAA Chapter 167 of which I am a former member reported in the newsletter Debbie Richardson doesnt know the bumps have been removed from the runway since shes still bouncing down it

CFI Richard Atherton Debbies flight instructor

As the months rolled by it became clear that the dreaded checkride was looming large on the horizon As with finding a CFI who was qualified in taildraggers finding ltn appropriately qualified examiner posed the same problem I finally located Ken McIntosh an examiner who had some time in 170s He agreed to meet me at the Antioch Airport for aviations version of the Chinese Water Torture I faced this with alternating feelshyings of woeful inadequacy and staunch determination Determination became the victor and I put together a commendable performance and caused myself not a moshyment of disgrace I spent the rest of the day basking in the glow of attaining the seemingly unattainable A heady experience becoming a pilot My joy matched that of my first unsure flight in my husbands tiny homebuilt Ive come full circle bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

p a~IEf J-IISTO~Y Of

TJ-IE flUT T~EE

By Deborah Richardson (EAA 182182 AlC 7171 )

145 Los Altos American Canyon CA 94589

(Photos Courtesy Nut Tree Aviation Collection Except As Noted)

Josiah Allison came West in 1851 seeking gold and was rewarded instead with the climate and rich soil of California He returned to Iowa to gather up his family and eventually settled on what is now the Nut Tree Ranch in the spring of 1855 He planted fruit trees and in 1860 planted a single black walnut beside the Emigrant Trail that passed his ranch providing welcome shade for weary travelers in the hot Sacramento Valley

The fruit ranch originated by Josiah Allison continued for two generations and in 1920 the third generation took over In July 1921 Josiah Allisons granddaughter Helen and her husband Edwin Power set up a fruit stand under the giant walnut tree This was the beginning of the Nut Tree a prune tray rocking chair Saturday Evening Post magazine an American flag and a sign proclaiming The Nut Tree

A restaurant building was constructed in 1921 and by the mid 30s the Nut Tree had been host to Will Rogers and Herbert Hoover More recently visitors included aviators Bob Hoover Chuck Yeager and novelist Ernest Gann In 1952 came the Toy Shop and the Nut Tree Railshyroad was extended in 1955 to meet flyers arriving at the

Ed Power and Chuck Yeager Chuck was the featured speaker for the 1977 Rotary Fly-In

Bob Hoover and his P-51 with Ernie Gann Scotty Morris and Chuck Yeager at the 1980 Rotary Fly-In

Henry Power is congratulated by Nut Tree airport manager (Photo by Deborah Richardson) Russ Mackey May 1968 on his 16th birthday solo in the Cessna

Aerial view of the Nut Tree Airport taken in February 1984 195 Henry is currently furloughed by United and is flying as Lear jet captain for Clay Lacy at Van Nuys Airport

8 MAY 1984

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

new Nut Tree Airport In 1970 the Nut Tree Airport was donated to Solano

County and underwent an extensive expansion In this age of airport closures and developers hungrily eyeing airports as a source for available land the Nut Tree Airshyport has in the works plans to extend the runway 900 feet to the north addition of an ILS new hangars additional FBOs and a jet fueling capability The airport is also the site for the annual Vacaville Air Fair

Ed Power Jr is continuing the rich tradition of the Nut Tree A pilot Ed owns a Cessna 210 (N6NT) and a 54 Cessna 170B that will emerge after a new paint job as N8NT He also owns a Ryan STA that is in storage awaiting restoration

The Nut Tree Railroad still leisurely chugs passengers through the Nut Tr ee grounds to the destination of the restaurant plaza and toy shop where adult-sized rocking horses stand ready to be ridden The gift shop offers a dizzying array of aviation post ers photos post cards books and original gifts created on Nut Tree premises Also offered is a well-stocked supply of aeronautica l charts and information regarding flight into Mexico

During warm summer months the Nut Tree hosts Western bar-b-ques outdoors under the stars garnished with live music and dancing Western style Walt Disney would have been pleased with the Nut Tree

Editors Note The Nut Tree is located at Vacaville California about 30 miles southwest ofSacramen to bull

CALENDAR OF EVENTS We would like to list your aviation event in our calendar Please send information to the Editor The VINTAGE AIRPLANE Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 Information must be received at least two months in advance of the issue in which it will appear

MAY 4-6 - BURLINGTON NORTH CAROLINA - EAA AntiquelClassic Chapter 3 Fly-In Antiques Classics Homebuilts and Warbirds welcome Old Illms on Friday and awards banquet on Saturday Contact Espie Joyce P O Box 88 Madison NC 27025 Day 919427-0216 evening 919427-0374

MAY 18-20 - COLUMBIA CALIFORNIA - 8th Annual Continental Luscombe Assoc Fly-In Contests Forums by Luscombe Company alumni Hope to have over 100 Luscombes attending Contact Loren Bump 5736 Esmar Rd Ceres CA 95307

MAY 18-20- HAYWARD CALIFORNIA - Hayward to Las Vegas Air Race Proficiency air race with no handicap Student pilots welcome Factory-built antique and experimental aircraft capable of flying to Las Vegas in seven hours welcome $500 cash prize Contact Hayward Air Race Committee 20301 Skywest Drive Hayward CA 94541 or call Lou Chianese at 4151 581-2345 ext 5285

MAY 18-20 - CAMBRIDGE MARYLAND - Horn Point Antique Airplane Fly-In Dorchester Heritage Museum and Potomac Antique Aero Squadron sponsors Banquet Saturday May 19 No rain date Contact Bernie Funk 301 663-8471 or Roger Thiel 2021638-4810

MAY 19-20 - CHINO CALIFORNIA - 5th Annual Air Museum Air Display 1984 theme is Salute to US Marine Aviation Pappy Boyington and a dozen-plus Corsairs will be there Contact The Air Museum Planes of Fame WW II Cal-Aero Field 7000 Merrill Avenue Chino CA 91710 714597-3514

MAY 19 - HAMPTON NEW HAMPSHIRE - 8th Annual Aviation Flea Market at Hampton Airfield (Rain date Sunday May 20th) Fly in drive in bring your junkl Buyers and sellers welcome No lees Anything aviation related OK Food available from 11 00 am to 500 pm Contact 603964shy6749 or ev~nings 603964-6632

MAY 25-27 - ATCHISON KANSAS - 18th Annual Fly-In sponsored by Greater Kansas City Area Chapter of Antique Airplane Association at Amelia Earhart Airport in Atchison Pot-luck dinner Friday Awards banquet Saturday Accommodations available at Benedictine College motels and camping 80 and 100 octane fuel available For information contact Lynn Wendl Fly-In Chairman 8902 Pflumm Lenexa KS 66215 913888-7544 or John Krekovich President 7801 Lowell Overland Park KS 66214 913648-1279

MAY 28 - PT PLEASANT WEST VIRGINIA - 2nd Annual Memorial Day Fly-in Drive-in Breakfast Mason County Airport Sponsored by the West Virginia 99s Serving begins at 800 am Contact Lois A Fida 308 N York St Wheeling W VA 26003

JUNE 1 2 amp 3 - MERCED CALIFORNIA - 27th Annual Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In Merced Municipal Airport Fabulous air show Saturshyday and Sunday Free transportation to Castle Air Museum Contact Dee Humann Registration Chairman Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In P O Box 2312 Merced CA 95344 or phone 209358-3487

JUNE 3 - DEKALB ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-lnDrive-ln Breakfast 7 am to nocno DeKalb Municipal Airport Contact Gerry Thornshyhill P O Box 125 Hampshire IL 60140 3121683-2781

JUNE 3 - CADIZ OHIO - 5th Annual Fly-InDrive-In breakfast at Harrison County Airport starting at 8 am Airshow in pm co-sponsored by E F Aircraft Services and Harrison County Airport Authority For information call 614942-8313

JUNE 8-9 - TULSA OKLAHOMA - 1st Annual Spartan Alumni Fly-in at International Business Aircraft Inc Tulsa International Airport All Spartan aircraft owners are especially invited Contact Karla Morrow or Vern Foltz at Spartan Alumni Office PO Box 51133 Tulsa OK 74151

JUNE 8-10 - MIDDLETOWN OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In Again with tours banquet on Saturday night with speakers and aircraft judging awards Contact Jim Thompson Box 102 Roberts IL 60962 Phone 217395-2522

JUNE 8-10 - DENTON TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Associshyation 1984 Fly-In at Denton Airport For information contact Ralph amp Bonnie Stahl Box 115-X Roanoke TX 76262 817430-8589

JUNE 9 - CLARKSBURG WEST VIRGINIA - 1 st Annual Poker RunlTreasmiddot ure Hunt starting at 1000 am Sponsored by W VA Mountaineer 99s Contact Morgan Hapeman Chairman 81 1 Worthington Drive Bridgeport W VA 26330 Phone 304842-6813

JUNE 10 - BARRINGTON ILLINOIS - Third Breakfast Fly-In at Mill Rose Farms 5 miles east of Elgin Airport (NorthSouth 2500 foot sod strip) Stearmans Ryans and others invited Picture-taking hangar flying etc before brunch at 11 00 am Contact Bev 3121381 -5700

JUNE 15-17 - PAULS VALLEY OKLAHOMA - Antique Airplane Association - Greater Oklahoma City Chapter Fly-In Contact Luke Reddout Rt 2 Box 269 Newcastle OK 73065 or Dick Fournier Rt 3 Box 82 Wellston OK 74881

JUNE 15-17 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 3rd Annual EAA Ultralight Conshyvention Contact EAA Headquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshshykosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

JUNE 16-17 - CLARK SOUTH DAKOTA - Fly-In camp-in for Aeroncas Clark County Airport Contact Aeronca Lovers Club Box 3 Clark SD 57225 or call Buzz at 605532-3852

JUNE 22-24 - TOPEKA KANSAS - 4th Annual EAA Chapter 313 SKY FUN Fly-In at Phillip Billard Airport (no radio - see NOTAMS) Early bird hamshyburger fry (free) 6-7 pm Friday Contests Fly-bys judging and awards banquet Saturday Trophies awarded in ultralight antiqueclassic homeshybuilt warbird and craftmanship classes Contact Keven Drewelow 9131 272-4916 or Andy Walker 913685-3228

JUNE 28-30 - RUTH CALIFORNIA - Meyers Aircraft Owners Annual Fly-In at Flying Double A Ranch Attending will be OTWs - 145s - 200s shyand the Turbo Prop Interceptor 400 Contact David L Hallstrom PO Box 4280 Scottsdale AZ 85260

JUNE 3O-JUL Y 1 - DAYTON OHIO - Morane Airport Luscombe Associashytion Fly-In Bus trips to Air Force Museum for early arrivals on Friday and possibly Saturday Forums and camping facilities Motels nearby Contact John Bright 436 Stuart St Kalamazoo MI 49007 616344-0958

JUNE 28 - JULY 1 - HAMILTON OHIO - 25th Annual National Waco Reunion Contact National Waco Club 700 Hill Ave Hamilton OH 45015

JULY 4-7 - BLAKESBURG IOWA - Third Annual Aeronca Fly-In Awards Contact Antique Airplane Association Route 2 Box 172 Ottumwa IA 52501 515938-2773 or The Aeronca Club 1432 28th Ct Kenosha WI 53140 414552-9014

JULY 6-8 -- MINDEN NEBRASKA - 8th Annual National Stinson Club Fly-In Contact George Leamy 117 Lanford Road Spartanburg SC 29301 phone 803576-9698

JULY 6-8 - ALLIANCE OHIO - 12th Annual Taylorcraft Fly-InReunion at Barber airport 3 miles north of Alliance Factory tours forums and many other activities Contact Bruce Bixler at 216823-9748

JULY 27-28 - COFFEYVILLE KANSAS - 7th Annual Funk Aircraft Owners Association Fly-In For information contact Ray Pahls President 454 S Summitlawn Wichita KS 67209

JULY 28 - AUGUST 4 - OSHKOSH WISCONSIN - 32nd Annual Fly-In Convention Start making your plans now to attend the Worlds Greatest Aviation Event Contact EAA Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 414426-4800

AUGUST 5-11 - KANSAS CITY MISSOURI - 16th Annual International Cessna 170 Association Convention Contact Ovid Bonham 1138 Middlebrooke Drive Liberty MO 64068 8161781-2279

AUGUST 6-10 - FOND DU LAC WISCONSIN - Fifteenth Annual Internashytional Aerobatic Club Championships and Convention Contact EAA Headshyquarters for information Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 4141 426-4800

AUGUST 11-12 - GRAND HAVEN MICHIGAN - EAA Chapter 211 Aviation History Day in conjunction with l50th birthday celebration for city of Grand Haven Trophies for best antique or classiC plane best replica or 213 scale and the plane coming the farthest All events free to the public

AUGUST 19 - WEEDSPORT NEW YORK - Antique classic homebuilt fly-in Sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 Whitfords Airport Pancake Breakshyfast - Air Show Field closed 2-5 Contact Herb Livingston 1257 Gallagher Road Baldwinsville NY 13027

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

1

MYSTERY PLANE

By George Hardie Jr

No its not a Gee Bee racer although there is a striking resemblance to the Model Z flown by Lowell Bayles in 1931 This is another example of a designer attempting to cash in on the generous prizes being offered at air shows in the lean Depression years This months Mystery Plane was built during that period Its lackluster performance was a disappointment and it soon faded into obscurity Answers will be published In THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE August 1984 issue

The Mystery Plane in the February 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE was not really a mystery to several readers It is an Ireland amphibian Model N2 Neptune built in Garden City NY probably in 1927 However its exact serial number in the sequence of construction is open to question An ad appeared in the March 1928 issue of Aero Digest page 477 offering an open cockpit Nepshytune for sale with the license number X-709 indicating it may have been the prototype Our Mystery Neptune bore the license number NC9760 indicating it was built before C9788 shown in Juptners US Civil Aircraft Volshyume 2 page 151

Besides the modification incorporating an enclosed cabin C9788 had sweptback wings also the stiffeners alongside the hull as shown on NC6813 on page 153 in Juptners were eliminated and the model number was changed to N2B

But the real surprise came in a letter from Paul Rizzo East Meadow New York who writes

I purchased this airplane and owned it from 1929 to 1932 It was one of only a few of the J-5 models made the later model Neptune had a Wasp or J-6 engine the cabin was enclosed and the upper wing had sweep-back The J-5 Ireland was mostly designed by Dan Brimm their chief engineer The plane was built at the old Curtiss Field at Mineola Long Island in the same hangar that was taken over by the Roosevelt Flying School

The J-5 Ireland in my opinion would now be classed as a STOL plane Its performance was fantastic I flew it for about 1500 hours barnstorming This ship did not porpoise nor did the pilot ever get so much as a drop of water during take-offs landings or taxiing regardless of the wind It was an open cockpit plane Water never made contact with the prop on any ofthe above maneuvers This cannot be said ofour modern amphibians or flying boats

Ive barnstormed in small lakes some a few thousand feet above sea level and I doubt that some of our modern amphibians could get out of them My take-offs in small lakes consisted of a down-wind run on the step then turn into the wind at the far end of the lake and then take-off while the ship was in the turn and still on the step Many times the left wing float was the last part of the boat to leave the water on the turn Ifyou want any other informashytion please contact me 10 MAY 1984

From Jim Hays of Brownwood Texas comes the followshying

The February Mystery Plane is the Ireland N-2 Nepshytune powered by a Wright J-5 220 hp radial This four or five place open cockpit amphibian biplane was the progeny of G Sumner Ireland who was earlier associated with Glenn Curtiss Ireland previously produced the 1925 three-place OX-5 Comet and the three or four place Meteor of 1926 with the OX-5 Curtiss C-6 or Wright J-4 Whirlwind An Anzani powered amphibian of 1926 evolved into the Neptune which with J-5 power was granted Group 2 Memo No 2-16 on November 16 1928

The N-2 was superceded by the N-2B Neptune which was powered by the J-6-9 300 hp Wright and was granted ATC No 153 in May 1929 The 450 hp PampW Wasp Nepshytune was dubbed N-2C and was granted ATC No 248 on October 4 1929 The latter two types sported enclosed cabins for five (Ref US Civil Aircraft by Juptner Vol 2 page 151 and Vol 3 page 141)

Answers were also sent in by Charley Hayes Park Forest IL Raymond D Kuhl St Petersburg FL Roy Cagle Juneau AK Dick Gleason Austin MN Lynn Towns Eaton Rapids MI John Lengenfelder Lawrenceshyville NJ Russ Brown Lyndhurst OH Ted Businger Willow Springs MO Dave Gauthier Auburn WA Rex Richards Lancaster CA Tom Giddens Lancaster CA and Mike Rezich Chicago IL bull

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

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ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

KLMs DOUGLAS DC-2 ARRIVES AT MELBOURNE

On Sunday February 5 1984 at 1149 hours local time (0049 GMT) Captain Jan Plesman landed the Dougshylas DC-2 PH-AJU Uiver (the Dutch name for stork) at the Laverton Airbase of the Royal Australian Air Force near Melbourne under a brilliant blue sky

Thousands of enthusiasts had come to the air base to give the nearly 50-year-old aircraft and its crew a warm welcome

When the Uiver crew stepped out of the aircraft smilshying broadly at the loudly cheering crowd this marked the end of the repeat of an historic flight covering 21822 kms during which the aircraft visited 17 different countries

The standing ovation the Uiver met in Melbourne was no exception Everywhere the old lady which was the name given to the aircraft by Flight Engineer Bonne Pijpstra touched down on its long journey from the Netherlands to Australia it was the focal point of great and enthusiastic interest

The flight of the Uiver was not only the reconstruction of an important episode in aviation history but gradually took on the character of a promotion tour in which the name of the Netherlands as a transport and trading nation received unique publicity

Successful arrival of the Uiver crew at Laverton Airport Melshybourne Australia

TV Documentary

The idea for this nostalgic victory flight arose a few years ago when the Netherlands Broadcasting Company (NOS) decided to make a documentary about the signifishycance of the Netherlands as an aviation nation

The basic theme of this documentary was to be the legendary flight of the Uiver the KLM Douglas DC-2 which took part in the MacPherson Robertson air race from London to Melbourne in 1934

In organizing this air race to commemorate the centeshynary of the Australian state of Victoria the chocolate manufacturer MacPherson Robertson wished to demonshystrate that it was possible to operate a regular air service between England and Australia with the state oftechnolshyogy as it was at that time

This immediately appealed to Albert Plesman founder of KLM He decided to take part in the race with his latest aircraft the Douglas DC-2 an airplane made completely of metal built in the United States which first appeared

on the market in 1934 The DC-2 an aircraft which brought about a veritable revolution in civil aviation and its design has in fact been the model for every passenger aircraft produced since

It was understandable that KLM supported the ideas of MacPherson Robertson After all the company had been operating a scheduled flight between the Netherlands and Indonesia since 1929 at that time the longest scheduled flight in the world KLMs participation in the LondonshyMelbourne Race was a great success Despite an emergency landing which the Douglas DC-2 Uiver was forced to make due to bad weather conditions on the raceshytrack of the Australian town of Albury 250 km from the finishing line the crew succeeded in coming first in the handicap section and second in the speed section

The New Uiver

The plans for a reconstruction of the Uiver flight were born when the last airworthy Douglas DC-2 was discoshyvered in the United States

The owner consented to make his plane available to the NOS

The KLM offered to take the technical and operational organization of the project in hand The companys Technishycal Department at Schiphol Airport gave the aircraft a thorough overhaul and among other things installed modern communication and navigation equipment for its long flight to Australia

The KLM also supplied the crew Captain for the flight was Jan Plesman First Officer on the Boeing 747 and grandson of Albert Plesman who founded KLM in 1919 Co-pilot was Fred Schouten also First Officer on the Boeshying 747 Bonne Pijpstra a retired Boeing 747 Flight Enshygineer and Tom Degenaars in daily life a KLM Operashytions Officer at Schiphol were selected as the Flight Enshygineers

The Uiver Memorial Foundation was set up to cover the many costs involved in repeating the LondonshyMelbourne flight

In addition to a large number of companies the Dutch government was also one of the main sponsors of the Uiver project

Furthermore the Uiver Memorial Foundation secured the support of more than 13000 individual donors It was their financial contribution which made it possible for a unique piece of aviation history to be repeated and reshycorded on film

The participation of the Dutch government in the proshyject was also understandable The Douglas DC-2 and its crew constituted a unique opportunity for promoting the Netherlands during the repeat of the Uivers famous flight which took place from December 18 1983 (deparshyture Amsterdam) to February 51984 (arrival Melbourne)

During the last leg of the journey between Albury and Melbourne the Australian Minister of Aviation Mr Beazly the Dutch Minister for Economic Affairs (Export Promotion) Mr Bolkestein the Dutch Ambassador to Australia Mr Plug and Mr Van Ameyden Managing Director of KLM were on board the Uiver as guests of honor

The arrival of the Uiver in Melbourne also marks the beginning of a Dutch economic mission to Australia headed by Mr Bolkenstein during which visits will be paid to Melbourne Canberra and Sydney bull

Editors Note This information was supplied by Ms Laura Fresco Secretary of the Uiver Memorial Foundashytion in Amsterdam Earlier coverage ofthis 50th annivershysary flight appeared in the January 1984 issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Ground breaking for the new Aeronca plant at Middletown on December 18 1939 L-R F H McGraw general contractor Carl Wooten Aeronca Sales Manager Giles Barton Aeronca Plant Superintendent Carl Friedlander President of Aeronca (holding shovel with dirt) and Jim Weagle Aeronca Chief Engineer The three men in the background are employees of McGraw

p7 Ilid R2) llid R2) 1_ PAllid q I J _ Ryen Alb( yen llid J 1_ gqUI_ q_bullI

AEitOCA COMES TO By W O Wally Baldwin 6467 Locust Lane

Franklin OH 45005

(Photos From The Authors Collection) MIDDLETOW qIt R1_ Ilid RV 1 R Alb( R stl_ RIlid AI_ J RgAit It AIlJ V It

In 1939 the Aeronautical Corporation ofAmerica findshying its original plant at Cincinnati Ohio wholly inshyadequate to the constantly increasing demands for Aeronca planes and prompted by a devastating flood of the plant facilities decided to make a move and construct a new factory

Many citizens of the city of Middletown Ohio the Industrial Development Commission and George Wedekind Sr convinced the firms management that their city should be the world headquarters of the Aeronautical Corporation of America Wedekind was manager of the airport at Middletown

Ground was broken on December 18 1939 for the new Aeronca plant on the Middletown Airport One of the original factory buildings from the old site on Cincinnatis Lunken Airport was disassembled in 1940 and moved to Middletown It is still in use today All of the other buildshyings were newly constructed The original building that was moved was the former Metal Aircraft Corporation factory building where Flamingo aircraft were built in the late twenties at Lunken Airport

On June 11 1940 the new plant was officially opened Among the celebrities who flew in for this celebration were Rap W Brown of the General Tire and Rubber Comshypany W T Piper of Piper Aircraft and C G Taylor of Taylor Aircraft U S Marine Corps Major Al Williams was the featured speaker at the dinner party that night

Also on that day the first plane manufactured in Middletown an Aeronca Chief was delivered to its new owner Mr E C Sutton of Richmond Virginia At that time the production schedule called for 200 planes per month 12 MAY 1984

On August 10 1943 Aeronca was the first light plane manufacshyturer to receive the Army Navy E Award

Early WW II Aeronca L-3 (0-58B) Note red circle in star insignia and cone near rudder mast for extending the low-frequency radio antenna wire

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Subsequently the companys name was changed to the Aeronca Aircraft Corporation and the firm moved steadily forward in the light plane industry In a short 18 months after the new plant opened America was thrust into World War II when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and Aeronca started to manufacture trainers and gliders The color of planes flying over Middletown changed from reds yellows and blues to olive drab and silver

The sight of Aeronca L-3 (0-58) trainers TG-5 gliders and Fairchild PT-19s and 23s changed the appearance of the airport from a civilian field to a military field Aeronca built the 19s and 23s under contract from Fairchild From Dec 7 1941 to VJ Day Aeronca produced 620 PT-19s 375 PT-23s 253 TG-5 gliders and 1472 L-3s (0-58s) for a total of 2720 military aircraft They also produced many tail assemblies for the Curtiss C-46 and Boeing B-17 Almost overnight this small airplane company was in the big league in the war effort

On August 10 1943 Aeronca received the Army Navy E Award the first light airplane company to be so honshyored A young lady ferry pilot named Nancy Young piloted a B-17 into Middletown Airport for this momentous occashysion

Aeronca Chief with floats rests on take-off dolly

Aeronca TG-5 glider on tow near Middletown during WW II

Army Air Corps pilots prepare to take the first delivery of Aeronca-built PT-23s in November 1942

Aeronca-built PT-19A at Middletown in 1943

The Aeronca factory in 1943 Sixteen brand new PTmiddot19s are visible in this photo

When word got around that a big bomber had landed at the airport every kid in town went to the field to watch its departure I selected my vantage point on the bank of the canal that bordered one side of the airfield

After the war Aeronca once again began to manufacshyture civilian planes and they developed the first light plane assembly line producing 37 planes per day

Customers ordering planes with floats could fly them off the airport by utilizing a take-off dolly The dolly was nothing new to the folks at the factory but it sure was to the people of Middletown who were not accustomed to seeing seaplanes flying over their city This was a particushylarly memorable sight for most of the kids On May 18 1949 Middletown Municipal Airport officially was named Hook Field in honor of Charles Hook chairman of the board of Armco Steel

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Early Aeronca 7AC Champ Note different paint scheme and NX registration number on rudder 8199 Champs were produced between 1945 and 1951

Early Aeronca 11 BC Chief with big dorsal fin and 85 hp Contishynental engine Note X superimposed over the C in the regshyistration number on the rudder

1947 post-war L-16A SIN 47-831

14 MAY 1984

1948 Aeronca 15AC Sedan N1279H SIN 15AC-295 Note the Piper Pacer wheel pants Installed at the factory The last aircraft manufactured by Aeronca was a Model 15AC in 1951

Aeronca employee Bert Baldwin and a PT-19 ready for delivery at Aeronca Bert worked in the Flight Service Department during WWII

When the assembly line shut down in 1951 the last Aeronca manufactured was a Model 15AC Sedan ending a run of more than 10000 aircraft produced at the Middletown facility

Today Aeronca has less than one-third the number of employees they had in 1946 but they are very active in the aerospace industry manufacturing component parts for NASAs space shuttlecraft the Boeing-Vertol Chinook helicopter Boeing 747 Lockheed L-1011 Grumman F-14 and several more

The 60th anniversary of Hook Field will be celebrated on June 10 1984 and the event will be a festive occasion In conjunction with this celebration the four Aeronca type clubs will sponsor the 2nd National Aeronca Clubs of America Fly-In at Hook Field

Last years fly-in was host to 115 various models of Aeroncas and the 1984 event is shaping up to be another grand weekend for Aeronca lovers

EDITORS NOTE Author Wally Baldwin is an active pilot and has been an aviation history buff since 1933 amassing a large collection ofphotos and artifacts mostly concerning Aeronca Wallys father Bert Baldwin started with Aeronca in Cincinnati in the E-113 engine shop and stayed with the company until 1950 When Wally was 19 his father bought him the 4th Aeronca Champ off the production line bull

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

MEMIIERS~ PROJI~CTS

This section of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is dedicated completed or underway Send material to the editor at the to members and their aircraft projects We welcome photos address shown on page 2 of this issue along with descriptions and the projects can be either

(Photo by Dick Hili) Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626 AlC 629) makes a touch and go in her ski-equipped Taylor E-2 Cub across their farm strip near HarshyvardlL

Tom Ruplin (EAA 78556) 729 Paris Avshyenue Rockford IL 61107 is restoring this Aeronca L-16 to its original military conshyfiguration Tom began the restoration project in his garage at home but has since moved it into the loft of the hangar at the Beloit (Wisconsin) Airport as shown here with son Mark looking on The next major job will be building up a new set of wings

(Photos Courtesy of Sheldon Mortenson) Then and now - Sheldon Mortensons (EAA 84609 AlC 1097) Minneapolis MN 1939 Stinson SR-10 NC23760 SIN 5922 as it looked when new and the way it looks now Sheldon bases this beautiful red and cream Reliant at Anoka County Airport along with several other aircraft he owns

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

By N2946K As told to

Betty J Mattson (EAA 168859)

805 Waverly Avenue Grand Haven MI49417

(Photos by the Author)

93-year-old Sinnie Sinclair goes Luscombe flying with crafts owner Tom Baker

What a beautiful plane so shiny and new looking I was hearing that comment for the second time in my life that fateful August day one year ago It felt even better the second time around

The first time was October 14 1947 in Dallas Texas when Evan Davis of Evan Davis Aviation acquired me from the Luscombe Airplane Corp of Dallas

He used me in his business in Pauls Valley Oklahoma when I chartered people to many places and also helped students learn to fly Then almost exactly two years later in October 1949 he sold me to another Pauls Valley resident

From there I went to Oklahoma City May Blackwell and Ponca City Oklahoma before moving to Wichita Kansas in 1962 By then I was no longer a new plane but wasnt exactly an antique or classic either During the 60s I belonged to several pilots in Kansas

It was also at this time that I had my biggest adventure to date We ran out of fuel and landed in a farm pasture Was I glad when all three wheels touched down safely I had seen planes at the airport that had made emergency landings in rough terrain and most of them were never able to fly again

Jack Brewer airport manager and AampP mechanic at Memorial Airpark Grand Haven MI checks out N2946K 16 MAY 1984

My relief was short lived however for we soon disshycovered we were not alone in the pasture and the other occupant a bull didnt appear very friendly My pilot managed to secure some fuel and after assessing the disshytance smoothness of the turf etc we attempted to takeshyoff The bull charged causing my pilot to abort the takeshyoff

This happened a few more times and we were very frustrated when the bull decided hed had enough of the invasion of his territory I guess Id have felt the same way if he had invaded my runway but all I wanted to do was get up and out of his domain

No such luck He darted out in front of me causing my pilot to spike the brakes and over on my back I went After all the wind storms on tie-down lines that I had survived in Oklahoma to be overturned by a bull was to say the least embarrassing

Fortunately my damage was slight and the bulls was even less Being hauled out was even more humiliating

In 1969 I made my really big move to Grand Rapids Michigan In the early 70s I moved again to the eastern side of the state

Then in 1980 I was bought by Jay Cavender ofJackson Michigan In the winter I was flown on skis which was a nice change of pace

In 1981 I was totally dismembered This was actually worse than the bull incident as I thought I would never be whole again much less fly But I was over 30 years old which is pretty old for us I had hoped for a few more years and wasnt really ready to accept defeat

People can go to psychiatrists when they are very blue but planes dont have that luxury We are totally at the mercy of the people who own us even though we control their very lives in the air

I should have known better than to doubt this person though Youve heard of bionic people who exist in science fiction TV shows Well I became a bionic airplane and it wasnt fiction Every hinge bolt nut bushing etc was replaced and all new glass interior paint and fairings were installed The engine was overhauled

Talk about long hours I never got any sleep When Jay wasnt working on me til one or two in the morning (planes need their rest too you know) his wife was preshyparing me for painting And paint me they did Not the

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

1947 Luscombe SA N2946K after the flight with Sinnie and Tom

usual blue and white of Luscombes but bright yellow and brown Anyone who doesnt see me in the sky must be blind

By July four and one-half months after they started I was returned to Maule Field at Napoleon Michigan On Friday night before Oshkosh the finishing touches were put on and we were om Now there was an experience To get to Oshkosh from Michigan we flew around the southshyern end of Lake Michigan

Then northward to Oshkosh and the line up of similar planes If I do say so myself I was the prettiest there To think that I once thought I would never fly again why so many people fussed over me that I lost count If only that bull could see me now

We returned to Michigan to what I thought would be back to my usual existence Cavender had logged about 300 hours with me and I was looking forward to many more

But it wasnt to be A pilot who had heard about me from Oshkosh was interested in buying me and here he was signing a check that means I go to owner number 18

Oh well he cant be any worse than some of them and I am much too pretty to crack up We immediately took off and headed west Not only was I to have a new owner but apparently a new home airport as well

On this flight we got acquainted a little bit I tried to tell him about me and how I was leary of cow pastures but he told me all about himself and my life seemed kind of dull by comparison

My new owner first learned to fly in the US Army Air Corps in 1943 and later served as a fighter and bomber pilot Oh dear I hope he doesnt have any plans like that for me

After the war he returned to his home town of Grand Haven Michigan where he bought a slightly used 1947 Luscombe (just like me) from C R Sinnie Sinclair a local flight instructor and plane dealer

He had many happy hours in that plane over the next year and a half then flew it to California sold it and re-enlisted in the Air Force where he served out his 20 years part of which was spent as a test pilot

He told me a lot on our first flight about lost engines over the Atlantic and Pacific and bailing out after hitting

the top of a mountain in Germany He said he was an ace since he had crashed or bailed out of five airplanes

Then two years ago he accepted an assignment as a contract engineer at Boeing Commercial Airplane Co in Seattle Washington where he helped engineer and write the management procedures for the new Boeing 767 plane At the same time he began building a Coot an experimenshytal amphibious plane

At this point I was feeling pretty inferior Landing in the water was certainly better than a cow pasture and those jets Its a wonder he bothered with me at all in spite of my flashy paint job

Then he got to the good part of the story He had always longed to own another 1947 Luscombe like his very first plane and today that dream had come true

And there was more he explained as we approached Runway 27 at Memorial Airpark in Grand Haven Today we were going to have a very special passenger for a short flight - Sinnie Sinclair now mentioned in the Guiness Book of Records as the worlds oldest pilot

Sinnie at 93 didnt walk very well and my first thoughts were oh no just repaired and now youre going to crack up for sure

Current owner Tom Baker props his favorite airplane VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

He shuffied out to the plane held up by his wife and Sinnies whole demeanor was changed when he his biographer His biographer A whole book had been climbed out of me Now I know how a psychiatrist must written about this reknown pilot Called All Gods Chilshy feel with a rehabilitated patient Maybe I couldnt have dren Got Wings it was written by Vivian Branyan of one when I was down but now I felt like one myself Spring Lake Michigan I was later to learn my main home would be Wixom

Climbing on a milk case and being boosted in by two Field near Walled Lake Michigan where my new owner people did not add to my confidence in the upcoming was again serving as contract engineer this time for flight Sinnie sat docilely and listened as his wife adshy Williams International monished Now Sinnie behave yourself and dont try to Since then weve been to many places together and take the controls back to Memorial Airpark my other home as well as

Yes Sinnie you see Ive gotten a new lease on life and flying his daughter granddaughter and the youngest pilot Id like a few more good flights of all his grandson Davey age two and a half None of

My new owner took off skillfully and we headed north our succeeding flights were as thrilling as our first howshyIt was then Sinnie took over the right stick and my heart ever and Im happy to report we havent landed in any sank But a miracle happened Sinnie got a new lease on pastures either life too and flew around over his old stomping grounds of You see a Luscombe can find life and happiness after Muskegon with no flaws Ive been flown by the worlds 35 years after all bull oldest pilot

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBE 91I[V][AGJOlR9 eOME~ cro crOWN = ~ RELIVE THE ADVENTURE and help recognize the pation of the films release EAA and the EAA Aviation ~ ~ progress of aviation in conjunction with with release of Foundation have been invited to help focus the publics ~ ~ the MGM Picture THE A VIA TOR THE A VIATOR is a attention on this fine film while promoting our own or- ~ te( heartwarming story of a 1920s era US Air Mail pilot ganization and membership Activities at OSHKOSH 84 ~ ~ based on the best-selling novel by Ernest T Gann a nationwide shopping center promotion and benefit show- ~ ~ The plan for bringing this MGM movie to the public is ings across the nation are being planned to bring our W ~ being finalized as production work is completed in antici- message to hundreds of thousands across the nation ~ te( The first national thrust of this nationwide aviation ~ ~ promotion will be focused on approximately 50 large high ~ ~ traffic shopping malls determined by the professional W ~ promotional organization working on behalf of THE A VI- ~ ~ ATOR and EAA Each of these mall exhibitions will in- ~ te( clude promotion of the movie as well as aviation displays ~ ~ provided by the aviation community of the area The ~ centerpiece and key ingredient of each of these mall exhi- ~ ~ bitions will be a 1920s type biplane we hope can be ~ ~ provided by the friends and membership of EAA This ~ te( series of promotions will be scheduled for mid-August ~11 through September Shopping malls in the following cities ~ ~ are vying to have this exceptional aviation presentation W ~ in their facilities ~ ~ Albany Jacksonville Pittsburgh ~ te( Atlanta Kansas City Portland ~ ~ Baltimore Las Vegas Reno W ~ Birmingham Long Beach Rochester ~ ~ Boston Los Angeles Sacramento ~ te( Buffalo Louisville Salt Lake City ~ ~ Charlotte Memphis San Antonio ~ ~ Chicago Miami San Diego W ~ Cincinnati Milwaukee San Francisco ~ ~ Cleveland Minneapolis San Jose ~ te( Columbus Nashville Seattle ~ ~ Dallas New Orleans Shreveport ~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ Denver Oklahoma City Syracuse ~ te( Detroit Omaha Tampa ~ ~ Hartford Orange County Toledo ~ ~ Honolulu Pensacola Tucson W ~ Houston Philadelphia Tulsa ~ ~ Indianapolis Phoenix Washington DC ~

~ ~~ ~ ~ If you have or know of a biplane suitable and available ~ ~ for display in any of the areas listed above please contact ~ ~ Christopher Reeve as Mail Pilot Edgar Anscombe and Rosanna Chuck Larsen at the EAA Aviation Center in Oshkosh ~ ~ Arquette as a rebellious 16 year old from THE AVIATOR WI 54903-2591 - Telephone (414) 426-4800 ~

9yen~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 MAY 1984

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

bull bullbullbullbullbull Story and Photos by Gene Chase

In 1978 Joseph Flood Jr was 17 years old possessed a brand new private pilot certificate built scale model airplanes and read Trade-A-Plane While doing the latter he spotted an ad for an Aeronca Chief disassembled comshyplete except for hardware and stored in a barn for 10 years

The price seemed right and best of all it was located just 10 miles from his home Not being familiar with Aeroncas he took his dad and a friend to look at the plane Deciding it was just a big model airplane he figured that he could restore it so the purchase was made and the Aeronca hauled home

Joe wondered about the different-looking top exhaust system on the engine and after doing some research he learned his Chief was somewhat rare It was a Model50C the first airplane powered with the 50 hp Continental in fact the original factory-installed engine was still in his plane

Young Joe Flood spent the next eight months getting the Chief into flying shape He wasnt concerned that it wasnt a cream puff he just wanted something he could afford to fly

The plane was test flown in May 1979 and Joe loved flying the Chief At three gallons per hour it suited his pocketbook just fine Wherever he flew it attracted more than average attention which stimulated his interest even more

At a friends suggestion he contacted John Houser at the Aeronca plant in Middletown Ohio and was rewarded with much history on his Aeronca 50C Chief NC23927

Joe Flood and his award-winning Aeronca SOC Chief at Oshkosh 83

Light plane instrument panels were sparse in 1939 This is the interior of NC23927

SIN C-4979 This inspired him to restore the craft again only this time to do a first-class job

During the 1983 New Year weekend he disassembled the Chief and took it to a friends 11f2 car garage just five minutes from home The next five months were spent in restoring the Aeronca to its original factory appearance He accomplished this by spending every night after work from 5-10 pm plus every weekend on the project

The fuselage formers and stringers are new - purshychased as a kit for $180 from an ad in Trade-A-Plane The wing ribs are all new The spars are the originals includshying a splice on the left rear from the aileron outboard made in 1946

The dark green corduroy interior was custom made by AIRTEX - they dont stock these for 39 Chiefs Joe fretshyted about installing this but it was made in seven sections in all and the job was easier than he thought it would be

The previous owner had replaced some of the original instruments and had added extra ones but fortunately for Joe the originals were saved Only the oil temperature gage was damaged and had to be replaced

The original factory installed engine has been rebuilt three times Joe has all the logs from 1940 indicating a total engine time of 2200 hours

Joe chose to cover the Chief with AIRTEX ceconite envelopes and Randolph dope He is pleased with both especially the Randolph products resulting in a perfect match between metal and fabric

Using color specs supplied by John Houser and comparshying with yellow still on some of the tubing Joe ordered the lemon yellow and dark green butyrate from Randolph paying an extra $40 per gallon for the special mix

The fiberglass wheel pants came from Wag-Aero and were given to Joe by a good friend as a Christmas present

As with most restoration projects Joe had assistance with this one His father and two friends were dedicated helpers and his pregnant wife even participated with the two-day rib stitching process Her further contribution was that of a patient and understanding wife during the five-month concentrated restoration effort

Joes wife loves to fly - in fact their first date was a flight with him in a Cessna 150 - her first airplane ride They enjoy flying together to air shows and fly-ins

The first flight of the newly-restored Chief was in June 1983 during the same weekend as the 1st Annual Aeronca Clubs Fly-In at Middletown Ohio Joe hated to miss that event but his plane wasnt quite ready

But the following month would bring something he wanted even more He had been dreaming of attending the EAA Convention at Oshkosh since he was five A friend had been going to Oshkosh for 15 years and continushyally talked about it

Finally on final approach to Wittman Field and seeing the spectacle of wall-to-wall airplanes he could hardly believe he was about to be a part of Oshkosh 83 Unfortushynately his wife had to remain at home with their new son born on April 27 but theyll be there for sure in 84

Joe felt honored when he was asked to fly his beautiful Aeronca in the AntiqueClassic Divisions Parade of Flight and even more so when he learned his plane was awarded the Outstanding Closed Cockpit - Monoplane trophy

Joes Chief has spent all of its life in Pennsylvania and South New Jersey including stints with the Atlantic City Flying Club and several others Joes total flight time is about 750 hours including some 400 in his Chief

As much as he loves flying the Aeronca he has his sights set on owning a Stearman one day After just 115 of dual he checked out in a Stearman and has also won several trophies with his radio-control scale model of a PT-17 With all this going for him it wont be long before Joe Flood Jr arrives at Oshkosh in an award-winning open cockpit biplane bull

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

By Morton E Clark STINSON IN A (EAA 19947 AlC 693) 310 Soldier Creek Road

Grants Pass Oregon 97526

CARPORT How many times have we all heard the tale Say

youre interested in old airplanes I have a friend whose neighbor knows of an airplane relic in a barn etc etc Your eyes light up your pulse rate increases and off you go in search of this elusive pile ofjunk All the time your imagination has run rampant with pictures in your minds eye of exotic airplanes of times past After much effort expense and time you come to the realization its futile A dead end

The finding of these airplanes is pure and simple luck - nothing else This story is living proof

About a year ago my brother introduced me to a PSA captain from San Diego whose interest in airpark living parallels mine Our conversation naturally developed around this format and he suggested I investigate the area around Borrego Springs California namely Fletcher Sky Park December in Oregon always prompts me to think of drier climates so I loaded up the pick-up and headed south

Now this is probably the driest climate this side of Australia and I enjoyed it but the real estate agent and I could not agree on price so I shelved the idea and began chatting with the local residents One gentleman a Mr Joe Griffith had a beautiful Bird biplane as well as a modern Cessna spam can Also in a carport attached to his hangar was an old Stinson of about 1930 vintage He

said it was a Detroiter and definitely not for sale His wife having heard our conversation took me aside and said if I really had an interest in it she would see to it that Joe would change his mind Wives do have a way of convincing husbands

After returning home I received a call from Joe indicatshying he would reluctantly part with it I was content with his price and I accepted Off I went again to Borrego Springs with the assistance of a friend two pick-ups and two trailers Believe me it was a full load for both trucks and trailers

While loading the airplane I was instructed to take everything which turned out to be extra airframe parts and five extra Lycoming R-680 engines that I did not know existed I must have had a broad grin on my face

Two days later we arrived back in Grants Pass Oregon and squeezed everything into the shop As it proved later through FAA records it was not a Detroiter but a Stinson Jr Model S N10886 Serial No 8058 The 42 span and 29 9 length makes it a huge airplane for four place

The original 215 hp engine is still attached but has a blown cylinder which happened in 1941 somewhere over Colorado It has never flown since

The tentative completion date of restoration is late 1986 bull

(Photo by M E Clark) One half of the caravan which carried the Stinson Jr Model S from California to Oregon Note original 215 hp Lycoming engine stili mounted 20 MAY 1984

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CLASSIFIED ADS

NC452V in 1937 with rejuvenated The Eaglet in 1938 after finish restoration

Dear Gene The Szekely-powered American Eaglet on the back

cover of the February 1984 issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE was the property of Don Baun and M Foose at Harlem Airport in Chicago during the 1935-38 era

When they purchased the plane in 1937 it was unshylicensed and in need of covering When Don brought it into Harlem Airport the fuselage was a dirty blue color with yellow wings and a very weak Szeke He rejuvenated the dope and refinished it with Berryloid Diana Cream and Travel Air Blue He also gave the Szeke a top overhaul

The following year he took the plane down completely recovered it and replaced all the metal The Szekely was majored with new cables securing the cylinders

New wheel pants were hammered out by hand and 21 hand-rubbed coats of the same color of dope were applied to the plane In those days labor was cheap and they had ten guys wanting to work for just the experience Boy how different it is today

The Eaglet wasnt a bad flying airplane but in those days we all looked down our noses at light planes with popcorn engines considering them as unsafe We used to call the C-1 and C-2 Aeroncas scratch your a -- in the grass airplanes and E-2 Cubs were grape baskets

How times have changed Regards Mike Rezich (EAA 510 AlC 2239) 6424 S LaPorte Avenue Chicago IL 60638 bull

Regular type 50cent per word Bold Face 55cent per word ALL CAPS 60cent per word Rate covers one insertion one issue minimum charge $800 Classified ads payable in advance cash with order Send ad with payment to Advertising Department The VINTAGE AIRPLANE PO Box 2591 Oshkosh WI 54903

ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unshylimited aerobatics 23 sheets of clear easy to follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings photos and exploded views Complete parts and materials list Full size wing drawings Plans plus 88 page Builders Manual - $6000 Info Pack - $400 Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing - $1500 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sport biplane 20 pages of easy to follow detailed plans Comshyplete with isometric drawings photos exploded views Plans - $8500 Info Pac - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC P O Box 462 Hales Corshyners WI 53130 414425-4860

Wanted February 1973 issue of middotTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE Will pay $2000 Original Luscombe sales literature and manuals for phantoms Model 4 Model 8 and Post-war models including the sedan Ron Price 43585 Vista Del Mar Fremont CA 94539 or 415490-5073 or 415657-7200 (office)

POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in low-cost pleasure flying Big roomy cockpit for the over six foot pilot VW power insures hard to beat 3 gph at cruise setting 15 large instruction sheets Plans - $4500 Info Pack - $400 Send check or money order to ACRO SPORT INC Box 462 Hales Corners WI 53130 4141 425-4860

J-3 Replica scale LM-2 single place wood construction detachable wings empty 345 30 HP Cuyuna cruise 65 160 page construction manual $9500 from Light Miniashyture Aircraft 13815 NW 19th Ave Opa-Locka FL 33054 305681-4068 Kits from Wicks Aircraft Supply

1929 HEATH SUPER Parasol 40 hp Continental or 27 hp Henderson Ceconite covering excellent condition Completely rebuilt cost over $1200000 make offer Mr Dorcas 419241-4261 bull

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION bull Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association Inc is $2500 for one year $4800 for 2 years

and $6900 for 3 years All include 12 issues of Sport Aviation per year Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $1500 annually Family Membership is available for an additional $1000 annually

bull EAA Member - $1800 Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division 12 monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane and membership card Applicant must be a current EAA member and must give EAA membership number

ANTIQUEshybull Non-EAA Member -$2800 Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique-Classic Division 12CLASSIC monthly issues of The Vintage Airplane one year membership in the EAA and separate membership

cards Sport Aviation not includedlAC bull Membership in the International Aerobatic Club Inc is $2000 annually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics All lAC members are required to be members of EAA

bull Membership in the Warbirds of America Inc is $2500 per year which includes a subscription toWARBIRDS Warbirds Newsletter Warbird members are required to be members of EAA bull Membership in the EAA Ultralight Assn is $2500 per year which includes the Ultralight publicationULTRALIGHT ($150 additionalor Sport Aviation magazine) For current EAA members only $1500 which includes

UltralIght publicatIOn bull FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with a check or draft drawn on a United States

bank payable in United States dollars or an international postal money order similarly drawn

MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO EAA OR THE DIVISION IN WHICH MEMBERSHIP IS DESIRED ADDRESS ALL LETTERS TO EAA OR THE PARTICULAR DIVISION AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS

WITTMAN AIRFIELD - OSHKOSH WI 54903-2591 - PHONE 414426-4800 OFFICE HOURS 830 - 500 MONDA Y-FRIDA Y

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21

Classic owners Interior looking shabby

~

Finish it right with an Girtex interior

Complete interior assemblies for dO-it-yourself installation

Custom Quality at economical prices

bull Cushion upholstery sets bull Wall panel sets bull Headliners bull Carpet sets

bull SAMPLE OF OUR NEW HIGH STRENGTH LIGHT WEIGHT SMOOTH FABRIC STYLES WOVEN FROM SECOND GENERATION POLYESTER FILAMENT

bull Baggage compartment sets bull Firewall covers bull Seat Slings bull Recover envelopes and dopes

bull NEW 68 PAGE MANUAL 1 REVISION 13 WITH DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR FABRIC COVERING REFINISHING FABRIC SURFACES AND PAINTING AIRCRAFT FOR CORROSION CONTROL

Free Catalog of complete product line Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and styles of materials $300

bull LATEST CATALOG AND DISTRIBUTOR LIST

middot t -~Qlr ex products inc 259 Lower Morrisville Rd Dept VA Fallsington PA 19054 (215) 295-4115

STITS POLY-FIBER bull IS THE WORLDS ONLY COMPLETE FABRIC COVERING

SYSTEM APPROVED BY FAA UNDER AN STC JND MANUFACTURED UNDER AN FAA-PMA

bull WILL NOT SUPPORT COMBUSTION

bull WITH POLY-FIBER FINISHES WILL NEVER RINGWORM CHECK OR PEEL

bull IS THE LIGHTEST COVERING METHOD APPROVED UNDER AN FAA-STC

bull IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL CONSIDERING THE YEARS OF TROUBLE FREE SERVICE

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Jacket - unlined tan poplin with gold and white braid trim Knit waist and cuffs zipper front and slash pockets Antique Classic logo patch on chest Sizes - XS through XL $2895 ppd

Cap - pale gold mesh with contrasting blue tgtill trimmed with gold braid Antique Classic logo patch on crown of cap Sizes - M and L (adjustable rear band) $ 625 ppd 7AntlqueCe Petehe Large - 4Vz across $ 175 ppd Small - 3v across $ 175 ppd

AntIqueCIe Decal shy4 across (shown left) $ 75 ppd

Available Back Issues of The VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1973 - March through December 1974 - February through November 1975 - January through December 1976 - February through June August through December 1977 - January through December 1978 - January through March May August October through December 1979 - February through December Send check to 1980 - January March through July September through December EAA AntiqueClassic Division Inc 1981 - January through December Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-2591 1982 - January through March May through December Allow 4-6 Weeks for Delivery 1983 - January March through December Wisconsin Residents Include 5 Sales Tax 1984 - January through April

Per Issue $1 25 ppd 22 MAY 1984

THE JOURNAL OF THE EARLY AEROPLANE

SIMPLE ISSUE $4 15 CRESCENT RD POUGHKEEPSIE NY 12601

AUTO FUEL STCs

AVAILABLE

EAA leads the way to more affordable aviation with auto fuel STCs for

AERONCA S7EC CESSNA LUSCOMBE llAC

Including Bellanca 120140 88AC D E F ~8FllBCChampion Trytek 140All CCWagner BampB 150 S llACAviation Inc 150A th rough 150H PIPERSllBC

50-TC 150J through 150M Sl l CC J-3C-40 65-TC (L-3J) A 150K th rough KCA J3C-5065-TAC (Army L-3E) A150M 50-C J3C-50SYO-58 18065-C J3C-65 (Army L-4) 0-58B 180A65-CA J3C-65S50-588 180BS-50-C J4Q-58-A (Army L-3A) 180C D E F G H J S-65-C J4A 7AC 182 182A B C DS-65-CA J4A-S 7CCM (Army L-1 6B) L M N P 7BCM (Army L-16A) E F G H J K

J4E (Army L-4E) lOC J5A (Army L-4 F) 7EC J5A-80

L-4A7FC INTERSTATE 7JC L-4B (Navy N E- l )

(Including Arlic Aircraflshy L-4H7ECA S7AC Callair) L-4J (Navy NE-2) SlOC S-l A PA- l l S7CCM PA- l lS

These STCs wh ich permit the use of less costly readily available unleaded auto gasoline are now avai lab le from the EAA Aviation Foundation Thousands of aircraft owners have already switched to auto gas to fly more often and less expensively The STCs cost only 50lt1 per your engine horsepower - (example 85 hp Cessna 140 = $4250) STCs are not available for engines only Non-EAA members add $1500 to total For more information write or call

Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-3065 Phone 414426-4800

Another example of the EAA Aviation Foundation working for you Join EAA - S25_00 annually - get your STC at the special member rate_

Watch for more STCs including low wing approvals in near future

Its Exciting Its for Everyone

See th is priceless collection of rare historically significant airshycraft all imaginatively displayed in the worlds largest most modshyem sport aviation museum Er)joy the many educational displays and audio-visual presentations Stop by - heres something the entire family will enjoy Just minutes away

HOURS 830 to 500 pm

Monday thru Saturday 11 00 arn to 500 prn

Sundays Closed Easter Thanksgiving Christmas and New Years Day (Guided group tour arrangements must be made two weeks in advance)

CONVENIENT LOCATION The EAA Aviation Center is located on Wittman Field Oshkosh Wis - just off Highway 41 Going North Exit Hwy 26 or 44 Going South Exit Hwy 44 and follow signs For fly-ins - free bus from Basler Flight Service

EA~ ~FOUNDTlON

Wittman Airfie ld Oshkosh WI 54903-3065

414-426-4800

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

eOlI-er Eleot

A~ -at-tOOS prsport ~11

THE JOURNAL OF THE EARLY AEROPLANE

SIMPLE ISSUE $4 15 CRESCENT RD POUGHKEEPSIE NY 12601

AUTO FUEL STCs

AVAILABLE

EAA leads the way to more affordable aviation with auto fuel STCs for

AERONCA S7EC CESSNA LUSCOMBE llAC

Including Bellanca 120140 88AC D E F ~8FllBCChampion Trytek 140All CCWagner BampB 150 S llACAviation Inc 150A th rough 150H PIPERSllBC

50-TC 150J through 150M Sl l CC J-3C-40 65-TC (L-3J) A 150K th rough KCA J3C-5065-TAC (Army L-3E) A150M 50-C J3C-50SYO-58 18065-C J3C-65 (Army L-4) 0-58B 180A65-CA J3C-65S50-588 180BS-50-C J4Q-58-A (Army L-3A) 180C D E F G H J S-65-C J4A 7AC 182 182A B C DS-65-CA J4A-S 7CCM (Army L-1 6B) L M N P 7BCM (Army L-16A) E F G H J K

J4E (Army L-4E) lOC J5A (Army L-4 F) 7EC J5A-80

L-4A7FC INTERSTATE 7JC L-4B (Navy N E- l )

(Including Arlic Aircraflshy L-4H7ECA S7AC Callair) L-4J (Navy NE-2) SlOC S-l A PA- l l S7CCM PA- l lS

These STCs wh ich permit the use of less costly readily available unleaded auto gasoline are now avai lab le from the EAA Aviation Foundation Thousands of aircraft owners have already switched to auto gas to fly more often and less expensively The STCs cost only 50lt1 per your engine horsepower - (example 85 hp Cessna 140 = $4250) STCs are not available for engines only Non-EAA members add $1500 to total For more information write or call

Wittman Airfield Oshkosh WI 54903-3065 Phone 414426-4800

Another example of the EAA Aviation Foundation working for you Join EAA - S25_00 annually - get your STC at the special member rate_

Watch for more STCs including low wing approvals in near future

Its Exciting Its for Everyone

See th is priceless collection of rare historically significant airshycraft all imaginatively displayed in the worlds largest most modshyem sport aviation museum Er)joy the many educational displays and audio-visual presentations Stop by - heres something the entire family will enjoy Just minutes away

HOURS 830 to 500 pm

Monday thru Saturday 11 00 arn to 500 prn

Sundays Closed Easter Thanksgiving Christmas and New Years Day (Guided group tour arrangements must be made two weeks in advance)

CONVENIENT LOCATION The EAA Aviation Center is located on Wittman Field Oshkosh Wis - just off Highway 41 Going North Exit Hwy 26 or 44 Going South Exit Hwy 44 and follow signs For fly-ins - free bus from Basler Flight Service

EA~ ~FOUNDTlON

Wittman Airfie ld Oshkosh WI 54903-3065

414-426-4800

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23

eOlI-er Eleot

A~ -at-tOOS prsport ~11

eOlI-er Eleot

A~ -at-tOOS prsport ~11