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THE RESTORER'S CORNER

Many stories have been written about finding antique airplanes in barns, garages, on mountain sides, in jungles, and even submerged in lakes. Each of these stories gives us antiquers renewed hope that we, too, will some day find the antique airplane of our dreains in some extremely unlikely location and will pack it up and cart it hqme to our garage to be restored and preserved for posterity and, incidently, to win us a few Grand Champ­ionships along the way. While most of these stories which we hear and read are true, these finds are really becoming more and more infrequent. Let's face it. We can actually ascertain the number of aircraft built by each manufacturer from the start of Type Certification in 1927 up to World War II. This was only a span of fourteen years. If we were to total up the an­tiques known to exist today (flying, in storage, or being restored) and then add a reasonable percentage factor for the aircraft totally destroyed, we would find that the difference, namely, those which have not as yet been found, is a very small number.

Since we are attracting more people to our hobby all the time and want to continue to do so, what is the solution? How can we come up with enough old aircraft so that everyone who wants a vintage airplane can have one? The answer can be found in one word: REPLICAS.

There is much to be said for the replica. First of all, it is usually a well proven design. Second, it is easily recognizable as a rare bit of aviation history, and only an expert can distinguish it from an original if the builder sticks religiously to the plans. Third, replicas come in all sizes, shapes and horsepower to fit all sizes of pocketbooks.

Among the more exotic, and sometimes more expensive, replicas are the World War I fighters, especially so if the builder decides to use an original engine. There are several organizations devoted to fostering the construction of World War I replicas, and they are enjoying moderate success at the moment. Through these organizations information is available to help the prospective builder obtain plans and parts. We can expect these groups to grow to a much larger size as more interest is generated .

There are several certificated aircraft of years ago which are now or have

by J. R. NIELANDER, JR.

been available in plans form. Examples are the Great Lakes Trainer, Heath Parasol and the Mooney Mite. The old familiar J-3 Cub has been brought back to life in both plans and kit form as the CUBy . Besides these there are many more which would make beautiful and relatively easy replicas to build if the plans were made available. To name just a few, there are the Aeromarine Klemm, Driggs Dart, American Eaglet, Aeronca C-3 and K, Curtiss-Wright Junior, Buhl "Bull Pup", Spartan C-2, Rearwin "Junior", Taylor Cub, and Wiley Post Model A. All of these designs have one common denominator. Their horsepower requirements are such that they can be powered by an engine of the Volkswagon class.

If one wants to go to the next larger size aircraft with more horsepower, designs such as the Monocoupe, Savoia-Marchetti S-56B Amphibian, Fairchild 22, Kinner Playboy, and Sportwing, Rearwin Sportster and Speedster, Kari-Keen, Aeronca LC Davis 0-1, Inland Sport, Crosle Moonbeam, Mohawk "Pinto", Arrow "Sport", and Culver Dart and Cadet could also be very interesting replicas.

There are also numerouS beautiful designs from Europe. The Chilton D. W. 1, Miles Hawk, Tipsy Sportster and Junior, and Klemm KL35D are just a few excellent examples.

All that is needed to give impetus to the antique replica movement is the availability of good usable drawings. Many of us have partial or even complete sets of drawings for one or more of these old aircraft . We have them stored away in a closet or in the attic or basement. Some sheets are so faded as to be almost unreadable. However, in the hands of the right technicians with the proper equipment, the faded lines could be brought out, and using today's techniques, these plans could be copied and reprinted in an exceptionally legible form. Then they could be made available to those vintage aircraft enthusiasts who are unable to find the basket case of their choice to restore as well as to those who would just feel a lot better knowing that they, themselves, had built their own vintage airplane and that it had been constructed using all new materials. It's an interesting prospect for the future, isn't it?

EDITORIAL STAFF

Publisher Editor Paul H. Poberezny AI Kelch

ANTIQUE AND CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS

PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT J. R. NIELANDER, JR . MORTON LESTER

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Term expires August '77

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Directors Term expires August '76

AI Kelch 7018 W. Bonniwetl Road

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Evander M . Britt Box 1525

Lumberton , North Carolina 28358

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Assistant Editor Lois Kelch

Centributing Editors H. N. " Dusty " Rh odes

Evand er Britt Jim Barton

Claude Gray Ed Escallon Rod Spanier

Dale Gustafson Henry Wh ee ler Morton Lester

Kelly Viets Bob Elli o t

Jack Lanning Bill Thumma

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THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE is owned exclusively by Antique Classic Aircraft , Inc. and is published monthly at Hales Corners , Wisconsin 53130. Second class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office , Hales Cor­ners, Wisconsin 53130 and Random Lake Post Office , Random Lake . Wisconsin 53075. Membership rates for Antique Class aircraft . Inc. at $14 .00 per 12 month period of which $ 10.00 is for th e publication of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE . Membership is open to all who are interested in avia t ion .

Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to Antique Classic Aircraft , Inc., Box 229, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

ANTIQUE / CLASSIC DIVISION

of THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAF.T ASSOCIATION

AUGUST 1976 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 8

The Restorer's Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A Silver Eagle - Part II . . . ... .... . ... . ... . .. . . ... . ... .. . ,.... . 3 Watsonville .... .... ....... ..... ... .. .. ..... . , .... . . .. ..... , .. , 7 Vintage Album ... ... . ... . .. ..... .. ...... . .. . ... . . . ... . . .. .. .. 9 Gates Flying Circus .... . .. ... .... .. ............... . . .. . ... .... 11 Treasure Hunt . . ............ ... ....... .. ........ .. .. .. . . . .. ... 13 Bill Menefee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 13 Early Bird Vignette - Bobbi Trou t . . .. . .. ..... ..... ... ... . . .... , 16 Whistling In The Rigging ............ . ... . ..... . .. . ... . .. . ..... 17 National Ercoupe Fly-In .. . . .. . .. . . ..... . . .. .. . .. .. ........ . ... 18 Calendar of Events ... . .. .. , .. ... ... ..... . . . ...... . ..... .. ... .. 18

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP

o NON-EAA MEMBER - $34.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa­tion , 12 monthly issues of SPORT AVIATION and separate membership cards.

o NON-EAA MEMHER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa­tion and separate membership cards. SPORT AVIATION not included .

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PICTURE· BOX (Back Cover)

FRONT COVER

Painting of 1918 Jenny by Ralph Steele. Jim Nissen's 1918 Jenny won Grand Curtiss Military Tractor. From Jack Champion a t Watsonville see Page 7. Rose collection 1918 pictures.

Copyright il 1976 Antique Classic A ircraft . Inc . All Rights Reserve:! . 2

A SILVER

Eagle (~ -

PART II (Highlights of 1930) A BIOGRAPHY OF E. M. "MATTY" LAIRD

By Robert G. Elliott Ed Escallon 1227 Oakwood Ave. & 335 Milford Dr.

Daytona Beach, FL 32014 Merritt Island, FL 32952

The highligh t of 1930 proved to be the design and construction of the "Solution" racer, which became the first and only biplane to win the coveted Thompson Trophy race for the fastest aircraft of the day. The "Solution" had been built in a record thirty days and was completed just one hour before the race. In the following year, Matty's newest racer, the "Super Solution" became the first aircraft to win the new Bendix Trophy, setting the trans-continental speed record of 11 hours, 15 minutes, under the very capable pilotage of Jimmy Doolittle.

An Executive Transport biplane became the next challenge to be designed and fabricated at the Laird factory at Ashburn Field. Construction was mixed with an aluminum semi-monocoupe finely tapering fuse­lage, fabric covered wood wings, and a steel tubing center section. The prototype was built to an order placed by George Horton, President of Chicago Bridge and Iron. Special features included an on-board lava­tory and provisions for the eventual incorporation of retractable gear. Performance data of the 450 hp proto­type included 180 mph cruise airspeed with over 200 mph at full power.

While the "Sesquiwing" was begun in 1931, the ailing economy together with extensive fabrication details required for the aircraft, delayed it's roll-out until 1934. About the time that factory flight tests were completed, but just prior to their being submitted for ATC certification, Mr. Horton suffered a fatal heart attack. Subsequently the airplane was given to his Alma Mater, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Sadly, the aircraft's subassemblies were last seen undergoing various s tress tests for aero-engineering classes. Although no doubt of great educational value, it is a pity this one-of-a-kind Laird was not preserved instead of being destroyed.

E. M. (Matty) LAI RO

The middle thirties saw the development of a huge airline industry in this country. Chicago became a major airline hub and drew heavily on the aviation talent in the area. Many of Mr. Laird's employees went with the airlines during the lean year that en­veloped the Laird Company, and a few are still in­volved in the management of this industry today.

After a few years of operation, the DC-3, which had become the airlines workhorse, began to require refurbishment of the fuel tanks due to corrosion. Matty bid against the Curtiss Company for this work and won the contract offered by American Airlines. In the ensuing years, work on these tanks for Ameri­can, United, TWA and Braniff provided steady in­come for the Laird factory. Matty also contracted to build passenger loading stands for the airlines.

Reminiscent of the early thirties period "Matty's race-to-the-race" continued into 1937, when Roscoe Turner brought in two projects just two months be­

fore the National Air Races. They were his damaged Wedell Williams, and a partially completed new racer. Matty's brother Harold was assigned to rebuild the Wedell, which had been a victim of carburetor icing, causing an engine-out landing in the wastelands of New Mexico.

Its many flights as a basketcase hadn't helped the lightweight airframe either. Despite it's condition, Harold and his team were able to meet the time schedule and ready the golden racer for the upcoming National Air Races. Joe Mackey piloted this plane in several subsequent seasons under an agreement with Ros­coe. Obsolescence and technical problems prevented it from ever again placing in a major event.

Roscoe's second major project was a racer which had been designed by Messers. Barlow and Akerman of the University of Minnesota and whose subsequent

3

(Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty' Laird)

ABOVE: Laird Solution, in which Speed Holman won the Thompson Trophy Race in 1930. This aircraft was thirty days old the day of the race, having been completed about one hour before the race began, allowing time enough for a short test hop and refueling due to a short postponement of the Thompson Race start.

LEFT: Speed Holman.

(Photo Courtesy E. M. ' Matty ' Laird)

Laird Super Solution in completed rig , ready for a race ,

(Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty' Laird)

ABOVE: The Laird Sesquiwing under construction.

(Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty' Laird)

LEFT: Jimmy Doolittle is congratulated by Matty Laird after winning the Bendix Race, September, 1931.

(Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty' Laird)

BELOW: Full view of completed Laird Sesquiwing .

1­

. (Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty ' Laird) photograph made at 1930 Chicago National Air Races wh ich were conducted at Curtiss-Reynolds Airport, Chicago . 'Speed' Holman is shown at right rounding a pylon in the Laird Solution. Upper center is what is believed to be the plane of Arthur Page, who was pulling out of race. Page m ade a crash landing and died of injuries, wh ile Holman went on to win the Thomp ­son Trophy Race.

construction had been begun by Lawr­ence Brown o f Los Angeles . Va rious technical , personal and financial prob­lems had erupted during the project forcing Roscoe to have the airplane' s assemblies shipped to Ma tty for com­ple tion . A review o f the des ign re ­vealed a w ing configura tion which was unsuitable for the challenges of the Bendi x a nd Thompson. The wings were di sassembled to the spars and rebuilt with the internal drag braci ng lightened , as well as a grea tl y improved fuselage a ttach method incorpora ted . Exis ting ailerons were used , wi th the fla ps ex­tended to cover the span added to the wing. The resulting loading of 50 po unds per square foot was among the highest used in aircraft a t that time, and much technica l comment centered about it.

, Actuall y the wi ng turned out to be o ne of the rea lly outs ta nding as pects of the racer, and it's configuration was widely co pied in the Second World Wa r's fighters.

Additio nally, Matty add ed about a square foot to the eleva tor surface area, a nd completely outfitted the fuselage sru cture almos t from scra tch . La rger fu el tanks tha n Mr. Brown had p la nned on using were included . In many re ­spects the re nova tio n o f th e Laird­Turner Racer was more difficult tha n build ing a comple tely new aircraft.

When fini shed , a weight check con­firmed that Matty had eliminated over 400 pounds o f weight jus t from the parts Mr. Brown had shipped him. The L TR-14 was tes ted success full y and accepted by Roscoe, w ho proceeded to Californi a in it .. . on its second fli ght.

In succeeding years th e Laird -Turner Ra ce r served to change the fortun es of 'toug h-luck' Roscoe . During the 1937 Thompson, Roscoe, who was leading the race, was mome ntarily blinded by the sun while rounding a pylon. Turn­ing back to recircle th e pylon, he los t his lead to Ea rl O rtma n a nd Rud y Kling. In a las t minute burs t o f speed , Rudy drove the diminuti ve Folkerts racer pas t Ortma n to w in . Roscoe followed in third place.

However, the fo llowing yea r, the Laird-Turner, ra cing as the PESCO SPECIAL, placed first in the Thomp­son, brea king Micheal De troya t's record speed se t two yea rs previously.

The 1939 National Air Races were largely overshadowed by the grim turn o f events taking place in Europe. Roscoe, raci ng for the las t time, again won the Thompson, flying the Laird ­Turner, w hich for the occasion had become the 'Miss Champion'. This vic­tory made h im the only ma n to ever win the cove ted Thompson Trophy th ree times . Desp ite th e credit due Mr. Laird, Roscoe never properly recogni zed him . Ma tty, however, never pressed the issue ... as "That's jus t the way Roscoe was" . . .

Turner's victories , p lus those earli er in th e decades by the 'Solution' a nd 'Super Solu tion' gave the Laird Planes; Th ree FIRST a nd two THIRD places in the Thom pson Races, one FIRST in the Bendi x, a trans-continental and tri ­Capitol speed record , in additio n to a t least a dozen different inter- ci ty records . For a small civil based aircraft factory, the E. M. La ird Company had wo n a la rge proportina te share of the records and races of the thirties, due to the skill of the em ployees and th e genius o f E. M. 'Matty' La ird .

As this cou ntry's involvement in the War beca me m ore eminent, Ma tty rea ­lized it was going to be pretty ' tou gh sledding' for a non-military manu ­fac turer. In an a ttempt to get subcon­trac ting work o n military aircraft , a Chicago fri end persuaded him to con ­sider setting up an avia ti on di vis ion for a manu fac turer o f metal door trim, a t La port , India na. Ma tty looked the o pera­ti on over a nd elec ted to become Vice President o f the Compan y (la ter be ­coming th e La po rte Corpo ra ti o n. ) He bro ught w ith h im a ll hi s fac to ry m a­chi nery , equipme nt a nd materials, but re tained personally a ll his airplane designs. The La porte Corpora ti on s uc­cess fu ll y me t the challe nges o f wartime ma terials shortages with a labor force consis ting mos tly of wo men . Althoug h untrained , a nd faced w ith schedu les

5

(Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty' La ird)

Laird-Turner on the l ine after being rebuilt by the E. M. Laird Airplane Company. Note the familia r Laird trademark on the tail.

that doubled every month , they rapidly grew into a skilled tea m under the able guidance of Matty. His talents in pro­duction were directed to the production of B-24 and SB2C vertical fin s, complete e mpe nage groups for Martin B-26's and numerous other items such as wing flaps, radio cabinets, crew bunks and d e- icer tanks for the Martin PBM.

Matty never had any interest in Military aircraft, with the possible excep ti on of building a trainer for the Armed Services. He had lost an early bid for a trainer in the La ird Swallow days, when Major Reuben Fleet, a procurement officer for the Army, vetoed the purchase. Major Fleet la ter resig ned from the Service and organi zed the Consolidated Aircraft Company, who

received the order for his training plane.

The wartime production of the La­porte Corporation was a credit to Mr. Laird' s inge nuity in training and mus­tering every effort from his employees during the critical time o f his country's need.

At the War's end, Matty res tudied the designs he had worked up for civilian airplanes before the War. One particu­larly appealing model was a 4 place, high wing m onoplane, with a semi­monocoupe aluminum fuselage and woode n w ings. Plans were .. . to use a new six cylinder inverted engi ne that Continental was developing. In con­sidering th e cap italiza ti on cos ts in­volved which had doubled since the thirti es, and knowing first-hand, th e

(Photo Courtesy Roger Don Rae) ABOVE: Laird-Turner, Pesco Special which Roscoe Turner flew to victory in the Thompson Trophy Race in 1938.

(Photo Courtesy E. M. 'Matty ' Laird)

BELOW: Matty Laird, center, surrounded by his fellow craftsmen at the Laport Corporation during WWII. The vertical fins of the B-24 behind are autographed by all members of his work force .

6

boom-bust market that followed the previous War, Matty decided to retire from the aviation business.

An additional factor which prompted his decision was the fact that his daughter had contracted polio. At the time, the only known treatment was frequent immersions in warm water combined with physical therapy . Consequently, Matty decided to move to a warmer climate, choosing Boca Raton, a small com­munity on the lower east coast of Florida. There, he and his lovely Elsie, whom he married in 1933, devoted themselves to raising their son and daughter.

In later years the Lairds purchased some land in the Lake Toxaway area of North Carolina where they built a home. The lake had been a millionaires hide­away in the early 1900's until the dam supporting it burst in 1916, flooding many of the lower communities. Ironically, the lake was later re-damed after the Laird's built their home, and the high water level forced them to again move. Later they purchased an adjacent home on the lake shore. Currently they spend their summer months enjoying this beautiful mountain lake area, while wintering in their fifty year old Spanish style home in Boca .

In 1967 Matty became President of the Early Birds, an International organization of pilots who made their first flight before December 17, 1916. Mr. Laird also became active in the Connecticut Aeronautical His­torical Association's restoration of the 'Solution' beginning in 1964.

He first became acquainted with the Florida Sport Aviation, Antique and Classic Association at the Remuda Ranch Fly-In during November of 1974, where he was an honored guest. There too, he joined the EAA. In recognition of his many achievements prior to 1940, Mr. Laird was awarded the coveted Silver Eagle Membership in the Association. Since then the Lairds have been very active in the EAA, being honored among the Aviation Greats at Oshkosh, 1975, and appearing at many EAA functions through­out the State of Florida.

His present work on the EAA's restoration of the 'Super Solution' has brought him back, full circle . . . to th e very work to which he devoted his life beginning in 1910 ... that of building the finest air­craft in the country.

At eighty years on November 29th, 1975, Matty has been described by his friends as "a Volkswagen wi th 80 horsepower".

The Florida Association and th e Experimental Air­craft Association are very privileged to know and be able to work with people of Mr. Laird's background, energies and character.

Mr. Laird ... a true ge nius and pioneer of Ameri­can Aviation.

The Laird Speedwing "Solution" (Prat & Whitney Wasp Junior Engine)

Winner 1st Place - Thompson Trophy Race ­Chicago, III. Sept. 1, 1930

Average Speed 201 .91 M.P.H. for 100 mile race (20 laps around a five mile course) Piloted by C. W. "Speed" Holman

(Photo by Robert G. Elliott) Matty and Elsie Laird enjoy their mountain re­treat on the shores of Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, and sat momentarily for this photo­graph in July of 1975.

Earl W. Swaney 525 Saratoga Ave.

Santa Clara, CA 95050 The weather was perfect! The airshow

was excellent! Ground and flying activi­ties were varied and interesting!

But, these variables only added to the luster. The real stars were the air­planes. More than 400 of them .

Reading down the rows of prop cards was like reading from volumes of avia­tion history. All the names were there: Waco, Ryan, Stinson, Stearman, Travel­Air, Beech, Cessna, Great Lakes, Fleet, Kinner, Davis, Fairchild, Standard, Curtiss, Pitcairn, Piper, Taylor, Har­low, Spartan, Howard, Bucker, Meyers, Aeronca, and even Ford.

The event was the 12th annual West Coast Antique Aircraft Fly-In and Air Show held at Watsonville, ' California over the Memorial Day weekend, May 28, 29 and 30.

Each year the fly-in is co-sponsored by the Northern California Chapter of the Antique Airplane Association and the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce.

The pilots these planes brought to the fly-in unanimously agreed this year's meet was " the best yet." They came from all over California and from Oregon, Washington , Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and even one from Minnesota.

There were many full-fledged antique airplane buffs among the 30,000 visitors to the show. But most of them came to see the airshows put on each day.

Highlighting the aerobatic routines were veteran performers such as San Francisco's Don Carter flying an au­thentic Bucker Jungmeister, Jim Mandley in a homebuilt Steen Skybolt, Eddie Andreini in a stock Stearman, and Amelia Reid in a Bellanca Decath­lon.

Grand champion award went to Jim Nissen for his 1918 Curtiss IN-4 "Jenny". Nissen, from Livermore, CA, retired from his position as airport manager at San Jose Municipal Airport last August and has spent the time since th en res toring the Jenny. He purchased it in 1958 after a friend found it in a barn in Oregon and told him about it.

7

Virgil Adair Congratulates Jim Nissen (on left).

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Nissen has restored the Jenny to its original configuration as a trainer used by the Army Air Services at Love Field in Dallas, TX. It is painted an ochre color and has a brightly polished brass radiator for its OX-5 e ngine: The stru ts and other woodwork is finished natural and highly va rnished . The fuselage wood was in such good condition that Nissen was able to use about 90 percent of it in his restoration.

Mayor's Trophy winner, a 1929 New Standard NT-I, Navy trainer, (D-29A civilian) is owned by George Dray of Concord, CA. This New Standard is one of six built for the Navy and is believed

to be the only one of its kind flying today.

Best Homebuilt Award in the show went to a Bede BD-4 owned by Don Phillips of San Jose, CA .

76-year-old Virgil Adair flew his Ranger-powered Ryan PT-22 from Lewiston, Idaho, and took the award for the oldest pilot. Adair's original pilot's license was signed by Orville Wright.

Robin Reid, 17, of San Jose, took honors as the youngest licensed pilot .

The varied activities for participants included an Oktoberfes t party Satur­day night, a lumberjack breakfast Sun­

day morning, and the Awards Dinner Sunday night.

Of the 428 display aircraft, 86 were antiques, 74 warbirds, 160 neo-c1assic, and 105 homebuilts . In addition about 500 modern aircraft brought flying spectators to the event.

Co-chairmen for this year's fly-in were Bob DeVries for the Antiquers and John Payne for the Watsonville Chamber of Commerce.

In the flying contests, Russ Weil of Sunnyvale, CA, pulled his J-3 Cub into the air after a run of 150 feet to take first place in the short field takeoff con­test for planes under 100 horsepower.

Watsonville Grand Champion Jim Nissen 's 1918 Jenny

In the over 100-horsepower category, Richard Collins of Portola Valley, CA, coaxed his Swift off in 250 feet.

Rate of climb under 100-horsepower winner was Phil Garris of Reno, NV, in a Piper L-4 climbing to 200 feet in 19 seconds. Over 100-horsepower award went to Orrin Anderson, River­side, CA, in a Cessna 170, also 19 seconds.

The Antiquers plan to use their share of the proceeds toward establishment of a museum to display these rare birds and other aviation history memorabilia.

8

...

Vintage~~l" ~ ' ... 'I . '", Men and Their .,... . ~ ,. . ':%~ . ~ ~.,.,.~ .,.J'~ , ":'-........~...... ,:', . . .r .......'~-~~.

1929 Travel Air NC 8719 1941 Vultee BT 13A N55642 -Owner: Max Robertson , Vancouver, WA Owner: Gary Giannandrea, Areada, CA

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Travel Air 2000 NC 6130 1936 Stinson SR8B Ole Fahlin says, " This prop has got to go ". Jim Nissen receives the Grand Champion award Owner: Gregg Caldwell , Vancouver, WA Owner: Ernie Fillmore, Los Gatos, CA for his Curtiss IN-4 Jenny from fly-in queen

Amelia Reid. , 1931 Travel Air 12K Ford Tri-Motor 1930 Stearman N788H - Owner: Ray Gail Turner added a touch of glamour to he Owner: Paul Lawrence, Battle Ground, WA Owner: Irv. Perch, Morgan Hills, CA Stephen & Gabby Hansen, Santa Clara , CA homebuilt Fly Baby. Gail took first place hor.

ors in the rate of climb contest for homebuilt~

WA T S ( If you want to meet a group of congE just must attend one of the WatsonvillE 28th - 31 st, and came away impressed all, the comaraderie of the people, fror who come out by the thousands to ae cluded Fly-Bys , Contests, Aerobatic S The grand finale was a beautifully organ

1934 Krider Risner 831 N 1929 Davis V3 # 848H - Owner: Clyde Gail McCullough has worn out 5 engines we 're coming back, Owner: John Reid, San Jose, CA Bourgeois, Santa Barbara, CA for a total of 5800 hours on her Cessna 190.

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.-v~ ~-:: ~~ ~,~......-v~ 1929 Pitcairn Mail Wing - Owner: Don Fairchild 24 N81386~. ~~-~ Clause, Astoria , OR, passenger brother Owner: Claude Gray, Northridge, CA Terry.

Winner of a Special Award for Golden Age First place winner in the Classic age open 1929 New Standard # 155M 1929 Student Prince N10471 through Neo-classic was this Harlow PJ2C monoplane category was this Fairchild 22 Owner: Geo. Dray, Concord, CA Owner: James Turrell , Sedona , AZ owned by Mel Heflinger of Redondo Beach, CA. I owned by Kal Irwin of Pasadena , CA.

Vew Standard D-25A , 5-place open cockpit ' Second place winner in the Golden Ag~ John Reid, who was the official announcer Ruth Spencer's " Baby Stearman " _ )wned by Irv Perch of Morgan Hill, CA. " The open biplane category was this Fleet 7 and did an admirable job. parked beside hubby's big job.=Iying Lady", is for Irv 's wife Jan who is the owned by R. Von Willer of Spring Valley,

"""Qlying member of the family . CA.

~VILLE

hard working flying enthusiasts - you ifornia Fly-Ins. We did just that on May the airplanes ,the weather, and most of participants to the enthusiastic public the beautiful airplanes. The activity in­

, and even a " lumberjack " breakfast. \wards Banquet. Keep the sun shining - 1935 Fairchild C8C won a special award 1926 Travel Air J4 NC3945 - Owners : Ray Driggs Skylark NC64K

for the Golden through Neo-classic ages . & Larry Stephen , San Jose , CA Owner: Don Burkhart, Orangevale, CA (Lois Kelch , Asst. Editor) It is owned by D. Cullum and George

Pearson of Vallejo, CA.

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The Gates Flying Circus had five air­craft carrying passengers at Pough­kepsie Airport. The airport was nothing but a cow pasture with a stone fence at one end and some trees to the right of us. Saturday was a very successful day - all five aircraft were busy all after­noon. They carried something like 200 passengers. We stopped our operations just before dark and checked in one of the best hotels in Poughkepsie. We were all tired and dirty, but quite rich. All of the pilots opera ted on a 20% basis and we were making anywhere between $75.00 to $100.00 a day. The following day, Sunday, we all got out to the airport about 9:00. Our standard procedure was go up and do a little stunting and looping on the ou tskirts of the city every morning. (I had forgotten that after the previous day - all the step ladders and stunt paraphernalia was stored in my ship.) 1 took off with my parachute jumper in the front sea t and climbed up to 3000 ft. and commenced looping.

We of the Gates Flying Circus were using Hisso Standards modified to take 4 passengers in the front cockpi t. All Standards were powered by 150 to 180 engines. While looping 1 had ap­parently drifted over the cen ter of the city. On one of my final loops I hung the airplane in an upside down position and stalled it. Things began to fall out of the cockpit including my parachute jumper, who desperately hung onto a couple of struts. 1 saw bundles of tools, our step ladder and other things leaving the cockpit. After the flight was over, I landed and pro­ceeded carrying passengers as though nothing happened. A couple of hours later, a couple of men appeared on the field carrying a bundle under their arms. They asked to see the manager of the Flying Circus - he was Clyde

LEFT: Joseph R. James and Marion Wells - Gates Flying Circus at Green­field, Mass. 1927.

Pangborn' our Chief Pilot. The men in­quired if the bundle belonged to one of us pilots. Clyde Pangborn acknowledged that this was our folding step ladder used for stunt flying. Pangborn ap­proached me and asked if 1 had these things in my ship. 1 admitted seeing things fall out of my plane while in a loop in an inverted position. The two men informed us that this particular package crashed through the Orpheum Theatre ceiling and landed about 20 feet from the orchestra. The Orchestra was rehearsing and were astounded by the crash and all the glass falling on top of them. They threatened to sue the Circus but Pang somehow reimbursed them and sent them back to town. 1 was fined $25.00 for this in­cident bu t on this same night, I recovered more than the $25.00 in a poker game. This was not a very happy incident for me.

After a weekend at Troy, New York we proceeded with seven ships to Pitts­field, Mass. The whole town was plas­tered with great big placards "Gates Flying Circus - the World's Best Pilots" . Our advance man had made a deal with the local newspaper - he was to pro­vide us with about 50 papers that we were to drop off close to the field. Who­ever picked up a paper with a lucky tick­et in it went for a free ride in one of our ships.

We started flying early in the morning about 9:00. The more we flew, the more passengers came ou t, to line up for rides. Mac McKay was flying a Curtis R, a three cockpit job powered by 450 hp 12 cylinder Liberty engine. We were using straigh t commercial gas as supplied by Texaco Company. Mac's Curtis R was bouncing over the bumps for take-off and belching black smoke out of both sides. Mac was leaning out one side to see where he was going and getting his face full of the black soot. That day Mac said "the blacker I am the richer I am" which was very true.

We kept flying without hardly a stop - the more passengers we carried, the

Lee Mason - With Gates Flying Circus 1927

more came. $3.00 and $5.00 passengers were shoved into the same airpla ne and had the same kind of ride. The aver­age ride was about a minute and a half long. At 3:00 in the afternoon, five planes were down with some trouble or other. There were only 2 ships left. At 8:30 p.m. it was getting dark - we quit fly­ing and there were still a number of passengers in the corral. The boss said Joe why don't you take one more load?

Reluctantly I took off with 4 people. On the way back 1 could hardly see the field. I took my glasses off and unfor­tunately a bumble bee hit me in one eye. 1 made a blind landing from about 50', overshot the field and knocked off a couple of headlights of a nearby car with my wing tip. It was a rather sad ending to my record passenger carrying day. I broke the record for the year - carried $700 .00 worth of passengers in one ship in one day. On the other hand, the next day 1 spen t repairing my wing tip, wondering if I cou ld catch up wi th the rest of the circus.

This is another incident of the Gates Flying Circus the same au tumn of 1927. The Gates Flying Circus had four aircraft a t Troy, New York airport. It was a successfu l 3 day stand. We carried something like 500 passengers the 3 days. Monday morning we were getting ready to leave for Pittsfield, Mass. Things were kind of dull.

A pilot, who I was instrumental in getting to join Gates Flying Circus by the name of Ray Ahern, approached me and made a deal. He said "Joe, you see that little flag on top of the tent where all our supplies are stored and where our manager, was still asleep." 1 said "Yes 1 see the flag" . He said ''I'll bet you $25.00 that you can't knock that flag down in two at tempts". I said ­"You're on" . I took off and circled the airport and dove for the flag, attempt­ing to knock it off with the landing gear. My first pass was unsuccessful and I made a second attempt, which was also unsuccessful. The third pass 1 really had to do it. 1 took half of the mast and

12

Johnnie Runger, Parachute Jumper GATES FLYING CIRCUS, 1927

the flag leaving only a shred sticking out on top of the tent. Ahern, in the mean­time made another proposition . "Joe, I'll bet you $25.00 I can knock the res t of that flag in three attempts". Naturally , I agreed. Ahern , in his second attempt knocked down the balance of the fla g . In the meantime, with all this noise going on, we woke up the ma nager, who rushed out of the tent and was shaking his fi st up at the sky while we were diving at his tent.

Here is another incident with Gates Flying Circus in September 1927. Five of our ships descended on Ithica, New York . Our fi eld was a narrow s trip be­tween tall trees on both sides and on o ne end was one of the Finger Lakes.

As ususal we had the field covered with paying passengers, who were waiting to get a chance to get in the air. Our normal load was four passengers in front ju st behind the 150 Hispana engine J1 s tandard. I complained to Clyde that my ship was somewhat

out of rig and I couldn't make the turn to the left as was our pattern. He sa id Joe, go ahead and take only two passengers a nd see if you ca n make it. I agreed to that.

I took off with two passengers, climbed up to about 500 ft., started my turn and found out the left wing was s till real heavy , a nd I had to use all opposite rudder in ord er to keep it from turning to the left. I was skidding all over the place and was losing altitude. I realized I couldn't make th e fi eld a nd I had to come down at right a ngles to the strip. I picked two of the bushiest trees a nd pu t the nose of the Standard right in between th em. All four wings crumpled and we were suspended abou t 20' in the air. I climbed out of the fuselage and helped the passengers down out of the trees. I re turned the tickets to the two gen tl emen a nd told them to go a head and take their ride with one of the other planes. They agreed.

I told the passengers that one of my wings was too heavy and I los t control of the ship. The next morning the newspapers in Ithica had a headline "Two engineers escape dea th in a disabled airplane". The reporter mis­interrupted my statement on th e fi eld and said the pilot admitted that he flew off the wing (?) The passengers happened to be two eng ineering pro­fessor s at Cornell College.

It was miraculou s that the fu selage didn ' t have a crack and new wings were shipped in from H ackensack . The fuse­lage was hauled down , the new se t of wings a~tached and new propeller ins talled and the aircraft continued to barnstorm its way down to Florida.

This incident finished me w ith Gates Flying Circus. The crates were ge tting o ut of rig and were showing signs of lack of maintenance. I collected what was coming m e from Irwin Gates and re turned to Hackensack, NJ . It was amazing that in this incident neither the passengers or myself even got a scratch. I told my passengers how safe it was to crash an airplane between the trees.

TREASURE HUNT

Many old timers like Joseph R. James have interesting' ma­terial hid away in dresser drawers. It is fun finding it and bringing it back to life. HAVE AT IT.

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;.:;:.

MENEFEE

The article on the following page is printed as a posthumous tribute to Bill Menefee, who was killed, along with the owners of a four place airplane that crashed July 24, 1976 at Fredricksburg, VA. This article had been written .and submitted prior to the accident. Bill

. Menefee was a pilot for United Airlines :-:.: and he was active in the " Potomac An­

tique Aero Squadron", EAA and AAA. His many friends will miss him as will

:: :: the numbers that saw him fly at the FL YING CIRCUS AERODROME at Beal­ton, Virginia. Bill was an accomplished pilot and a dedicated antiquer.

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(Photo by.Lou Davis) KCA Balloon Festival. Bill Menefee 's WW I Replica Sopwith Pup in fore­ground.

This Sopwith Pup, a replica of Britian's World War I fi ghter was built by Bill Petrone, a professor at

th e Uni versity of Iowa. It took nea rly seven (7) years to comple te and was built from origi nal Sopwith plans. The Pup looks every bit the original , the only exception being tha t it does not carry an actual factory se rial number.

The p roto type Sopwith Pup appea red in France in May of 1916 with the Royal Naval Air Service and shortly thereafter, with the Royal Flying Corps . It was intended to be a high altitude fighter and was more tha n a match against the German Albatross Vll1 at 16,000 ft. The aircra ft remained in service thru the summer and a utumn of 1917. The Sopw ith was also the pioneer aircraft to be based on a n aircraft ca rrier .

By E. A. " Rick" Rokicki 365 Mae Rd .

G le n Burnie, MD 21061 1820 EAA Antique/Classic Division

In this case, the w heels were removed and skids were installed. La ter, the Pup went back to England where it was used success full y as a defense against the giant Go tha bombers . The Zepplin too was a favorite targe t of the Sopwith Pup . There's no denying it was a grea t ai rplane in its day.

Bill Menefee, a United Airlines Ca ptain (DC-8) , bought the Pup immedia tely a fter completion in Octo­be r of 1973. It was purchased prima ril y beca use of hi s involve ment in the FLYING CIRCUS activity a t Beal­ton , Virginia . The original a ircraft was built with either the 80 hp Clerge t or the 80 hp Gnome. Later models had the 100 hp G nome . Bill 's Pup has a more

modern engine, that is, if you can call a 40 yea r old engi ne " modern". The 125 hp Warner radial that powers the Sopwith remains the favorite of WWI builders beca use of its smaller diameter and relatively low weight. The torque values o f the original rotary engines and that of the Warner are quite comparable. Futher, the gross weight of the replica Pup is within 100 lbs. of the original. Additional devia tions from the original were m ade as a result o f fli ght tes ting. The rudder bar, tail skid and lack of brakes, necessita ted some changes . The rudder bar was replaced by the m ore s ta ndard pedals. The tail skid had to go for ob­vious reasons and was replaced by a small tail wheel. The addition of cable opera ted brakes was the las t big change.

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(Photo by Lou Davis)

Bill Menefee doing his thing for the FL YING CIRCUS at Bealton, Virginia , in his world War I Fighter (Sopwith Pup) .

Taxi tes ts s tarted out as fa s t taxi, then ta il lift then off the deck for a few feet and back again . The maiden flight was attempted after the 4th such tes t. According to Bill, the Pup leaped into the air with less than a 200' run in very light wind. It felt a littl e ta il heavy a nd needed right rudder correction th rough out the fli ght to compensa te for ail eron drag. Eleva tor pressures seemed light in comparison to ail eron feel. Further testing showed the aircra ft to be qui te maneuvre­able and it side-slips beau tifully. Bill Menefee says the slip is a very necessa ry thing in the Pup, since the aircraft is quite blind in a head on approach . The rudder is effective to the degree that proper aileron input is extremely important, o th erwise the machine simply will not turn. Wha t happens in such an uncoordinated turn is that the wing will drop in the direc tio n o f the turn but the nose will yaw in th e other direction. The

Pup will jus t hang there a nd se t up a shudder. The first landing was a bit o f an ex perie nce since the close - coupled desig n makes it a prime ca ndidate for ground loops. However, a grassy touch down and about 150' la ter it ca me to a s to p . Preparatio ns for the fli ght ho me were s tarted immedia tely.

Be fore se tting out from Ames, Iowa, Bill worked out a bungee cord arrangement on the control s tick to compensa te for th e slight ta il-h eav in ess and right rudder correction . It has been so success ful tha t it rema ins in use without cha nge. The fli ght from Ames to Bea lton included five (5) s tops a nd a to tal o f 12 flying hours . The ai rspeed indica tor was suspected of reading low since the aircraft would "slow fly" a t 38 to 40 mph before it wo uld stall out. The second day out of Columbus, Ohio, whil e o n a course for Fa irmount, Bill smelled gasoline. A considerable loss

sh owed on the quantity ga"tlge, a nd while th e replica Pup had a 30 ga ll on ta nk (the original had o nly 20), it was obv ious he woul d have to se t it dow n before lo ng. Cla rksburg, Wes t Virgin ia was the place, he decided since there were maintenance facilities there. He climbed to 6,000' a nd bega n a slow spiral down . The new tower was not yet ac ti va ted, but someone saw h im a nd gave him a green light to la nd. Winds were 25 to 30 mph with g us ts . Remembering tha t the brakes were no t the best even under ideal conditions, Bill decided to line up on th e ru nway and take a ligh t crosswind. Jus t a fter touch-down, a severe gust tossed the Sopwith Pup back into the sky like a lea f. Power o n for a go-around ... a quick look at the fu el qua ntity showed the tank to be empty. On the d ownwind leg, he decided to land o n a grassy area between the runway and taxi s trip . The landing roll was less than 40 feet. It didn't take long to rapidly reach the conclusion that crosswind landings with this machine would lead to the inevitable ground loop.

Inspection of the gas tank showed that the tin had a seam crack and it didn ' t take much to solder it up and get back into the air. H elped along by a good tail wind , he made the FLYING CIRCUS AERODROME in just under two (2) hours .

Some interesting notes on the Pup . It cruises easily at 80 mph . At an indica ted airspeed of 125 mph, one of the wires s tarts to "sing". When thi s happens, he will back off on the throttle and set up his air­speed just under the audible wa rning. Bill intends to keep it that way . When first fe eling out the aeroba tic ability o f the airplane, he found out that it did not slow-roll well at all. Aileron drag slows up the Pup when inverted and it becomes necessary to get the nose down quickly to get enough a irspeed to complete the roll-out. There is no inverted fu el or oil system ins ta lled and the engine will cut out if left upside down too long. In addition to that, the a irfoil is not at a ll suited to that kind o f fl ying . It rolls to the le ft beautifully, but not too well to th e right, althoug h it is accompli shed as part of the aerial pattern he does . A short loo p a nd Cuba n 8's are a pa rt of the routine. On landing, th e Pup feels fairly s table th rougho ut th e fla re and w ill set up a li ght shudder just be fore the three-po int s tall. To quo te Bill Menefee "a t that time, if the ground is in the right place, you ' ll have a pretty decent la nding ."

At thi s w riting, th ere are six (6) known Sop with Pups in fl ying condition . One is in Ca nada, a no ther in Rh einbeck, NY and another on th e west coas t. These are repli cas just as N4781 T. The remaining two are in th e Shuttleworth Coll ectio n in England and are the only remaining originals.

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BOBBI TROUT

One of the Southern California Ninety-Nines charter members who helped call attention to women in flying circles was Bobbi Trout who took the lead in promoting the Golden Eagle aircraft by chalking up a number of impressive record flights. She learned to fly in early 1928 and then became a factory demonstrator pilot for Golden Eagle. She acquired Transport license 2613, the fifth woman in the USA to do so, and was probably the Country's first woman test pilot.

Miss Trou t flew one of the early Golden Eagles at the dedication of the Los Angeles Metropolian Airport at Van Nuys, December 16, 1928. While the endurance flight of the Army Air Corps' Fokker "Question Mark" was underway, Bobbi tookoff for her first non-refueling endurance attempt from Van Nuys Airport. Using a LeBlond 60 hp Golden Eagle, she remained aloft 12 hrs. 11 min., Jan. 2, 1929. Using the same plane and flying from Mines Field (now Los Angeles International), she boosted the women's non-refueling rec­ord even higher Feb. 10-11 with a flight of 17 hrs. 5 min. While setting this rec­ord she made the first all-night solo flight by an aviatrix.

1929 continued to be a stellar year for Bobbi Trout. She flew a 90 hp Golden Eagle to 15,200', a new women's altitude record for that particular category. In latter summer she entered the Golden Eagle, 90 hp Kinner, R223M, in the First Women's Air Derby from Santa Monica

to Cleveland, Aug. 18-26. Although a forced landing near Yuma put her out of the competition, she managed to fly the course and finish at Cleveland a few hours after the winning contes~ tants.

Later in the year, with Elinor Smith (License 3178), Bobbi established the first in-air refueling endurance record for women. Together they logged 42 hrs. 5 min., using a Commercial Sunbeam aircraft powered with a Whirlwind 300, over Los Angeles, November 27-29. The refueling ship engine gave out, forcing the fliers to land.

This record was upped considerably by Bobbi and Edna May Cooper (Li­cense 13310), Jan. 4-9, 1931. Flying a Challenger Curtiss Robin, "Lady Rolph", NR749M, they remained airborne 122 hrs. 50 min., again over Los Angeles. The flight ended after the engine went bad.

There were plans afoot for Bobbi to attempt a Trans-Pacific flight from Hawaii to the Mainland the summer of '31 in a Lockheed Sirius, however the flight did not materialize for lack of backing. However, she sub­sequently piloted one of the three Women's Air Reserve Stearmans on a trans-continental junket, along with Pancho Barnes and Mary Charles. She participated in local air shows with Gladys O'Donnell, Margaret Perry Cooper, Clema Granger, Aline Miller and Yolanda Spirito, among others.

Bobbi Trout has always had the ingenu­ity to meet her goals, working hard for her accomplishments. To supplement her earnings in the early days, she owned and operated a service station. Prior to WWII she hit upon the idea of salvaging the discarded rivets from the various aircraft manufacturers, sorting and readying them for use again.

Currently and since 1960, she has been in real estate in the California desert at Palm Springs. She still finds time to do some inventing, prospecting, cycling, hiking and touring in her beautiful mo­bile home - and occasionally she will reflect fondly on the flying years.

Suited up for high altitude flight, Bobbi poses with one of the Golden Eagles.

Elinor Smith and Bobbi Trout with the Commercial Sunbeam in which they set the first women's in-air refueling record - November, 1929.

16

WHISTLING IN THE RIGGING By

Tom Poberezny

The 1976 EAA Convention is now his tory. This year's event was the mos t successful one yet for many reasons:

Attendance was the larges t in the 24 year hi s tory of the EAA Convention. Volunteers turned out in record numbers to assist with th e numerous tas ks associated with the operation of the world's larges t aviation event. The quality of res toration and constructio n again improved.

I could list numerous other factors, but the point is that by far the majority of those attending and par­ticipating ca me away happy and proud of their organi­zation.

I want to take this opportunity to commend every Officer, Chairman and Volunteer and anyone else associated with· the AntiquelClassic Division opera tion of the 1976 EAA Convention. The orga ni za tion and dedica tion of all who worked so hard was reflected in the smooth operation of your ac tiviti es throug h­ou t the week.

The size a nd scope o f th e EAA Convention con­tinues to grow by lea ps a nd bounds. With thi s growth comes the associated problems encountered in the handling of traffic, parking aircraft, security, judging, etc. Having worked with your officers, directors and

chairmen throughout the past yea r, I ca n attest to the hard work a nd dedica tio n they put forth. The Board of Directors of the Experimental Aircraft Associa tion expressed praise th roug hout th e Convention for the opera tion of the AntiquelClassic activities.

One of the highlights o f the 1976 Convention was the " History of Flight". Where else could an aviation e nthu sias t go a nd see so many examples of the ai r­craft that have shaped our av iation he ritage. Beca use of uncooperative weather conditions, the 1908 June Bug was unable to par ticipa te in this progra m. But those who were able to s tay through Sa turday were able to see thi s ra re bird ta ke to the air that evening.

This yea r a grea t d eal of work went into s trea m­lining and improving the overall awa rds program for the Convention. The judging methods in each cate­gory (custom, antique, classic and warbird) under­we nt grea t change, trying to bring in as much objectivity as possible. The awards progra m puts one "between a rock and a hard place". Th ere are so many o uts tanding aircraft and individuals, that there are not enough awards for all who deserve them . To eliminate the awards p rogram would be wrong. To ex pand it wou ld dilute its quality. Much was lea rned a nd I am sure tha t nex t year's system and criteria will be much im­proved aga in .

A special word o f recognition should go to Director Al Kelch for the work he did in developing and build­ing thi s year 's awa rds. The top trophies presented fea tured a beautiful bust of Charles Lindbergh. Many of the plaqu es had a re lief of Speed Holman, complete with helmet and gogg les . The purpose of these new awards is to recogni ze EAA'ers wi th a troph y that ca n o nly be earned at your na ti onal conven ti on . It cannot be purchased anywhere. It is something that all will be proud to di splay in their homes and carry great meaning.

It was my pleasure to talk with many na tional, state and loca l gove rnment o fficial s, congressme n, and media personn el. Many had a ttended be fore ... for others, it was their firs t vis it. It was interesting to lis ten to th eir reactions and see how they marveled a t the Convention's size, scope and high standards o f conduct a nd clea nliness.

As I told each one of them , the aircraft on display may be the s tars o f the show, but the real s tory is the people . When you look at th e enthusia sm and hard work that went in to making a n event as la rge as your Convention so success ful and consider tha t the ma­jority o f th e work is do ne by volunteers, it makes th e EAA story that much more amazi ng.

I know that th e vast majority o f the peo ple attend­ing Oshkosh 76 thoroughly enjoyed themselves. For the few that may have felt tha t they were not trea ted properly, please unders tand that your fellow members spent 12 to 14 hours per da y (using their vacations) to make thi s event possible. Everyone is doing the best humanl y possible. Unfortunately, those who should be reading thi s never will beca use they are not members.

EDITOR'S NOTE

Due to the heavy load on everyone at Con­vention time, this month 's issue and probably the next, will be slightly late. Bear with us and we will get back on schedule soon.

The November issue will be dedicated to Oshkosh and the Greater 1976 EAA Convention. I invite anyone having interesting pictures and stories to contribute - DO SO IMMEDIATELY!

I cannot promise that all will appear in print, those that have interesting copy and repro­ducible photographs will be given all considera­I invite anyone having interesting pictures and tion. It is your magazine and I will continue to make it reflect the likes of the membership. It is up to you to keep me informed of those likes. Stories about adventures going and coming from the Convention, camp ground activities, interesting anecdotes that took place at the Con­vention , and things with just plain old human interest. Remember that the magazine is not a classified column , and stick to things that con­tribute to the pleasure of the membership .

Let's have fun in our unique hobby and not take even ourselves too seriously.

The Convention was a smashing success ­THANKS TO ALL OUR MEMBERS, and par­ticularly those who worked for the enjoyment of THE TOTAL MEMBERSHIP.

17

NATIONAL ERCOUPE Fly-In

Tahlequah, Oklahoma May 29,30,31, 1976

By Kelly Viets R.R. 1

Stillwell, KA

Yes , they are a special breed . These people who love and fly the little two place, twin tailed beauty. These are the solid citizens of sport aviation who love fl ying for fl ying' s sake . No aeroba tics needed to show off what heros they are. Therefore they fly the safes t o f aircraft . The plane tha t made his tory as the leade r of the modern , advanced planes , the tri-cycled gear Ercoupe.

This was the second annual Fly-In headed up by Dub Hall o f Tulsa, Oklahoma. He, with Alverna Williams of G rand Prairie, Texas as Co-Chairman, and their numerous helpers who wrote hundreds of le tters to all Ercoupe owners, backed by Skip Carden and Coupe Capers did a fantas tic job . Edna and myself and the International Ercoupe Association helping them fro m the s ide lines.

By Fly-In time they had 240 pre-regis tered planes . If the weather East of the Mississ ippi had cooperated the 240 numbe r surely would have been reached and passed . With thunder storms predicted and in action, with tornados in Oklahoma and rains tha t turned into floods in Tulsa, jus t 50 miles away, there were s till 140 planes tha t mad e it .

Forty-two States were represented . Keith Whiting fle w in fro m as far away as Alaska , 35 fl ying hours. LaRoy Wright a nd his w ife Eileen arrived from Oregon, six planes fl ew in from California. There were three Ercoupes that came in from Florida . One couple from

Calendar

of Events

The California group - front row: Dave Kenney, Wayne Olson , Joe Figueras and Jack Owens.

this group was Mr. & Mrs. Fred E. Weick, the designer of the Ercoupe. The plane they used was a borrowed 1946 415C Ercoupe and I might add that although he is 77 he s till handles the airplane beauti fully (j ust as tho' he made iL)

Even though the wea ther was bad or threa tening all th e time we were there; the usual Fly- In contes ts were held . Many trophies and prizes were given but mostly there were friendships made or re newed and lots of looking and hangar fl ying.

With the assembly of all these Ercou pes, one was able to see them from the meticulously ma intained factory original to the excellent modified versions. Row after row were lined up - each an example showing to all w ha t pride of ownershi p ca n mea n .

Frankly, we beli eve this is the way to achieve the much search ed for, but never achieved goal o f safety in flying. No Government regulations, no doctrines or threa ts can achieve one- tenth th e excellance jus t a small amoun t o f pride can . THAT is wha t we saw there - pride of ownership. It is a shame tha t more peo ple could no t have seen this event. You would have heard the words of pra ise and admiration that the Ercoupe owners continually hear fro m the public.

Everyone w ho was there thi s yea r plus all the others who couldn ' t make it are already making plans to be able to attend next year. Look for a continued interes t and grow th of thi s Fly- In n ext yea r.

AUGUST 29 - SEPTEMBER 6 - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - 6th Annual Invitational AAA-APM Fly- In.

AUGUST 30 - SEPTEMBER 3 - FOND DU LAC. WISCONSIN - 11th Annual EAA-IAC International Aerobatic Championships. Spon ­sored by International Aerobatic Club.

SEPTEMBER 10-12 - GALESBURG, ILLI NOIS - 5th Na tiona l Stea r­man Fly- In . Contact Jim Leahy, 445 N. Whitesboro, Galesburg, IL 61401, or Tom Lowe, 823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake, IL 60014.

Rows and Rows of Ercoupes.

Dr. Joe McCawley and Sharon talk­ing with Fred Weick, flew wing together from Florida .

SEPTEMBER 17-19 - GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA - Second Annual Spirit of '76 Fly- In at Georgetown County Airport, South Carolina . Sponsored by Chapter 543 Antique/Classics, Warbirds and Homebuil ts. For info rmation contact Herb Bailey, P. O. Box 619, Georgetown, SC 29440. (803) 546-2525 days, (803) 546-3357 nights and weekends .

WANTED - Stinson Relia nt SR 5 or SR (straight wing). Will pay good money for a rebuildable wi th all part present. Tom Rench, 1601 Circlewood, Racine, WI.

18