Vintage Airplane - Aug 1991

8/12/2019 Vintage Airplane - Aug 1991

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PUBLISHERTom PobereznyVICE-PRESIDENT

PUBLICATION STAFF

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONSDick MaltEDITOR

Henry G. FrautschyMANAGING EDITORGolda Cox

ARTDIRECTORMike DrucksADVERTISINGMary Jones

ASSOCIATE EDITORSNorman Petersen Dick CavinFEATUREWRITERSGeorge A Hardie, Jr. Dennis Parks

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTIsabelle WiskeSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHERSJim Koepnlck Carl SchuppelMike Ste ineke

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION, INC.OFFICERSPresident Vice-PresidentEsp ie "Butch" Joyce Ar!hur R. Morgan604 Highway St. 3744 North 51st Blvd.Madison. NC 27025 Milwaukee, WI 53216919/427 0216 414/442-3631

Secretary TreasurerSteven C. Nesse E.E. " Buck" Hllber!2009 Highland Ave . P.O. Box 424Albert Lea, MN 56007 Union, IL 60180507/373-1674 815/923-4591DIRECTORSJohn Berendt Rober! C. "Bob" Brauer7645 Echo Point Rd . 9345 S. HoyneCannon Falls, MN 55009 Chicago, IL 60620507/263-2414 312/779-2105

Gene Chase John S. Copeland2159 Carlton Rd . 9 Joanne DriveOshkosh, WI 54904 Westborough, MA 01581414/231 -5002 508/366-7245Philip Coulson George Daubner28415 Springbrook Dr . 2448 Lough LaneLawton, MI 49065 Hartford, WI 53027616/624-6490 414/673-5885Charles Harris stan Gomoll3933 South Peoria 1042 90th Lane, NEP.O. Box 904038 Minneapolis, MN 55434Tulsa , OK 74105 612/784-1172918/742-7311

Dale A. Gustafson Jeannie Hill772 4 Shady Hill Drive P.O. Box 328Indianapolis, IN 46278 Harvard, IL 60033317/293-4430 815/943-7205Rober!lickteig Rober! D. "Bob" Lumley1708 Bay Oaks Drive 1265 South 124th St.Albert Lea , MN 56007 Brookfield , WI 53005507/373-2922 414/782-2633

August 1991 Vol. 19 , No 8Copyright 1991 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division. Inc. All rights reserved .

Contents2 Straight & Levelby Espie "Butch" Joyce4 Aeromail5 A/C News/compiled by H.G. Frautschy6 Good Old Days/by H.G. Frautschy7 Vintage Literature/by Dennis Parks

11 NC-4/by Ed Williams13 Ed Looker's Photo Album/by Norm Petersen16 Barnstorming With The Stinson

Trimotor/by Dick HillPage 1320 Charles and Brian Taylor 's Ercoupeby H.G. Frautschy

25 Pass I t To Buck/by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert26 Antique/Classic Book Reviewby Jim Haynes28 Calendar30 Vintage Trader33 Mystery Plane/by George Hardie Page 20

FRONT COVER, , . Cruisin' along in their 1946 415C Ercoupe,Charles and Brian Taylor enjoy the post-war ve rsion of opencockpit flying du ring Sun ' n Fun '91. Pho to by Jim Koepnick, shotwith Canon EOS- 1 with 80-200 lens, 1/25Oth sec, at F8 usingKodachrome 64, Photo plane flown by Bruce Moore,


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M AIL

EARLY STALL?NO, EARL STAHL!Dear Mr. Frautschy,VINTAGE AIRPLANE is improving! For example, I liked the mix ofarticles in the February 1991 issue.Keep reminding us, with good text andphotos, of events such as the Pulitzerraces. Also, us old-time modelers loveto see three-views like those accompanying the Lincoln PT-K feature.Might I suggest you request yourLibrary/Archives Director put togethera review of the planes entered in theGuggenheim Safe Airplane Contest ofthe late 20 s or possibly early 30 s?

BOYHOOD MYSTERY PLANEDear Editor,For months, yea, even years, I vebeen meaning to write about an aircraftI saw in the 1930's. The "MysteryPlane" shown in the May, '91 issue ofVINTAGE AIRPLANE finally triggered this letter.The "Mystery Plane" appears to be atricycle gear canard. First, I do notknow anything about the aircraft pictured, but it is similar to the one frommy childhood.I grew up on a farm in Clark, N.J. andour property adjoined a typical 192030 s airport with hangar facilities - two

Finally, you and your staff deservethis member s appreciation for an excellent magazine. VINTAGE AIRPLANEis well written, not only by the staff, butcontributors too. Interesting, informative,timely and more; and all those folks responsible should be congratulated.

EAA members have come to expectexcellence from their organizationand we get it Thank you,Sincerely,Nelson Lawrence, N. Brunswick, NJA/C 12626

You hit it right on the head, NelsonNot only is it the staff that supports mein this effort, but the unselfish efforts of


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by H.G. Frautschy

One of the great things about working here at EAA is theaccess I enjoy on a day to day basis to the EAA AviationFoundation Library. If you have something to research, feelfree to talk to Dennis Parks, EAA Library/Archives Director,or Susan Lurvey at 414/426-4800 during normal businesshours. You'll be amazed at the amount of material available.f you ever get a chance to visit, you won't be disappointed.While researching an article earlier this year, I ran across the

collection of aviation related catalogs kept n the library. Oldcatalogs are always interesting, for many times they willprovide clues as to how a particular item was made or used.Occasionally, you run across something that catches your eye.The "Specialty Catalog of Aeronautical Supplies" fromSupply Division, Inc. of Robertson, Missouri n 1940 contained a few such items, including this one, which I thoughtyou'd all get a kick out of:

INSPECTION PLATES SAVE YOUR TEMPERDOES YOUR C.A.A. INSPECTORCARRY A KNIFE?Save yourself time, a lot of grief, andmoney, by putting a set of these In-spection PIa t eson YOU R airplaneNOW. Simple: just dope on the py-ralin ring, and cut out inside. There s

your inspection hole. Big enough to stuff your fist into. Then slide onthe neat aluminum cover. t fits tightly, practically flush with the surfacebu t slides off as easily as it slides on.


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THE NATIONAL AIR RACESTHE GOLDEN AGE (Part 7)1935The 1935 National Air Races wereheld at Cleveland August 30 to September 2. The races continued the shortened four day format that began in1933. Few new aircraft appeared, norecords were broken and the most exciting racer was a four-seater . Eventhough the word flak did not yet appear in our vocabulary, the racesreceived a lot of it in the aviation press.

An example by J. B. Rathbun in theNovember 1935 issue of POPULARA VIATION, Well theypulled off another air raceat Cleveland for thebenefit of the aeronautical sciences and one thatwas not so hot, accordingto all accounts.There was a big hubbub and a lot of big noiseimmediately preceding theCleveland air races this yearand mighty was the talk aboutsuper-speeds and super-everything.But, so far as pure brute speed was concerned, it all dwindled down to practi

cally zero when the big airplanedevelopment boys got on the job.In fact, Mr. Rathbun suggested thatone should look elsewhere for advancesin aviation. Just a suggestion to ourracing scientists, I propose that theytake a few days off and look over a

by [ ennis V a r k s ~I Libr-arr/ Ar-chives[ ir ect{ r-

The crowds which paid admission tothe grandstand - some 200,000 total were larger than those at any previousmeet on record. More automobilesjammed the highways and parkingareas. More kibitzers sat on more rooftops to nullify the 4-mile-Iong canvasfence.The showmanship was excellent.Events moved with the precision andtiming of a musical movie extravaganza . No sooner was one event finishedthan the signal mortar boomed and thenext roared off from the end of the field .Jack Story and his staff kep their daylong chatter through the loudspeakers,spirited, often amusing. Ifhardboiled aeronautical visitors

grew bored over theirgroaning build-ups

Benny Howard's"Mr. Mulligan" in flight.(Radtke 611)of the stunting , the Clevelandhousewives loved it.

AI Williams' troupe of individualstunters were excellent, as they alwayshave been. Outside loops, passing thestands inverted a wing span above theground, upside landings, were a dime adozen . Gerd Achgelis, Milo Burcham

could have been more popular than theunprecedented sweep made by BennyHoward and Harold Neumann of theBendix, Thompson and GreveTrophies. Together they garnered$18,335 of prize money.

DEBITSThe 1935 National Air Races werethe biggest disappointment in the hi s-tory of American airplane competition.Promoters of the annual showsmake much of them as the IndianapolisSpeedway of the aeronautical industry,

comparing them to the annualautomobile races which have sometimes pioneered improvements inautomobile engine designs. The in ference is that the National Air Racesthemselves would furnish grueling testsand immediate publicity forthe successful.Yet not a single event of

this year's races produceda winning speed even asfast as last year's mark.And the Thompson Racewas won in the slowest timesince 1930. Eighteen planes figured inthe prize money of the closed-courseraces for men. At least 14 of them appeared in the 1934 races and a good halfdozen took part in 1933. Possibly someentrants had souped-up last year's engines, but their speeds didn ' t show it.Where are the new departures inplane design? In the country which ledthe world in mounting retracting land


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hours and 33 minutes) was slower thanTurner s time to Cleveland on histranscontinental record breaking lastyear. And it was well over the recordmark set in 1932. Howard did break newground for Bendix technique by goingover the top of the weather, crossing at20,000 feet. But Wiley Post in the agingWinnie Mae had gone 100 miles pastCleveland in one of his sub-stratosphereattempts, then turned back with a limping engine to land only eight hours andnine minutes out of Los Angeles."Had Turner not been forced outwhile leading the field by half-a-lapsome 20 miles from the finish, theThompson Trophy Race would havebeen disappointing enough, for hisaverage speed was under 240 mph.Howard's Mulligan is a splendid ship.Any cabin plane capable of 247.73 mphin a straight-away dash deserves all thetribute bestowed on this one. But 220mph for first in the Thompson RaceThe winning time in 1931 was 236 mphand it has never been below that since."Wright Field could have sent a halfdozen service types to top that.Caudron's racer with half the horsepower could beat it by 50 mph andsecond place went to a racing plane witha Curtiss D-12 in it Even the Severskyamphibian, floats and all, which hadentered merely for the demonstrationeffect, made off with prize money forfifth place."Beyond a doubt the people whoturned out to see the last word inairplane and engine progress wouldhave done better to visit the nearest airline base. If succeeding race meets fai lto produce more new developmentsthan this one, there seems to be littlejustification for their continuation."MISTER MULLIGANThe 1935 National Air Races had

This large Seversky SEV -3 amphibian finished fifth in the 1935 Thompson at a speed of193.6 mph. Later, with a 1,000 hp Wright yclone installed, the aircraft set a 3 km worldsrecord of 230.4 mph for amphibians.

Steve Wittman and his Curtiss V-12 powered Bonzo placed second in their first ap pearance in the Thompson race.


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The Pobjoy Special flown by Percy Chaffee won both of the 200 cubic inch races.

This Howard four-place high wing monoplane was the winner of the two main eventsof the 1935 National Air Races.

May I say, right at the beginning,that all my activities are shared with mygood friend and associate, Gordon Israel, who by the way, comes nearerbeing a genius than anybody I know.Neither of us have had any engineeringtraining. I was forced to stop schoolshortly after entering high-school. Gordon finished high-school. This explainsperhaps why we have so much fun infiguring things out for ourselves.

We built Pete early in 1930 just foramusement. We learned a lot from Peteand since it paid for itself, we decided itwould teach us a great deal to play aroundwith the little fellows. We built racersinstead of ordinary airplanes because theywere the only ships we could build andpay for out of their earnings. Next carneMike and Ike. We decided to do the jobright and to build them in accordance withA.T.C. requriements, which we did.

The data and drawings were submitted to the Department and were approved; the engineering inspectionorder was issued. At the last minute theA.T.C. races were scratched that year sowe did not complete the flight tests andthe A.T.c.s were never issued. But welearned that the little fellows could bebuilt properly and still win races. Mikeand Ike paid for themselves.

Then came Mister Mulligan. We hadfound by studying ships and engines at theraces that arithmetic was not always to betrusted in arriving at performance of shipsof even slightly different types.

We worried along for three yearsbefore we decided that we had found theanswer. And Mister Mulligan was builtto see if we really knew anything. Whatwe wanted was an efficient four-placeship, but in order to have a chance at alittle financial help from the BendixRace, we had to lean toward the lastpossible 10 miles per hour, so we stuck


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The husband and wife racing team ofBenny and Maxine Howard.

rings around any current commercialship in America with four people andgasoline for 1,200 miles aboard.The ship was built to ATC requirements except for the engine which wasa highly supercharged Pratt & WhitneyWasp. The Wasp was superchargedwith a 13.85: 1 blower and running at a6.05 :1 compression ratio. It was ratedat 550 hp at 1,000 feet. A LycomingSmith controllable pitch propeller wasfitted with the pitch adjustment rangingfrom 18 degrees to 32 degrees.Based on lessons learned from MisterMulligan, Howard developed a designfor commercial production designed tocarry four with a range of 800 miles anda cruise close to 200 mph on 300 hp.This became the Howard DGA-8.BENDIXThe 1935 Bendix Trophy Race had alarge number of entries - nine; with allof them starting the race compared tothree in 1934. But more unusual than

Benny Howard and his close friend andpartner ordon Israel, winners of the Ben-dix Trophy race in 1935of the racer forcing him to make threestops compared to Howard's one inMister Mulligan, even though, with thegreat speed of is racer, Turner was onlybeaten by 23.5 seconds.Unfortunately the Bendix also saw afatality. Cecil Allen, flying the last ofthe Granville racers, a combination ofthe Rl and R2, crashed after takeofffrom Burbank.GREVE TROPHYThis was the second year for theGreve race for 550 cubic inch aircraftand like the first year it was based on anaccumulation of points earned in threeraces. There were seven competitorsfor the 1935 Greve Trophy. They were:Rider: R-l (Roger Don Rae), Howard:DGA-4 Mike Harold Neumann),Brown: B-2 Los Angeles (Marion McKeen), Chester: Special (Art Chester),Miles/Atwood: Special (Lee Miles),Wittman: Chief Oshkosh Steve Wittman)and the Wedell: Model 22 (David El

R-1820 and grossing 5,500 pounds.The Howard Mister Mulligan wasentered this time flown by HaroldNeumann in place of Benny Howard.This year saw the first appearance ofSteve Wittman's Curtiss D-12 poweredracer Bonzo. This was a genuinehomebuilt effort designed to get thesmallest airframe behind the ancient V-12 Curtiss engine. It was also the firstliquid cooled racing plane since 1930.The other three entries were sixcylinder Menasco powered racers :Roger Don Rae in the Rider R-l, JoeJackson in the Howard Mike andMarion McKeen in the Brown B-2 MissLos Angeles. After four years ofdomination by Wasp powered aircraft,the lower displacement aircraft werestarting to make their move on theThompson and in 1934 outnumberedthe higher displacement aircraft andequaled their numbers in 1935.Roscoe Tumer, as expected with is


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NC4by Edward D. WilliamsA/C 2839)

f a television quiz host were to askWhat historic connection is there between the month of May, airplanes andthe Atlantic Ocean,? the answer mightseem to be easy. However, if one saysonly, The first nonstop solo flight

stop at the Azores, a spectacularachievement for that time.Lindbergh, himself, put the flight intoperspective when he said: I had a bet ter chance of reaching Europe in theSpirit of St. Louis than the NC boats hadof reaching the Azores. I had a morereliable type of engine, improved instruments and a continent instead of an island for a target. It was skill,determination and a hard working crewthat carried the NC-4 to the completionof the first transatlantic flight.

Around the world the feat was

feat, Lt. Cdr. Albert C Read, the aircraftcommander, wrote: If the flight weresuccessful, not only would an immenseamount of valuable and much desiredinformation be obtained concerninglong-distance oversea flying, but navalaviation, the Navy Department and thewhole country would receive theplaudits of the entire world for accomplishing a notable feat in theprogress of the science; the mass ofpeople would be made to realize theimportance of aviation as a valuable armof the naval service; and the way would


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long, 22 feet high and had a giantwingspan of 126 feet. The NC weighedalmost 28,000 pounds, with a load of10,000 pounds of fuel. It featured a short,44 foot long hull, with outriggers fromthe rear of the hull back and upward tosupport frail looking rudders andelevators clear of the water. It waspowered by four 12-cylinder, 400 horsepower Liberty engines, which gave it aspeed ranging from 58 to 74 knots.But creature comforts were nonexistent. The roar of the engines andthrashing wooden propellers was soloud that the six man crew could noteven hear shouting, and communicationwas accomplished by sign language andnotes. The NC's two pilots sat in anopen cockpit halfway between the bowof the hull and the leading edge of thelower wing and only a foot or two fromthe whirling propellers. They had onlya crude set of instruments. The commanding officer, who acted as navigatorand anchor man, sat in a very smallcockpit in the hull's bow. Two flightengineers, who could work on the engines in flight if needed, and a radiooperator sat in a cockpit at the stem ofthe hull.The NC design appeared to be a goodone, and by early 1918 the Navy orderedfour of the seaplanes, designated NC-lNC-2, NC-3 and NC-4. World War Iended before the aircraft could be completed, but they were ready to make theirmark in peacetime. Although the historictransatlantic flight was planned in secretfor all NCs, it had to be made without theNC-2 which earlier had to be cannabalized for parts for the other three.

NC-l NC-3 and NC-4 left NASRockaway, New York on May 8 1919on a testing flight to Trepassey, Newfoundland, jumping off place for the

Horta Harbor, the Azores, ay 1986 - The flight of the NC-4 is commemorated by ConnieEdwards and crew and his Consolidated PBY 6 flying boat. Horta Harbor was also astop for the NC-4 and her crew.

.Qo.ca.o)eocl ;2c

oversea attempt. Eight days later theytook off from Trepassey Bay bound forthe Azores 1,400 miles away, on thelongest nonstop flight ever attempted.Since it was completely over water, theroute was covered by a string ofdestroyers strung out at 50 mile intervals as a safety precaution. The shipsalso aided the NCs' navigation by emitting black smoke by day and flame bynight.The three planes took off in formationand passed the first dozen destroyersroutinely, but the weather turned badand the other ships were obscured byfog. The seaplanes lost sight of eachother and had to grope blindly and alonetoward the Azores hundreds of milesaway.

NC-l soon lost its way and landed inhigh seas and was severely damaged.Hours later a passing ship picked up itscrew, and the NC fleet was down to two

planes. NC-3 flew for 15 hours and1,380 miles and landed in the water infog and suffered irreparable damage toone of its engine mounts. With skilledseamanship, it was able to use its goodengine to sail on the water for 40 hours,finally reaching the Azores.The glory went to NC-4 as the soleaircraft to reach Horta Harbor in theAzores, 15 hours and 18 minutes afterleaving Newfoundland. Ten days later,after a delay because of bad weather,NC-41eft to complete the 900 mile finalleg to Lisbon, Portugal. Following a wildgreeting at Lisbon, NC-4 flew on to ElFerrol Spain and then PlymouthEngland, for a total flight time of 52hours from Rockaway to Plymouth. Inaddition to Lt. Cdr. Read, the NC-4 crewconsisted of Lt. Elmer F. Stone,(the onlyCoast Guard member of the crew) Lt.James L. Breese, Lt. Walter Hinton, Ens.Herbert C. Rodd and Chief Machinist'sMate Eugene S. Rhoads.The Navy has always been justifiably


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ED LOOltEJR'SPHOTO ALBUMby orm Petersen

We are indeed thankful for the use ofthese priceless airplane photos from thealbum of Ed Looker (EAA 64901, A/C5963) of Maribel, Wisconsin. Like somany Antique/Classic members today,Ed has been fascinated with airplanessince he was a small boy, buildingnumerous aircraft models as a young lad(the photos in the album prove it ). nthe late 1930's, Ed spent considerabletime at Floyd Bennett Field in NewYork and the nearby Coast Guard Station, usually with his trusty cameraalong. The results of his early endeavors are carefully preserved in an oldstyle photo album which he so kindlybrought to EAA headquarters for us touse Read on.

This particular Waco YMF-5NCI4132, SIN 3957, was painted in afancy scalloped design and delivered tonoted sportsman, Henry J Topping. Thecolors were blue and white. Juptnerlists this aircraft as the first of 15 YMF-5models produced by Waco in 19341935. (This would be the equivalent ofthe "Classic Waco" produced in Lans

ing, M today.) The FAA Register carries this aircraft today as a YMF-3,registered to Robert Wagner of WestMilton, Ohio. t is one of two YMF-3'son the register, the other owned byveteran Waco pilot, Harold Johnson ofMoraine, Ohio. This photo was takenby Ed Looker in 1938 at Floyd BennettField.


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Taken by Ed Looker in 1938 at FloydBennett Field was this Vought SU-2biplane, complete with what appears tobe a parachute laying on the left wing.This model was powered with a Pratt &Whitney R-1690-40 engine of 600 hpand could top out at 171 mph . The rateof climb was 5,000 feet in 3.9 minutes.Approximately 60 of this model werepurchased by the u.s. Navy andMarines. Note fancy border on thesnapshot as featured by the processorsin 1938.

' . . . .. .. . . .0 - . , 0 . . 0 .

7 ;

' ... . . , .

: ' . . ' , 0_. ' . . ' . , ' 0 . .' . :(

What appears to be a Lockheed Sirius

Another one-of-a-kind is this BoeingXF6B-l pictured at Floyd BennettField. The last Boeing designedbiplane, the XF6B-l was powered witha P & W R-1535-44 twin row Wasp of625 hp and was of all metal construction. Making its first flight in February,1933, the XF6B-llost out to the CurtissFllC. The plane in the background is aConsolidated PT-3. Note the carrierhook below the tail of the Boeing.


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A really rare aircraft is this photo ofa Douglas X02D-1 Navy floatplaneamphibian, taken in the hangar at FloydBennett Field in 1938. This one-of-akind biplane was powered with a P & WR-1340-12 of 550 hp and had a topspeed of 162 mph. The single, centermounted float (with retractable wheels)was assisted by wingtip floats while onthe water. The design lost out to competitive Vought designs.

A standard Navy shipboard fighter ofthe early 1930's was the Curtiss BFC-2Goshawk as pictured at Floyd Bennett Field in 1938. Note the largespatted wheels, the carrier tail hook andthe aux. fuel tank between the landinggear. Originally labelled FllC-2, theGoshawk was powered with a WrightCyclone of 750 hp and could top out at176 mph. Note the exhaust stain on theleft gear n this photo by Ed Looker.


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r, NC 11170

by Dick Hill EAA 56626, le 629Crewing the Stinson Trimotor is one ofour favorite annual events. f you havebeen to the EAA Oshkosh Conventionin recent years, you have seen (andheard) the Stinson. Many of you haveenjoyed riding in it Some of the nicestcompliments I've ever had concernrides in this great airplane. Many times

COFFEE AND SNACKS. RELAXAND ENJOY THE SCENERY.WE'LL CROSS THE LAKE,PASSING OVER THE BASS ISLANDS ABOUT MIDWAY. YOU

MIGHT NOTICE WHAT LOOKSLIKE A TALL SMOKE STACK ONTHE ISTHMUS OF SOUTH BASS IS

HOURS.Century Airlines, a forerunner of

American Airlines, did indeed fly thisplane on that route during its years ofairline service. The line flew fromCleveland to Detroit, Chicago and StLouis, with several intermediate stops.This particular Stinson started service


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From this dejected looking mess of parts and pieces the long rebuilding processbegan.field in Alaska. It had been truckedback to the "lower 48 by ByronFredericksen, Bill Olson, Mike Weustand Harold Wolff; all from the Neenah,WI area. (The saga of this unbelieveableadventure is related in the June 1977VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine)Bill Brennand, Chuck Andreas andByron Fredericksen had fonned a company to purchase the huge bird. Severalyears were to pass while research wasdone and necessary contacts were made.After several more years of painstakingand diligent work, the plane wasbrought to a point where assembly couldbegin. The restoration work had beendone at Brennand Field, which is located 5 miles north of Oshkosh. Eventually, the fuselage, wings, tail feathersand engines were hauled to WittmanField in Oshkosh for assembly. Late in1981, the Stinson was moved outdoorsfor the first time. The engines were runand the taxi testingbegan. When thesewere complete, the

progress of the restoration and had beenpresent during some of the taxi tests, butthis was the first time we or anyone elsehad ever seen the complete restoration.It flew in several shows in the southeastthat spring, as it worked its way north toattend the EAA Oshkosh Convention.There, it was voted Reserve GrandChampion Antique" . Our first intimateassociation with the plane came the following year when the decision wasmade to expand the pilot staff. BillBrennand called to ask if would like toenter the program. This was just thephone call I had been waiting for, so Iaccepted without hesitation. We met atWittman Airport, where Bill walked methrough the pre-flight and into the leftseat. We buckled up and started locating the various switches, valves andcontrols. Bill is a very precise andpatient instructor, so I had a very niceintroduction . After several trips around

the patch, Bill pronounced me readyfor service" and a short while later, wewere on our way to one of the nearbyweekend air meets. During flightoperations either Bill Brennand orChuck Andreas is in attendance to keeptrack of the fuel and other operationalduties. The pilots were chosen for theirflying abilities and the emphasis was onexperience. The insurance companieswanted pilots with high-time, multi-engine, tail wheel experience. There areonly about two types of commercialaircraft that give that kind of experience, the Douglas DC-3 and theBeech 8 . Bill Brennand is the spiritualleader of the pack. He keeps us alltogether and makes sure the plane hasthe best of everything. The hard maintenance is done by Chuck Andreas inconcert with Bill. Wynn Baker takescare of the chief pilot duties includingscheduling. During Oshkosh, he sortsout the requests th atwe make for time

to visit the Fly


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An extremely rare photo of the two remaining high wing Stinson Trimotors n the world with a Stinson V-77 Gullwing between wastaken t the Auburn-Cord-Dusenberg gathering t Auburn Indiana.

EAA Oshkosh Convention, the Model sic Car Show in Auburn, Indiana during year. Not bad for a sixty-year-old YouAirplane Convention at Ida Grove, Iowa Labor Day weekend. The schedule for know where we'll be so . .and the Auburn-Card-Dusenberg Clas- 99 is pretty much the same as last WELCOME ABOARD


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Z


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Jim Koepnickr oup - he first thing that comes to mindwhen you see the Ercoupe that belongs

by H G Frautschybegan their ferry flight back to theirhome base of Kissimmee, Florida, it


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sional, and some are one cut above theold mimeograph, but they all have onething in common - real quality and areal source of information for theairplane you own and love. Hey, I mouta here. Over to you, and I' ll see youafter Canada.Dear Buck,

I m sorry that we didn't have moretime to talk at Sun n Fun. We both haveto admit that that is one busy place whenyou are more than just a spectator. Ireally enjoyed the Classic Aircraft judging this year. I learned a lot and lookforward to more of it in the years tocome.Enclosed is a photograph of JackVilas' 1937 Fairchild F-24 G taken in1944 right after he sold it to Max Aulick.This is NC19173, sIn 2958 that Jackflew all over the Great Lakes as a CAPcourier in 1942 and 1943. The gent inthe picture is Max Aulick when he wasSales Manager for Scott AircraftProducts.Enclosed, too, is a chronological history of the aircraft as compiled from thelog books and maintenance records.As I mentioned, I am in the processof restoring this F-24 for my personaluse and display and would be willing todonate copies of my records and photosto the CAP display in the Eagle Hangarinsomuch as this plane flew in the Illinois Wing. I understand it is they whoare building the display.My plans are to put the plane backinto CAP colors as depicted in theenclosed photo and would very greatlyappreciate being put in touch with anyof Jack Vilas' family or relatives whomight have knowledge or artifacts ofthis plane or his use of itThanks very much for your help andI hope to see you again this summer atOshkosh. I love your page in the

You mentioned something about anantique or classic club in this area. I amgetting to the point where it would helpto join. Any information on such wouldbe very helpful.Thanking you in advance.Cary DennenEAA 128146

Dear Buck,Was looking forward to visiting withyou at Oshkosh Fly-In but have a familymatter to attend toMaybe you can help me. On September 5th we are going to Sydney,Australia. Was wondering if there areany antique members in Sydney .Would enjoy visiting with them andseeing their aircraft. If there are any, isa list available? Would appreciate hearing.Have to go to Two Rivers, Wisconsinat the end of September. Hope to makea connection with you then.

Thank you.Bob EngelsEAA 278307, lC 125 7Dear Buck,In the April issue of Vintage Airplane

I read your article on the Aeronca.I tried to get in touch with Bill Morrisey of Las Vegas but my letter wasreturned because the forwarding had expired.f you have his current address, I

would appreciate it if you would send itto me; also, the address of John Underwood of Glendale, California.I bought a bag of bones that at onetime was an Aeronca T, 1940 vintageSIN 1490T NC 27336. If you have anyinterior or exterior pictures, I would appreciate them.I am in the progress of restoration andneed some pictures to help me alongwith this project.Thank you for your time and trouble.Sincerely,William W MartinEAA 35710, IC 12186

Here's the address we have for BillMorrisey: P.O Box 27889Las Vegas, NV 89126-1889To contact John Underwood, writehim at: 2054 W Mountain StGlendale, CA 91201


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ANTIQUE/CLASSICBOOK REVIEW

by im Haynes(EAA 285970, IC 12099)WHATEVER HAPPENED TOCURTISS-WRIGHT? by Robert W.Fausel, Sunflower University Press,Box 1009, Manhattan, KS 665024228, 88 pages.Occasionally, a compact volume ispresented to the aviation public that willrun the risk of being overlooked becauseof the narrow focus of the title. This titledirects the reader right to the point of thebook, however there is also a subtlefeature not frequently found in works onsuch a compressed subject. The authorapproaches his subject with historyrecited, although disclaims it as "notstrictly a history, but rather a reminiscence - Don't be fooled. Amateur

aviation historians will consider thisbook a must in their libraries. It has agood bibliography, is well documentedwith explanatory notes by the editor, allcontained in the body of the text. Ifthere is a weakness, it rests in the lackof adequate illustrative photos. Certainly the P-40 and C-46 were amongthe best known products of CurtissWright, but it would have been helpfulto view and study the rest of the CurtissWright built airplanes discussed in thebook.Fausel sent a "form" inquiry to some30-40 people whom he knew in hisyears with Curtiss-Wright from 193745 . He posed the question - whatcaused the demise of Curtiss-Wright?Almost all responded to his inquiry.Thus quotations from the respondentsinterlaced with the author s ownanalysis weaves together an interestingdiscussion of the causes of the decline

gaining a monopoly in the air cooledengine field during the years followingWWI and through the 1920s.The years 1928-29 saw many majormergers in the aeronautical world andCurtiss-Wright was the largest. Its corporate headquarters was located in NewYork City, a choice that would prove apoor one in later years. Fausel and hisformer associates end Part I by showingthe weaknesses created by the mergerincluding taking away control from thefield and placing it on Wall Street.Part II is entitled "The Fall." By theend of WWII, it is evident that CurtissWright was behind the rest of the industry in design and powerplanttechnology and, although the companyhad a fat bank account resulting from itswartime contracts, it failed to utilize itsassets in order to maintain its leadership.Fausel ends his book by summarizingthe conclusions of the research and outlines the failures of the company. The

reader will find this an interestinganalysis.About the author: Robert W. Fauselgraduated from Kelly Field in 1936 andfound himself a year later assigned to betest pilot at Curtiss plants and eventuallybecame Assistant Chief Test Pilot.During WWII he was advanced toMilitary Liaison Manager, supervisingmilitary aircraft requirements at Curtissplants in Buffalo, New York, St. Louis,Missouri, Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. He also had HQ StaffAuthority over all Flight Test and Service Departments at all plants of theDivision and flight checked all the experimental aircraft after the local testpilots had wrung them out.

After WWII he held variousmanagerial positions in the aircraft andengine manufacturing industry eventually retiring to become an investmentbroker. He now lives in full retirementin Winter Park, Florida.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERSThese are just some of the new members who signed up to join the Antique/Classic

Division of EAA during EAA OSHKOSH '91. We ll have more names to add to the listnext month, as well as those who join us in the future. Remember the tan insert inyour July issue: Use the forms provided to sign up your friends, and earn one free yearof Antique/Classic membership when you sign up three new membersFrom EAA Oshkosh '91. ou r new members are :Baeten, Jay DePere, WIBrooks, Ray and Kathy Deep River, CTBronson, Richard Manitowoc, WIBrown, MikeCaesar, FredChrisman, LarryColbert, RayDekko,TobyDewey, CharleyDobbs, Mauuel

Oshkosh, WIFort Wayne, INNewark,OH

Oroville, WAGolden Valley, MN

Mukwonago, WIManvel, TX

Keith, Ed Coffeyville, KSKing, Mike Kerikeri, New ZealandKinney, Jack Gaylord, MILachendro, Ed Beaver Dam, WILamarre, Paul Milwaukee, WILegath, Joe Falls Church, VAMackey, Keith Edmond, OKMcPeak, Bion Midland,MINovak, Randy Oshkosh, WIO Connor, John Kansas City, MO


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September 7 - Chico, CAMunicipal Airport. Chico Airshow andAntique Fly-In commemorating 50thAnniversary of the Flying Tigers.Hospitality package to all registeredpilots includes Friday evening BBQ,Dance tickets, Saturday Pancake breakfast. Antiques, homebuilts, military &all others welcome. Chico Airshow andAntique Fly-In Committee, 236-A W.East Ave., Box 166, Chico, CA 95926,916/894-3218 .

September 13-15 - Eagle River,WI. Union Airport. Flying ApacheFly-in and general membership meeting. Contact: Flying Apache Association, 715-479-7333.

September 13-15 - Tahlequah, OKMunicipal Airport located 50 mileseast/southeast of Tulsa. 34th AnnualTulsa Fly-In. Contact Charlie Harris,3933 South Peoria, Tulsa, OK 74105,918/742-7311. ALSO lIth Annual National Bucker Fly-In. Contact: FrankPrice, Route 1 Box 419, Moody, TX76557,817/772-3897 or 817/853-2008.September 14-15 - Rock Falls, IL.5th Annual North Central EAA "Old

Fashioned Fly-In . Workshops,forums, exhibits, swap meet, andawards. Camping on field, PancakeBreakfast Sunday only. Contact: DaveChristianson, 815/625-6556.

September 20-22 (Note the date

sponsored by A/C Chapter 12. Contact:Abel Debock - c.c. 275 2930 San Pedro- Argentina, or phone 0329-24307September 29 - Simsbury Airport,

Simsbury, CT. Antique AeroplaneClub of Connecticut's Annual Fly-In.Antiques, classics, Warbirds, awardsFood and refreshments available. Cosponsored by EAA Chapter 324. Forinfo, call 203/623-1823. Rain date: October 6.

October 4-6 - Reading, PA. Bellanca/Champion Club Third Annual EastCoast regional fly-in featuresworkshops and factory participation forCitabrias, Vikings, Decathlons,Crusiairs, Scouts, Cruisemasters.Workshops. Guest Speaker: AugustBellanca. Pre-registration is desirable.Contact: Tom Witmer, CAP Aviation215/376-5447 or Pat McGinn, Bellanca/Champion Club, 414/352-5804.

October 4-6 - Prescott, AZ. 20thAnnual Copperstate Fly-in. For moreinformation, call 1-800-477-0046.October 4-6 - Santa Ynez, CA.

1991 Western Waco Reunion BanquetBarbeque Saturday night, Pancakebreakfast Sunday morning. Basiccamping, motels in Solvang, CA.

October 4-6 - Camden, Sc. Annual Fall EAA Fly-IN for Antique andClassic Aeroplanes. Sponsored byEAA A/C Chapter 3. major speaker,

sics, antiques, homebuilts, ultralights,food, fun. Contact: Sam Beddingfield ,407/267-4262.October 6 - lola, WI, Central County Airport. Annual Fall Colors Chili

Dinner Fly-In. Serving 10am-3pm.Come and enjoy the beauty of CentralWisconsin in autumn. Info, 414/5963530.October 6 - Tunkhannock, PA.

Skyhaven Airport Fly-In Breakfast.Camping, Showers. Come and spendthe weekend . 19 miles from LHY VORon the 289 radial. Unicorn 122.8 Contact: Steve Gay, Skyhaven Airport,717/836-4800.

October 10-14 - Tullahoma, TN,Regional Airport. Staggerwing, TravelAir, Howard Club, Spartan OwnersTwin Beech Assoc., and Twin-BonanzaAssociation National Convention. Forinformation, write : StaggerwingMuseum, P.O. Box 550, Tullahoma, TN37388 or call 615/455-1974.

October 19 - Evergreen, AL.Evergreen regional EAA Chapters FlyIn. Aircraft camping, R.V. Groundsnearby, motels. Dinner Sat. night.Breakfast both Sat. and Sun. A/C Judging and static displays. Contact: BubbaHamiter, P.O. Box 1551, Monroeville ,AL 36461 or Evergreen Airport,205/578-1274.


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,INC.Aviation Underwriting AgencyP o Box 35289 Greensboro, NC 27425

BeCOllle Metnber Of The BAAAntique/Classic Insurance Progralll!


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ULTIMATEWHEEL PANTS

Customdeslgned or choose Irom stock 01 antiques .homebultts and ultralights Hghstrength seamlesshandtald Sglass with primer gelcoat Call for Ireeblochure or estimateHARBOR ULTRALIGHT PRODUCTS

1326 Batey Place. Harbor City. CA 90710(111) Jl6-S609 fax (111) 5l0 11l4

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet . . .Anew classified ad section inTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANEper word , 20 word minimumSend your ad and payment to .THE VINTAGE TRADEREM Av iation Center,PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 549033086til-

Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet. ..25 per word, $5 .00 minimum charge. Send your ad toThe Vintage Trader, EAA Aviation Center, Oshkosh , Wt 54903-2591.

AIRCRAFT:1928 Fairchild KR-31, NC5796, Serial No.175, 1917 Curtiss OX-5 engine, log books .Completely assembled, needs rigging andrecovering. Displayed at Fairchild Aircraft,museum quality, remarkable condition. Offeredby the estate of colorful aviation pioneer, ErnieBuehl, "The Flying Dutchman." Rare opportunity to own a part of aviation history. Inquiriesto : Sylvia Buehl Elliman, 92 Crystal SpringsRoad, San Mateo, CA 94402, 415/343-6495.(8-1)1946 Cessna 140-1580TTAFE, 330 STOH,210 since bottomed OH, 210 SPOH , 210 hrs .on '90 Slick mags/wires . Metal wing , 150muffs/heater, elec . T&B, DG , strobe.Clevelands. Wheel extenders. EAA Autogas,ALT, A/S & ROC O/H'd 1990. Narco 810comm. 150 TXP w/850 mode C (certified) andFlightcom 1110 NEW 1990. LORAN. All AD'scomplied. White, black trim 1975. Federal skis.Bought bigger. We have complete logs. Asking$14,900. Bob Betz, 3240 Philmore Avenue,Caledonia, NY 14423, 716/538-4258. (8-1)

HANGARS:AIRPLANE HANGARS/STEEL ARCH BUILDINGS - made in USA, factory direct. Compareprices and options, then see . some buildingcompanies distribute buildings that are made inCanada Or Japan. Ours is 100% Americanmade . (we will not be undersold .) ATLASSTEEL BUILDINGS CORPORATION 1800/338-6457.

CALL TOLL FREE ORDER LINE 1-800-323-0611AIRCRAFT SUPPLIES

MISCELLANEOUS:CURTISS JN4-D MEMORABILIA You cannow own memorabilia from the famous "Jenny",as seen on "TREASURES FROM THE PAST".We have posters, postcards, videos, pins, airmail cachets, etc. We also have R/C documentation exclusive to this historic aircraft. Sale ofthese items support operating expense to keepthis "Jenny" flying for the aviatio public. Weappreciate your help. Write for yourfree price list.Virginia Aviation Co ., PDv-8, Box 294, Warrenton, VA 22186. (c/11-90)SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - Newmanufacture, STC-PMA-d, 4130 chrome-molytubing throughout, also complete fuselagerepair. ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC .(J . E. Soares, Pres .), 7093 Dry Creek Rd.,Belgrade, Montana . 406-388-6069 . FAX406/388-0170. Repair station No . QK5R148N .Parachutes - Toll Free 1-800-526-2822, New& Used Parachutes . We take trade-ins , 5-yearrepair or replacement warranty, many styles instock. Parachute Associates , Inc., 2 LindaLane, Suite A, Vincentown, NJ 08088, 609/8593397 . (c/7/92)C-26 Champion Spark Plugs - New andreconditioned . New - $14.75, reconditioned $5.75 to $9.75 . Eagle Air, 2920 Emerald Drive,Jonesboro , GA 30236, 404/478-2310. (10-3)

WANTED:Wanted - EVEREL ONE BLADED PROP(MODEL 1-38-A) for A40 Continental. Buy outright or have stuff to trade . Don Sitta, P.O. Box993, Farmington , NM. 87499-0993, 505/3274660 . (8-1)


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HERE'S WHYI Proven Durability on Thousands of AircraftWorldwide Since 1965. FAA, STC & PMA for Over 680 AircraftModels. Superior Quality Coatings Developed Especially forPolyester Fabric on Aircraft, NOT Relabeled Brittle Acrylic Polyurethane Aulo Enamel. Brittle Waler Borne House Paint. or ModifiedCellulose Dope. Will Not Support Combustion. l ightest Covering Approved Under FAA , STC & PMA . Most Economical CoveringMaterials Considering Many Years of Trouble Free Service. EasyRepairability. No False or Misleading Advertising Claims. IDEO TAPE AVAILABLEFABRIC COVERING WITH RAY STiTS Sponsored by EAAAviation Foundation. Before Making Expensive Mistakes, See ThisTape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT f l iGHT THE FIRST TIME. VHS orBeta $39.95, Prepaid. Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612) PAL &SECAM Available.WRITE OR PHONE FOR FREE Samples of High Strength, LowElongation, Smooth, Square Weave Polyester Fabric Styles CustomWoven Exclusively for Aircraft Covering . NOT Cheap Boal Sailc loth Current Poly-Fiber Manual with Detailed Instructions for Fabric Covering andPainting Aircraft for Corrosion Control... Catalog and Distributor l ist .

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MOLTTAYLOR'S AEtROC:ARvVGliVliNG THE UTOMOJBliLE liTS WliNGS v

Buy your copy of this outstanding videotape, available exclusively from theEAAA viation Foundation.

This 30-minute video chronicles the40-year history of one the best-known

flying automobiles--the AEROCAR.Produced in cooperation with designer/inventor Moulton B. Molt Taylor, thisvideo features rare test flight footage,exclusive interviews scale modelsdrawings, significant photographs andpress clippings of all four models of theAEROCAR--the roadable airplane.

$24.95*


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Vintage Airplane - Aug 1991

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Transcript of Vintage Airplane - Aug 1991