April1992 Vol. 20,No.

4
CONTENTS
Contents
Straight& LeveVEspie"Butch" Joyce
2 AeroMail
3 AlC News
6 VintageLiteraturelDennis Parks
10 OfTigerMothsAnd Men/Bill Wright
16 WhatOur MembersAreRestor ing/
Norm Petersen
18 Honeymoon Fairchil d/Jim Ri cklefs
20 FamilyChamp/NormPetersen
24 PassItToBucklE.E."Buck"Hilbert
25 Snap-on'sHintsForRestorers
26 WelcomeNewMembers
27 Calendar
28 MysteryPlane/George Hardi e
30 VintageTrader
Page 10
Page20
FRONT COVER ...Jim Solbralske enjoys the smoot h a ir over Lake
L.... Winnebagoin his newly restoredAeronca 7ACChampion. Photoby
Mike St eineke. shot wi t h a Canon EOS- 1equipped wi th an 80-200
lens. 1/500sec. at f5.6. EAAphoto planeflownbyBuckHilbert .
BACK COVER ...AI a nd Bi lli e Pemberton's deHavillandDH82a Tiger
Moth took "Best in Show" honors att he 1991 Ca marillo Fly-In. Photo
byPhillipMankana.
Copyright 1992 bythe EMAntique/ClassicDivision Inc. All rightsreserved.
VINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EMAntique/Classic Division. Inc. of the Experimental
Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EAA Aviation Center. 3000 Poberezny Rd.. P.O. Box 3086.Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54903-3086.
Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh.Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. The membership rate for EMAntique/Classic
Division.Inc.is$20.00forcurrentEMmembersfor 12monthperiodofwhich$12.00isforthe publicationofVINTAGEAIRPLANE. Membership
isopentoallwhoareinterestedinaviation.
POSTMASTER:Send address changes to EMAntique/Classic Division. Inc. P.O.Box 3086. Oshkosh. WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN ANDAPO
ADDRESSES- PleaseallowatleasttwomonthsfordeliveryofVINTAGEAIRPLANEto foreignandAPOaddressesviasurlacemail.
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive
criticismandwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtained through ouradvertiSingsothatcorrectivemeasurescan betaken.
EDITORIALPOLICY:Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policyopinions expressed in articles are solelythose ofthe
authors. Responsibilityforaccuracyin reporting restsentirelywiththecontributor.Norenumerationismade.
Materialshouldbe sentto: Editor,VINTAGEAIRPLANE,P.O.Box3086,Oshkosh,WJ54903-3086. Phone4141426-4800.
The words EAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM, SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA,EAA INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION,EMANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION,INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUBS,WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are registered
trademarKs. THE EMSKY SHOPPE and logosofthe EMAVIATION FOUNDATION and EMULTRAUGHTCONVENTION are trademari<s
oftheaboveassociationsandtheirusebyanypersonotherthan theaboveassociationisstrictlyprohibited.
EDITORIALSTAFF
Publisher
TomPoberezny
Vice-President,
MarketingandCommunications
DickMatt
Editor-in-Chief
JackCox
Editor
HenryG.Frautschy
ManagingEditor
GoldaCox
ArtDirector
MikeDrucks
ComputerGraphicSpecialist
OliviaL. Phillip
Advertising
Mary Jones
AssciateEditor
NormPetersen
FeatureWriters
GeorgeHardie,Jr. DennisParks
StaffPhotographers
JimKoepnick MikeSteineke
CarlSchuppel DonnaBushman
EditorialAssistant
IsabelleWiske
EAAANTIQUE/ CLASSICDIVISION,INC,
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
Espie"Butch'Joyce ArthurMorgan
604HighwaySI. 3744North51stBlvd.
Madison.NC27025 Milwaukee,WI 53216
919/ 427-0216 414/ 422-3631
Secretary Treasurer
StevenC.Nesse E.E.' Buck'Hilbert
2009HighlandAve. P.O. Box424
AlbertLeo,MN w:lJ7 Union,IL60180
507/373-1674 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
JohnBerndt RobertC."Bob' Brauer
7645EchoPointRd. 9345S. Hoyne
ConnonFalls.MN55009

507/ 263-2414 312/77 -2105
GeneChase JohnS.Copeland
2159CarltonRd.
28-3 Wllliamsbu'8Ct.
Oshkosh,WI 54904 Shrewsbury,MA 1545
414/231-5002 508/842-7867
Phil Coulson
Daubner
28415SpringbrookDr. 2448 oughLone
Lawton,MI49065 Hartford.WI 53027
616/ 624-6490 414/673-5885
CharlesHarris StanGomoll
3933SouthPeoria 104290thLone,NE
P.O.Box904038
MN55434
Tulsa.OK74105 61 /784-1172
919/742-7311
DoleA.Gustatson JeannieHill
7724ShadyHill Dr. P.O.Box328
Indianapolis.IN46278 Harvard,IL60033
317/293-4430 815/943-7205
Robert RobertD."Bob"Lumley
1708BoyOaks r. 1265South 124thSt .
AlbertLeo,MN w:lJ7 Brookfield,WI 53005
507/373-2922 414/782-2633
GeneMorris GeorgeYork
115CSteveCourt,R.R.2 181 SlobodaAv.
Roanoke,TX 76262 Mansfield.OH44906
817/ 491-9110 419/ 529-4378
S.H.OWes"Schmid
2359LefeberAvenue
Wauwatosa,WI 53213
414/771-1545
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
S.J.Willmon
7200S.E. 85thLone
Ocala,FL32672
904/245-7768
ADVISORS
JimmyRollison
823CarrionCircle
Winters,CA95694-1665
916/795-4334
DeanRichardson GeoffRobison
6701 ColonyDr. 1521 E. MacGregorDr.
Madison,WI 53717 NewHoven.IN46774
608/833-1291 219/493-4724
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
byEspie "Butch" Joyce
As some of you are reading this issue
of VINTAGE AIRPLANE, there will be
a number of your officers, directors and
editorial staff at the Sun 'n Fun EAA
Fly-In at Lakeland, Florida to be of assis-
tance to the Sun 'n Fun crew, and also to
cover the event for future magazine
reports.
In the mail the other day, I received a
subscription solicitation from a well -
known aviation publication, with the 12
month subscription rate around $40.00. It
struck me that being a member of the
Antique/Classic Division for only $20.00
a year, we also receive our fine publication
VINTAGE AIRPLANE on a monthly
basis. VINTAGE improves every month,
and that can attributed to the articles sent
in by our membership. I encourage
everyone to continue sending them in,
particularly articles that deal with items of
a teclmical nature. These are very popular
with our members.
For those of you who do not know, your
Antique/Classic Division ofEAA actually
operated in the red for a number of years,
and was subsidized by the parent or-
ganization, the Experimental Aircraft As-
sociation. It is only in the past five or six
years that the Antique/Classic Division
has turned the comer and is now operating
in the black. This enables us to spend
more money on VINTAGE AIRPLANE
for color inserts and things of that nature.
Also, we are able now to help support the
Pioneer Airport operation and the EAA
Aviation Foundation. Hopefully we will
be able to participate more in this type of
support in the future on behalf of the An-
'" tique/Classic Division membership. The
largest one thing that has contributed to us
turning the comer and becoming solvent
"" is the increase in membership. Once we
passed about 5,000 members, the mem-
bership fee has enabled us to hold our
heads above water, and do a bit of swim-
ming! As our membership continues to
grow (it is growing at a rate of about 14
percent), we will be able to offer better
service and better quality publications to
our members.
That's my pitch, and I would like to ask
that each individual member who has a
friend who is interested in our type of
aircraft (which now extends up through
1960), to become a member so that our
broader membership base will make us a
more solid organization.
While talking about VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, I would like to review a few
items. On the editorial staff, the publisher
of VINTAGE AIRPLANE is also the pub-
lisher of SPORT AVIATION, Tom
Poberezny. Editor-in-Chief of all EAA
publications is Jack Cox , SPORT
AVIATION's Editor. Jack does an excel-
lent job. Of course our own Editor is
Henry G. Frautschy. H.G. is really doing
a great job for us on the magazine. As an
Aeronca owner, his personal interest lies
with the antique/classic aircraft. Manag-
ing Editor is Golda Cox. Golda is Jack's
wife and does a great job keeping
everybody on schedule. I'm sure that she
gets uptight at me at times for being delin-
quent in turning in my Straight & Level
collllml, although she has never said any-
thing to me directly. I apologize, Golda.
Our Associate Editor is Nann Petersen
who writes articles for us. He works in the
office beside H.G. at Oshkosh. Nann is
very knowledgeable with antique and
classic aircraft. He owns a nice J-3 Cub
and loves float flying. We have great
feature writers George Hardie and Dennis
Parks, and EAA staff photographers Jim
Koepnick, Donna Bushman, Carl Schup-
pel and Mike Steineke. Our Editorial As-
sistant is Isabelle Wiske, who has been
with EAAa number of years and is always
there to help.
I would like to congratulate H.G. on
his article in the March issue of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE on aircraft res-
toration and the FAR 21.303. He did a
great deal of research and coordination
with the FAA, to put this issue into
perspective and draw a proper con-
clusion. Also in this past March issue of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE, the centerfold
with a Continental Airlines DC-3
reminded me that Piedmont Airlines
also restored a DC-3, with the interior
and everything else just immaculate. I
think this aircraft is now being operated
by Piedmont Aviation, Inc. It was my
good fortune to be able to get checked
out in this DC-3 at one point in time.
When I first got into this DC-3, I thought
it would really be a nice "fly-in"
airplane. Load up all your friends ,
(everyone could take their buckets of
chicken, and coolers) and look at all the
shade you would have under that large
wing! I was still thinking about this
when the line boys pulled up and we put
five gallons of oil in the left engine and
eight gallons of oil in the right engine -
and then he poured 350 gallons of fuel
in the tanks, just to fly around the pat-
tern. At this time I changed my mind
about whether it would have been an
affordable fly-in airplane or not. I think
not, at least for an individual, unless
they make quite a bit more money than
I do. It was really a fun flying aircraft
and I was surprised at how easy it was
to fly. I have to tell you that ease of
flying is one thing, but taxiing from the
ramp to the end of the runway presents
another problem. It was probably one of
the most difficult tail wheel airplanes I
have ever been tried to taxi . We did
have a strong crosswind that day though,
but once you put the power to it, it just
became a real docile aircraft.
I'd like to say again that I really want
to encourage everyone to be especially
careful bringing their aircraft off of winter
storage. It is the time of year when we see
quite a few minor accidents. Let's be
careful out there.
Let's all pull in the same direction for
the good of aviation. Remember, we
are better together. Join us and have it
all! ......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
MAIL
YOUNGMEMBERS
DearButch,
AsofthismonthIhavebeenanAjC
member for a year. The VINTAGE
AIRPLANEis read manytimes before
it goeson theshelf. JustrecentlyIwas
abletopurchasebackissuesfrom '74til
present! IamstillreadingthosewhenI
amnotattheairport.
I work four days a week at North-
West Regional (formerly Aero Valley,
startedby EdnaGardnerWhyte). Since
myinterestisinA/Caircraft,that'swhat
I work on. One friend that I work for
has aSuperSwiftthatIpolishonsohe
can fly and look good. We are also
rebuilding a stock Swift. Another
friendhasaHowardDGA&Luscombe
that we maintain. They laugh because
they need to employ someone to take
careoftheirtoys!
Enclosedyouwillfindpicturesofmy
'46 Taylorcraft BC-12D. It was res-
toredin '87in Dallas. Ithas105hrs. on
the engine & has a unique wood head-
liner. When I purchased it in Nov. of
'91 I found in its logbooks thatit was
test flown on 6/22/46. My birthday is
6/22/73! Yes, that means I am 18.
2 APRIL 1992
Wouldthatmakemethe youngestA/C
memberthatownsaClassic?
Being a participant in the EAA Air
Academy '89 I am keeping up with
Chuck Larsen & his T-craft project.
Watch for my airplane at Sun-N-Fun.
HopeIcanmeetyou!
TaylorcraftsForever,
DanLinn A/C#16196
Now there's a challenge if we ever
read one! As Butch mentioned in his
column last month, we're going to have
a contest to find out who the youngest
aircraft owner isin the Antique/Classic
Division. Here's how you enter:
Send a copy of the FAA Aircraft
Registration certificate, and a copy of
some form of identification showing
both the member's nameand birthdate
(driver's license, Social Security card,
etc.). Make sure the young member's
AntiquejClassic number is written on
oneofthesetwo copies. Also, aphoto
ofthe young lady or man (preferably
withtheairplane) is to besentto:
EAAAntique/ClassicDivision
P.O.Box3086
Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086
ATTN:YoungestA/C Owner
Your entries must be postmarked no
later than May 10th. The winners will
be announced In the July issue of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE. The youngest
member who actually owns his or her
airplane will win afree years extension
of their AIC membership. AlC mer-
chandise will be awarded for second
and third places. Best ofluck, and send
in those entries! - HGF
MOREPHOTO INFORMATION
DearMr. Frautschy:
VINTAGE AIRPLANE sometimes
containsphotographsrelating to anac-
companyingstorybutincludinganother
noteworthyfeaturenotmentionedinits
caption. Thisisthecasewiththepicture
atthebottomofpage6in theFebruary
issue. Shown are officials ofthe Safe
Airplane Competition, including a Lt.
StanleyUmstead.
Some old-timers might recall that it
was (by then) Major Stanley M.
Umsteadwhocommandedthefirst test
flights of the one-off Douglas XB-19
very heavy bomber in June 1941. Al-
though this airplane's development
time precluded its series production, it
did provide valuable data for later en-
gineering ofthe B-29 and B-36 bom-
bers.
Close examination of photographs
canoftenreveal surprisingand histori-
cally useful details. EAA is to be ap-
preciated for frequently publishing
pictures which are uncommon,seldom
ifeverseenelsewhere. Thisisanespe-
cially valuable service to those of us
interested in the obscure minutiae of
aviationhistory.
Cordially,
EdPeck(A/C 3225) ....
ship. They are: Ralph E. Orndorf, of chockedfull ofrarephotosandarticles,
Kettering, OH, David W. Claxon, of the book also contains the race results
Rantoul, IL, and John J. Yurosko, of fortheNationalAirRacesfromthelate
(3I'WS
compiledby H.G. Frautschy
GEORGEHARDIEHONORED
OurownGeorgeHardie,(EAA500)
the Antique/Classic "Historian Ex-
traodinaire" who,monthinandmonth
out supplies us with "MYSTERY
PLANE", was inducted into the Wis-
consin Aviation Hall ofFamethis past
fall. AlongtimeEAAmember,George
hasbeenactiveallhisadultlifeinavia-
tion. He was an EAA director from
1955 to 1960, and was the managing
editor of SPORT AVIATION from
1958 until 1960.
Georgehasalsobeen involvedin the
AmericanAviationHistoricalSociety-
he served on their board of directors
from 1960 to 1968 and was the
Society'spresidentfrom i961 to 1963.
George has been supplying the
MYSTERYPLANEfor overadecade,
causingmanyofustogorunningtoour
bookshelves every month to see if we
could figure out what the latest
"mystery"was. Georgehasbeenactive
writingaviationarticles,andiscurrent-
ly worJcjng on completing a decades
long research project on the Lawson
airlinerof1919. Ourcongratulationsto
Georgeonthisrichly deservedhonor!
WHICHSWITCH?
EAA member Jay Vieaux of park
Forest , IL has pointed out that the
February, 1991 edition of the FAA's
AC-43-16 cautions against the use of
Alternating Current (AC) electrical
switchesin homebuiltsandvintageres-
torations. AlthoughtheACswitchmay
be cheaper, it is possible that the con-
tacts of an AC switch may weld shut
when used in a DC circuit, allowing
current to flow even if the switch had
been placed in the OFF position. For
safety'S sake, be sure to use only DC
rated switches in your circuit when
worJcjng onyourrestorations.
A/C MEMBERSHIPDRIVE
Last fall's Antique/Classic member-
shipdrivewasaterifficsuccess,withour
currentmembershipnowstandingatjust
over 7600 members. Three members
qualifiedforafreeyearofA/Cmember-
Nokomis, FI. Our thanks to these
gentlemen, and to all the sponsors that
madethis drivethesuccessthat it was.
ABS CONVENTION
ForalltheClassicandContemporary
ownersoftheBeechcraftBonanza,just
a reminder thatthe American Bonanza
Societywillholdtheir24thannualcon-
vention in St. Paul, MN, June 3 - 7.
Seminars on Bonanza operations and
related topics will be held, as well as
some top notch speakers, and tour op-
portunitiesin theTwinCitiesarea. For
moreinformation,contacttheAmerican
Bonanza Society, P.O. Box 12888,
Wichita, KS 67277 or phone 316/945-
6913.
STAGGERWING#1 PROJECT
UPDATE
As mentioned in the January issue,
Thefirst Staggerwing Beechcraft,SIN
1, is being restored by Jim Younkinon
behalf of the Staggerwing Museum
Foundation. With agoal ofhaving the
airplanerestored in timetodisplay it at
the 60th anniversary celebration of
Beechcraft, a substantial amount of
money is still needed to finish. Ifyou
caretodonateorpledgemoneytowards
this project, contact the Staggerwing
Museum Foundation, P.O. Box 550,
Tullahoma, TN 37388, Attn: John
Parish.
NEWRACINGVIDEO
SpeaJcjng of going fast, "Built For
Speed:TheGoldenAgeofAirRacing"
is thetitleofthelatestvideotobemade
intheEAA'sPaulHarveyAudio/Video
Center. A chronicle ofwhat was once
oneofthiscountry'smostpopularspec-
tatorsports, this 30minute video takes
you back to the National Air Races
using a compilation of vintage film
footage, clippings and magazine ar-
ticles, as well ascommentsfrom many
ofthosewhowerepartof"TheGolden
AgeofAirRacing".
Builtfor Speed:"TheGoldenAgeof
Air Racing" is available from EAA,
pricedat $19.95 (plus$3shipping/han-
dling) . CallEAA'stoll-freeVideoHot-
lineat 1-800/843-3612.
Agreatcompanionpiecetothevideo
isthenewly-updatedbook,the"Golden
Age of Air Racing", written by Wes
SchmidandTrumanWeaver. Awhop-
ping550pages,(itweighs2.3pounds!)
'20's through 1939, as well as other
racesheldduringthattime. Thebookis
available from EAA and retails for
$29.95 (plusshipping/handling).
OSHKOSH'92YOUTH
WORKSHOPS
Hands-on workshop activity for
youth will begreatlyexpandedatOsh-
kosh '92. The highly successful
wooden rib building will be joined by
fabric covering, sheet metal and other
projects teaching basic aircraft con-
cepts. Wenowneedindividualsand/or
groupsto helppreparevarious itemsto
bring these exciting activities to youth
attending EAA Oshkosh '92. Specific
projectsinclude:
Fabricating 1000+smallwooden
frames for fabric covering.
MaJcjng 1000+springsandwiresand
stenciledmetal blanksfor avane-type
airspeedindicator.
MaJcjng new,simplifiedribjigsand
preparematerialsfor ribassembly.
Prepareprofessionalqualitysignsil-
lustratingstep-by-stepdirectionsfor
eachproject.
Eachoftheseprojectsisdesignedand
canbeaccomplishedwiththeplansand
procedures provided by EAA to the
volunteers homesite. Materialsare to
be procured locally, with reimburse-
ment from EAA. Feel free to split up
theprojectwithinyourgroup. Contact
EAAEducationDirectorChuckLarsen
at 414/426-4800 or write to the EAA
Aviation Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box
3065,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3065. Attn:
EAAEducationOffice.
EAASCHOLARSHIPSOFFERED
A full range of scholarships and
awards are offered through the EAA
Aviation Foundation. To encourage,
recognizeandsupportexcellenceinstu-
dents pursuing the knowledge of the
technologies and skills ofaviation are
the stated goals for these scholarship
awards. Scholarship applications may
bemadeontheapplicationprovidedby
the EAA Education Officeat414/426-
4888. Applicationsmustbereceivedby
May 1tobeconsidered. Awardswillbe
announced at the EAA OSHKOSH
CONVENTION.Formoreinformation,
contact the EAA Education Office at
414/426-4800 or write to the EAA
EducationOffice,P.O.Box3065,Osh-
kosh,WI 54903-3065.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
EAA AIR ADVENTURE DAYS
Is your chapter looking for a way to
reach young people, and show them an
alternative to long hours sitting in front
of the tube or "hanging out" at the mall?
How about sponsoring an EAA Air Ad-
venture Day? The EAA Air Adventure
Day is a one day intensive aviation ex-
perience offering an opportunity to
build a wooden wing rib and a balsa
glider. Many chapter members have
found the experience gratifying as they
share their aviation expertise with the
next generation.
We encourage chapters and their
members to secure the complete pack-
age of information about EAA Air Ad-
venture Days. For more information,
contact the EAA Education Office at
414/426-4800 or write to the EAA
Education Office, P.O. Box 3065, Osh-
kosh, WI 54903-3065.
EAA OSHKOSH '92 NEWS
This years theme for the 40th annual
Convention is "Gateway to Aviation".
Scheduled to begin on Friday, July 31,
it will continue through Thursday,
August 6,1992. "EAA OSHKOSH has
developed into an event that serves as a
gateway to aviation for many people
because of the number and variety of
both airplanes and activities," explained
Tom Poberezny. Several Convention
-week "Showcase Events" have already
been planned. The first will focus on
the 50th anniversary of the famed
"Doolittle Raid" on Japan. A number of
the surviving members of the "Doolittle
Raiders" are expected to attend. In ad-
dition, several B-25 "Mitchell" bom-
bers, the same type used on the raid, will
be on displ ay.
A delegation from the Common-
wealth of Independent States (formerly
the Soviet Union) is expected to arrive
in the worlds largest aircraft, the An-
tonov AN-225 "Mryia". The six-en-
gine jet will carry several homebuilt
aircraft from that country. A Sukhoi
Su-27 "Flanker" fighter jet is also tenta-
tively scheduled to appear. You may
have seen this fighter perform the
renowned "Cobra" maneuver during
European airshows.
Last year nearly 13,000 airplanes at-
tended the seven day long convention,
and over 815,000 people enjoyed the
varied activities that make up the EAA
Convention.
Of particular int e res t to Anti-
que/Classic members is the new Con-
temporary Class of vintage airplanes,
4 APRIL 1992
which will be on display in show plane
parking for the first time this year.
The 1992 Fly-In will culminate on
thursday, August 6, during evening
programs at Theater in the Woods. At
that time, major Convention awards will
be presented, including the Grand
Champion aircraft awards. In addtion,
Tom Poberezny will deliver EAA's
"State of the Association" message.
EAA ART CONTEST
From time to time, the back cover of
VINTAGE AIRPLANE has featured
the artwork submitted for the annual
EAA Sport Aviation Art Competition.
Sponsored by the EAA Aviation Foun-
dation, the contest is the longest-run-
ning aviation art competition in the
world.
This year, a new competition will be
open to young artists - the Youth Div-
sion, for artists under the age of 16.
"This division was created to encourage
young people to learn more about avia-
tion and to explore the many oppor-
tunities it offers for active participation.
We hope EAA art competition inspires
those young people who participate into
becoming designers, pilots, builders
and aviation enthusiasts of tommor-
row," said EAA Aviation Foundation
Tom Poberezny. "Sport aviation invol-
ves more than airplanes. It's also about
the people who fly, maintain and enjoy
watching them fly. It is this human
element that makes aviation so very spe-
cial," Poberezny continued.
To reflect that thought, the theme of
the 1992 EAA Sport Aviation Competi-
tion is "Thumbs up for Aviation." A
special "Par Excellence" award will be
presented to the artist whose work best
captures the excitement, fascination and
enjoyment people experience while en-
gaging in aviation activities. Other
awards will include "Par Excellence",
"Excellence" and "Merit" awards in
both the adult and youth divisions.
Entry deadline is May 6th, 1992. Ar-
tists are encouraged to contact EAA for
a complete set of guidelines. For more
information,write EAA Sport Aviation
Competition, P.O. Box 3065, Oshkosh,
WI 54903-3065. or call 414/426-4800.
IN PRODUCTION AGAIN?
From the "Coupe Capers" newsletter of
the Ercoupe Owners Club, and edited by
Ed Burkhead, we have word that a com-
pany called Eagleaire Aircraft Corporation
has been formed to produce a two-place
trainer based on the Mooney M-10 type
certificate. Eagleaire has purchased the
design and the type certificate, but not
the product name, evidently to start
fresh with no product liability tail to trip
on. Most members will recall that the
M-lO was the last derivation of the Erco
Ercoupe, with the twin rounded rudders
replaced with a single swept forward
fin, and squared off stabilizer and
elevator, ala other Mooney products.
The new "Eagleaire", as the airplane
will be called, will be powered by the
New Lycoming 2N2 engine. This new
engine by Lycoming has a lower com-
pression ratio to allow it to use the new
unleaded fuels that will be in the future
for aviation. This engine will use a
dynafocal mount, for less engine vibra-
tion. If all goes as planned, the old
Beechcraft factory in Liberal, Kansas
will be remodeled by June, at which
time the tooling will be moved in. It is
expected that the company will produce
approximately 80 airplanes in the flTSt
year of production. Eagleaire Aircraft
Corporation is being formed by Paragon
Capital Corp, a Dallas-based invest-
ment finn. Until Eagleaire sets up its
own office, it may be reached at 16475
Dallas Pkwy, Suite 300, Dallas TX
75248.
VINTAGE FIXES
A couple of items slipped by in the
last couple of issues, and I'd like to
correct them. First, on page 6 of the
March, 1992 issue, the airplane pictured
is the Curtiss Tanager, not the Handley-
Page as the caption says. Thanks to
Charley Hayes for pointing that one out.
Second, in the article by Jim Haynes
on the First Ford Reliability Tour, I
missed a couple of fixes that Jim re-
quested. The Ford/Stout airplane was
not the pathfinder airplane, as was
stated in the text. The Ford did visit
Moline prior to the tour, but not as the
pathfinder. Eddie Stinson did fly his
own ai rcraft, a Junkers si milar to the one
on the tour, as the pathfinder prior to the
tour.
Also, Jim is one of the acknow ledged
historians when referring to the Curtiss
Robin, and he was kind enough to pass
along a couple more tidbits concerning
door configurations on Robins. The
first prototype Robi n, X-5049, did not
have a front door, just two rear doors,
one on each side. That airplane flew on
the 1928 Ford Reliability Tour piloted
by Dan Robertson. It finished close to
last and was the only plane powered by
an OX5 engine.
Finally, it appears that Norm P. got
confused by a photo of Douglas
Corrigan's Robin - it never did have a
left side door, and does not to this
day, as it sits in a hangar in Haw-
thorne, CA.
Thanks to Jim and Charley for help-
ing me correct these items.
It seems that as each month goes by,
we lose a few more early aviation
pioneers. We are sad to say there are a
few more ...
ELDON CESSNA 1907 - 1992
Eldon W. Cessna, son of the late
Clyde V. Cessna, died February 22,
1992 in Inglewood, CA. He was
born on May 5th, 1907 near Rago,
Kansas. He majored in engineering
at Kansas State University, and im-
mediately following, became Chief
engineer for the Cessna Aircraft
Company in 1928. Eldon and his
father, in the aftermath of the Great
Depress ion, started C.V. Cessna
Aircraft Company in Wichita, and
designed and built several racers
which were very successful in races
around the country . His own
modified A W was a terror on the
small stock airplane class for several
years.
In 1935, Eldon and his family moved
to California, where he went to work for
the Northrop division of Douglas. His
career would later take him to North
American Aviation, where he became
the Supervisor of Planning. He worked
on projects from the P-51 to the X-IS
and the Apollo moon landing module.
He retired in 1969 after 31 years with
North American.
After retirement, many honors
came Eldon's way - he served on the
Board of Directors of the EAA Avia-
tion Foundation during the late 1970's
and '80s. He was inducted in the OX-
5 Pioneers Hall of Fame, and was
honored by the Experimental Test
Pilots Association for his work in
aviation research. He held a number
of offices in a number of aviation or-
ganization, including the Early Birds,
and the OX-5 Club.
At EAA OSHKOSH '91, he was one
of the featured speakers at the "Golden
Age Of Air Racing" program.
Eldon and his wife, the former Helen
Parcels of Hiawatha, KS recently
celebrated their 60th wedding anniver-
sary. He is survived by his wife, and his
children, Clair of Riverside, CA and
Janice Clarke of Reno, as well as 5
grandchildren.
From author Ann Cooper, we have
this ...
IN CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE
OF EDNA GARDNER WHYTE
In 1986, Tim Young reported for duty
at Mather Air Force base, California.
He wrote to Edna Gardner Whyte, the
84-year-old, spirited woman who had
been his flight instructor in Texas. In
part his letter said, "There are a lot of
women pilots out here. Some of them
are flying T-37s or T-43s. When I saw
them, I thought of you and was glad that
the opportunities for women are open-
ing up in the Air Force. Now, if the
airlines will only follow their example.
You may not have had the opportunity
to be an airline pilot, but the Lord has
given you the strength to accumulate
more hours than those male airline
pilots ever dreamed of. Besides, you
shared your knowledge with others.
The only person I want to receive flying
lessons from is you. You are the best
there is."
Edna Marvel Gardner was born in Blue
Earth Country, Minnesota, November 2,
1902, the year before Orville and Wilbur
Wright made their celebrated powered
flight. The first of three children born to
Walter and Myrtle Brush Gardner, little
could her parents anticipate the fervor
with which their baby daughter would one
day take to the sky.
Born to a 'man's world,' dis-
crimination sparked Edna's deter-
mination. It wasn'l until she was 18
years old that American women final-
ly earned the right to vote. Imbued
with more than her share of competi-
tive spirit, Edna formed a lifelong
desire to prove unequivocally that a
woman should be entitled to every op-
portunity and advantage accorded a
man. Inspired by newspaper articles
that described the exploits of
courageous Katherine and Marjorie
Stinson, pilots and flight instructors
for the male aviators of World War I,
Edna yearned to similarly prove her
worth and the worth of women.
Edna Gardner Whyte obtained her
Private Pilot license in 1931, learning in
a Swallow TP. During her lifetime, she
counted thousands of flight hours and
taught a host of flight students, among
them the men who would fly for the
military in World War II and men and
women who would pilot commercial
airliners that she hoped to fly. She mar-
ried George Murphy Gardner in 1946,
after returning to the U.S. after a stint in
the Phillipines as an Army nurse. With
indomitable spirit, she managed three
airports, won over 126 trophies in more
than 300 air races, was elected to four
Halls of Fame and received countless
awards and honors. Honored with the
Charles Lindbergh Lifetime Achieve-
ment A ward, Edna was selected as an
Honorary member of the Order of
Daedalians, received the prestigious
Godfrey L. Cabot Award, and was a past
President of the Ninety-Nines, the Inter-
national Organization of Women Pilots.
A member of the OX-5, the United
Flying Octogenarians and the Interna-
tional Women's Air and Space
Museum, Edna was the 10th woman to
earn a helicopter license and was a
member of the Whirly-Girls. In June
1992, she was to have been one of the
select, and "Eagle," at the annual
Gathering of Eagles, Air Command and
Staff College, Montgomery, Alabama.
The walls of her home bear silver,
pewter, gold and wooden trophies that
attest to her piloting expertise. Moun-
tains of newspaper and magazine clip-
pings and an extensive list of speaking
engagements attest to her experience
and popularity. Sought as a flight in-
structor, Edna continued to teach stu-
dents until she lost her medical at age
87. She taught flying, racing and
aerobatics to the grandchildren of her
first students.
Featured in Charles Planck's Woman
With Wings, in Charles Kuralt's On The
Road With Charles Kuralt, her
autobiography, RISING ABOVE IT, as
told to Ann Cooper, was published in
October, 1991, and Edna had a few
months in which to savor the attention
it generated, the adulation that she right-
fully deserved.
Edna Gardner Whyte died February
15, 1992 after a prolonged illness. If
desired, contributions can be made to
the American Cancer Society or the
American Heart Association in her
memory. It was fitting and touching
that a Missing Comrade formation was
flown in her honor. Her pink Cherokee
pulled up and away from a formation
that included two Stinsons and a Cessna
175 in a final salute to Edna Gardner
Whyte. We celebrate her life.
Our condolences to the family and
friends of both Eldon Cessna and Edna
Gardner Whyte from all of us in the
Antique/Classic community. ......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
by[)ennisV a r k s ~
~ Libr-ar-y /A.r-chives[)ir-ect()r-
GuggenheimSafeAircraft
Competition
(Part3)
The Safe Aircraft Competition of
1929hadtheeffectofstimulatinginter-
est in the development of the
"foolproof'aircraft. Themajordesigns
ofthecompetitioncenteredtheiratten-
tion around changes in wing design or
the use of supplemental aerodynamic
devices.
Thetwo leadingaircraft ofthe com-
petition, the Curtiss Tanager and the
Handley-Page, used slots and flaps to
obtain greater efficiency. These
devices also seemed the most
reasonable to add to conventional
aircraftdesigns,especiallyascompared
to such ideas as the variable camber
wingastriedby someentrants.
In the next few installments ofthis
seriesonthecompetitionwewill takea
closer look at some of the aircraft
enteredin thecompetition. Thismonth
thewinneris featured.
CURTISSTANAGER
TheCurtiss entryintheSafeAircraft
Competitionwasdesignedandbuiltby
theCurtissAeroplaneandMotorCom-
panyatitsexperimentalplantatGarden
City,LongIsland,NewYork. Thechief
engineer on the project was Robert R.
Osbornwholaterwouldberesponsible
for the Stinson Voyager, the first mass
productionlightplanetousefixedslots.
SAFETYDEVICES
Basically, the Tanager was a three
place cabin biplane of conventional
designwiththeexceptionofthreesafety
devices. These were; first, anew type
ofaileron which had never been used
beforein itsform; second,leadingedge
slots;andthird,controllablewingflaps.
Thenewailerons,knownasthefloat-
ingtype,differedinthattheyatalltimes
automaticallyassumeapositionparallel
to the relative wind set up by the mo-
tions of the aircraft in flight. At the
6APRIL 1992
sametimetheycouldbemovedrelative
to eachotherby the pilot in maneuver-
ing the plane. They were mounted
separately outboard ofthe lower wing
tip.
The ai lerons were symmetrical
double cambered surfaces and did not
contribute to the lift area ofthe wings.
When the aileron control was moved,
thetwoaileronsweredisplacedrelative
toeachother. Theireffectwasto give
control in astall as well as highspeed;
to reduceyawingand spinningtenden-
cies,andtomakeruddercorrectionand
control unnecessary. Mounted on the
tipsofthelowerwings,theyoperatedin
air undisturbed by the wings and their
operation did not disturb the lifting
characteristicsofthe wings.
These ailerons float or "weather-
cock"atall timesintothewindcreated
bytheplane'smoti on,whetherthecon-
trolsarebeingusedornot. Theystayin
zero angle ofattack regardless ofthe
attitude of the aircraft. When the
aileron control was used in the usual
way,theaileronsdisplacedwithrespect
tothemselvesandnotwithrespecttothe
airplaneandtheiraction wasequaland
opposite.
As the ailerons flap in the wind and
follow the flight path ofthe ship at all
times regardless of the attitude of the
ship,thecontrolwasthesameatthestall
as at high speed and no rudder was
required throughout the speed range.
The Tanager could be flown in direct
vertical banks and through all normal
maneuvers without control ofthe rud-
der, using entirely ailerons and
elevators;andwhencompletelystalled,
theshipcouldberolledfromonesideto
the other with only slight yawing ten-
dencies,whichwereintheproperdirec-
tion.
Nearlytheentirespansofbothupper
andlowerwingswerefittedatthelead-
ingedgewithautomaticwingslots.The
slotmechanism was adjustableandthe
movable airfoil could be regulated so
thatallslotsopenedatthesametimeor
atdifferentanglesofattack. Theycould
beadjusted tostartopeningatanangle
ofattackof12degreesandbefullyopen
at 16 degrees. Rubber pads were
providedwhichcushionedtheshockof
openingandclosingshouldtheairplane
changeitsattitudesuddenly.
Theentiretrailingedgesforthewings
were provided with manually operated
Robert R. Osborn, designer, and T.P. Wright, chief engineer of Curtiss Aeroplane &
Motor Company standing before the Curtiss Tanager.
flaps. These had a small slot at all times
just in front of them. The flaps were
operated by a crank in the pilot's cock-
pit, full motion of the flaps being given
by 10 turns of the crank. The ends of
the flaps were provided with cloth
shields which came into operation when
the flaps were down, reducing tip vortices.
The combination of the wing slots
and the controllable flaps gave an in-
crease of about 100 percent above that
of the standard airfoil of similar dimen-
sions. They provided stability at high
angles of attack and there was no ten-
dency to fall off on either wing. All
controls were also effective throughout
all angles of attack.
PILOT REPORT
In the February 8, 1930 issue of
AVIATION, Robert Osborn, designer
of the Tanager, discussed some of the
flying characteristics of the craft.
"First, the airplane cannot be spun
accidentally. I use the term "accidental-
ly" advisedly as it is entirely possible
that someday an expert pilot may get the
machine in some unusual condition -
on its back for instance - and subject it
to some violent maneuver which might
develop a peculiar and probably
dangerous autorotation.
"However, Mr. Paul Boyd, Curtiss
test pilot, tried unsuccessfully all known
methods of putting a plane into a spin,
and Lt. Stanley Umstead subjected it to
the rigorous tests required in the Gug-
genheim flight test manual, several of
which tests were designed to develop
spinning tendencies if there were any.
"The Tanager has developed no spin-
ning tendencies thus far, although it has
been given a thorough trial by a number
of other expert pilots also. Therefore it
cannot be spun accidentally by anyone,
and possibly not purposely by anyone.
"In making this statement I am not
hiding some other unusual condition,
such as an uncontrolled nose dive, as this
does not occur either. The plane natural-
ly flies slower, power on, than in the
power off condition, and if the power is
suddenly cut when the machine is com-
pletely stalled, full throttle, the nose will
drop until the higher speed and the at-
titude which accompanies it are attained.
"However, the nose does not drop so
much that if it were accomplished close to
the ground, anything dangerous would
result. This test was made during the com-
petition several times and the Tanager
made two point landings in each case with
the skid about a foot and a half high."
The rugged structure of the Tanager fuselage and wing. Note the beefy tubing in the
cabin area.
The unu8ually long stabilizer travel is 8hown
in the skf'tcn uf tht> ollernting
Skf"t('h of a portion ot the unC"o'"f" rt":1
wlnt;'" .!iIhowlng operating
tor floating ailf"ron
as
.<i

VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Ready for the Guggenheim tests, the Curtiss Tanager waits
forthe trials to begin. The "floating" ailerons outboard otthe
lower wings show quite plainly in this shot. The three-view
below incorrectly shows them with a constant chord, when
in fact they have a taper to them.
CONSTRUCTION
FUSELAGE
The fuselage of the Tanager was con-
structed of Duralumin and steel tubing
with a Duralumin engine mount. War-
ren type tru ss bracing was used
throughout the structure. Two seats
were provided for the pilot and the ob-
server, each of whom had their own
doors. There was also space for a third
seat. Metal cowling was used around
the engine, while fabric covered the rest
of the fuselage.
__________-1, _________ _
___________,1-----------
WINGS
The wing spars were of wooden box
construction with flanges and webs of
varying thickness depending on the
stresses involved. Compression struts
between spars were of similar construc-
tion. Ribs were of wood construction
and the wings fabric covered.
The interplane struts were made of
streamlined dual tubes with streamlined
wires for bracing. The trailing edge
flaps were constructed of Duralumin,
the structure consisting of a beam and a
Warren type truss bracing which served
as the ribs. The flaps were also fabric
covered. The floating ai lerons were of
similar construction. The ailerons also
had their own set of dual struts mounted
at the hinge line which were connected
to the top wing.
I
___.---
____". Three view (lrawi n g
of the C u rtiss
"Tanager"
S APRIL 1992
The Curtiss Challenger installation on the Tanager. It looks a bit tight inside that cowl!
TAIL and the other in the bottom of the edge slots would not be used for a
The ribs of both horizontal and verti-
cal stabilizers were of A1clad, while the
elevators and rudder were of welded
steel tubing. All surfaces were fabric
covered and joined to the fuselage by
streamlined tie rods. The stabilizer was
adjustable at the leading edge from the
the pilot's cockpit.
LANDING GEAR
Another of the interesting innova-
tions used on the Tanager was the oleo
struts of very long travel. Considering
that test landings would be made at ver-
tical velocities approaching 16 feet per
second, a rugged gear and long travel
oleo struts were necessary. A latch was
provided which would allow the wheels
to be held in the up position after
takeoff. When ready to land, the latch
was tripped and the wheels dropped to
normal position for landing.
POWERPLANT
The engine used on the Tanager was
a six cylinder radial air-cooled Curtiss
Challenger. It was rated at 176 horse-
power at 1830 rpm. The propeller was
a wooden two-bladed Hamilton.
Two fuel tanks were used. One lo-
cated on the right side of the fuselage
fuselage. The capacity of the two tanks
was 53 gallons.
NEW TECHNOLOGY
In writing about the Tanager in the
February 8, 1930 issue of AVIATION,
Edward Warner alluded to the idea that
the advances were a technology that
could be transferred to other aircraft:
"In writing of the qualities of the
Tanager, I have considered it as an ex-
emplification of certain aerodynamic
principles and design practices, not in
any sense as a commercial, immediately
usable type of airplane.
"The essential features of the design
could readily be adapted elsewhere.
They should not be considered
restricted to the Tanager. It should not
be supposed that the results of the com-
petition lose their practical force be-
cause the winning machine was
designed solely for the purpose of the
competition. "
It was announced by Curtiss that they
would produce an aircraft that utilized
the features of the Tanager but this did
not happen. Floating ailerons were
never used again, flaps would only be
used on large or high performance
aircraft until the late 1940s, and leading
decade.
The only technology demonstrated by
the Tanager that would become standard
on production aircraft was the pneumatic
shock strut. This was used on several of
the entrants in the competition.
The 1931 issue of AIRCRAFT
YEARBOOK noted the lack of adop-
tion of the devices demonstrated in the
competition:
"Slots, flaps and floating ailerons,
fundamental changes in wing design
which received marked attention during
1929 in the Guggenheim Safe Aircraft
Competition, were conspicuous by their
absence from models during 1930. Only
one commercial model in production of-
fered the purchaser slots as optional
equipment. The Curtiss Company con-
sidered adapting its floating aileron to
standard commercial models early in the
year, but held up plans due to the neces-
sity of conserving resources.
"Some designers considered these
devices 'just so many more gadgets to
be kept in working order,' while others
felt they offered a distinct aerodynamic
advantage which would be realized at a
future time when manufacturers are in-
spired by a more ready market for their
products." .....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
OfTigerMothsAndMen
TheReincarnationofAl andBillie
Pemberton'sde HavillandDH82a
While the debate over human reincar-
nation is still open, one glance at Al and
Billie Pemberton's newly restored de
Havilland Tiger Moth settles the matter
as far as vintage airplanes are con-
cerned.
In the spring of 1940, seven year old
AI, who admits to only one life, was
engrossed in "The Adventures of Dick
and Jane" and single digit addition in
Bakersfield, California. Across the At-
lantic, a de Havilland Tiger Moth
DHS2a, with an upside-down Gipsy
Major engine, a swiveling tailskid and
an "air screw" that turned "the wrong
way," rolled off the assembly line at the
Morris Motors' plant in Cow ley,
England.
Half a century later, the Tiger Moth,
with past lives in Australia, Singapore,
India, Canada and the U. S., was a dis-
assembled, decaying carcass that had
been cocooned for 17 years, and AI was
a premier auto restorer who had
breathed life into a fleet of Model "A"
Fords. A chance conversation brought
Moth and man together in January,
1990. The result is a pristine, eye pop-
ping resurrection of the endangered
species that flutters with ghostly aban-
don on the whimsical thermals of
California's lower San Joaquin Valley
at about MACH .12
(90 mph) and shows
like the museum
quality restoration it
IS.
AI mentioned to
friend Nick Baker, a
Fed Ex pilot who has
his own Moth-in-
waiting, that he was
looking for a C-lSO
project. A ware of
the award winning
Model "As," Nick
suggested AI's time
and talents might be
better spent on a
Tiger Moth he knew
about a couple of
hours south of
10 APRIL 1992
by Bill Wright (EAA 224308)
Bakersfield. Al asked what a Tiger
Moth was, and a few days later the pair
were standing in Dan Nelson's hangar
cocoon at Torrance Airport so Al could
see for himself. "What I saw," he says,
"was a pile of junk." But the hook was
set.
After two price cutting phone calls,
Nick and AI, with friend Dick Plyler,
were back in the Nelson tomb. With the
care of archaeologists unwrapping a
mummy, they loaded the steel tubed
skeleton, wooden appendages and the
assorted innards of a nearly complete
Tiger Moth into a borrowed horse
trailer. The innards included a 130 hp
Gipsy Major lC engine that in former
life of its own had been installed in the
Moth's torso for two weeks in 1952; all
of the original instruments; a heavily
painted prop; and a unique first aid kit
once buried in the fuselage.
The resurrection of the tandem seat,
open cockpit biplane started the next
day. Just 11 months later the reborn,
better than new Tiger Moth was "ac-
cidentally" flown off a runup ramp. In-
between were some 4,000 man-hours of
work, many belonging to Ai's wife Bil-
lie (woman-hours) and two
craftsmen/friend/volunteers, Leo Pike
and Mike Collins.
The Tiger Moth Genealogy
AI and Billie's Tiger Moth, of course,
is a descendant of the Moth lineage
developed in the mid-1920s by Geof-
frey de Havilland, an amateur en-
tomologist (insect bug) - hence the
Moth family name. Its ancestors in-
clude the DH51 born at England's Stag
Lane Aerodrome in 1924, the famous
and record setting Cirrus and Gypsy
Moths, and two limited production
models, the Metal Moth and Moth
Trainer.
Like many early "aeroplanes" of the
day, the Tiger Moth evolved from
economics. The patriarch DH51,
whose distinctive genes are readily ap-
parent in the Moth line, was a tandem,
open cockpit biplane powered by a war
surplus, air-cooled VS engine rated at
90 hp which was soon abandoned be-
cause of its outdated single ignition sys-
tem. The replacement, a surplus
air-cooled VS Airdisco motor of
Renault blood rated at 120 hp, was too
expensive, so only five DH51s were
built. Allegedly, you can see the last of
the DH51 clan (VP-KAA) the next time
you're in Nairobi, Kenya.
Unable to find a reliable but inexpen-
sive engine, the unflappable de Havil-
land set out to build his own. His idea
was simple. In-
stead of designing
and building a
completely new
engine, he opted to
"split" the still
plentiful WWI
surplus Airdisco
in half by mount-
ing four of its eight
cylinders, pistons
and valves on a
new crankcase
with the automo-
ti ve carburetors
g and magnetos of
the day. The end
product, a 60 hp
engine called the
"Cirrus," was in-
stalled on a scaled down version of the
DH51. Thus, the "Cirrus Moth," the
Tiger's grandfather, was born.
Whil e the Cirrus Moth DH60 in-
herited the DH51's plywood box
fuselage, its straight unstaggered wings
and the familiar airfoil shaped fuel tank
directly over the front cockpit, several
changes emerged. The single axle un-
dercarriage was split and fitted with
telescoping legs containing compressed
rubber - an obvious improvement over
one axle wrapped with elastic cord. The
front seat locker bay was also relocated
in the fuselage, on the right and aft of
the rear cockpit. More importantly, the
Cirrus Moth had the first differential
aileron control linkage, a system
patented by de Havilland that has since
been used in virtually every aircraft
design. The prototype Cirrus Moth,
factory number 168, first flew from Stag
Lane on February 23, 1925 with de
Havilland himself at the controls.
As the supply of surplus Airdisco en-
gines dwindled, de Havilland was
forced to design and build a new engine
from scratch. With Frank Halford, who
had headed the Cirrus project, he
decided to build and test a 135 hp engine
on a monoplane racer (the DH71) and
then derate it to 100 hp for depend-
ability. The Halford genius resulted in
a four-cylinder, 5.23 liter, 5.5 to 1 com-
pression ratio inline engine that
developed 135 hp at 2,650 rpm and
weighed only 14 pounds more than the
Cirrus, which had 75 less horses.
On August 24, 1927, the experimen-
tal DH71 racer, powered by the new
Gipsy I engine, reset the World Class III
closed circuit speed record at 186.47
mph. The first Gipsy I engines, which
sprouted upright cylinders and valves in
the pilot's forward line of vision, were
delivered in June, 1928. By the end of
the year, the Gypsy Moth DH60G was
rolling off the production line at a rate
of 20 a week, no doubt spurred by the
Lindbergh flight a year earlier.
Like its Cirrus relative, the Gypsy
Moth was soon setting and breaking
records around the world. In the U. S.,
Gladys Ingalls looped one 344 consecu-
tive times. Amy Johnson also made her
famous 1930 solo flight from England
to Australia in a Gipsy Moth named
"Jason."
While the Gypsy Moth was busy set-
ting records, de Havilland was develop-
ing a steel tubed fuselage model (the
Metal Moth, DH60M) that weighed just
62 pounds more than its wooden ances-
tor. An improved version of the Gipsy
I engine, the Gipsy II developing 120
hp, was fitted on later models of the
Metal Moth, but still in the upright line
of sight position.
In earl y 1931 the Metal Moth became
the DH60T Moth Trainer, a model cal-
cul ated to turn the milit ary eye.
Airframe-wise, the exhaust pipes and
flying wires were moved forward, doors
were fitted to each side of both cockpits,
and the wings were strengthened to hold
practice bombs, cameras and other
potential military hardware, including
wireless telegraphy.
Meanwhile, de Havilland was ex-
perimenting again. This time with an
inverted revision of the Gipsy II engine
that would relocate the cylinders and
valves at the bottom of the engine com-
partment and greatly improve forward
visibility. Called the Gipsy III, it was
f irst install ed in a high-wing enclosed
cabin monoplane (the DH80A "Puss
Moth") which fl ew successfully in Sep-
tember 1929 and ent ered limited
production.
Although the Moth Trainer was fitted
with the new "upside-down" Gipsy
Maj o r II engine, it re taine d its
ancestors' straight, unstaggered wings
and airfoi l shaped fuel tank above the
front cockpit. However, with only 24
inches or so between the top of the
fuselage and the bottom of the upper
wing, it was next to impossible for a
pilot with parachute to struggle from the
front cockpit in a life or death emergen-
cy. The RAF, which was by now inter-
ested in the newest of the Moth line (and
its pilots' welfare), asked de Havi lland
to solve the problem. He did, and the
first Tiger Moth, designated the DH82,
was born.
By trial and error, and apparently
without engineering drawings, the de
Havi ll and staff moved the fuel tank and
the top wing center section forward
about 22 inches, thus staggering top and
bottom wings. However, to maintain
c.g. balance, it was necessary to sweep
the wings back, which dictated shorten-
ing the rear spars on all four wings.
A snag developed. With both wings
now raked back, the tips of the lower
ones were too close to the ground in the
tail down position. No problem. The
outside interplane struts were simply
shortened, raising the tips of the lower
wings and giving the Tiger Moth its now
classic and familiar dihedral.
The first of the Tiger Moth breed
(Works No. 1733) flew from
Martlesham Heath on October 26, 1931
with the new upside-down Gipsy III
engine. With the switch to the upgraded
130 hp Gipsy Major I engine in 1932
and curved plywood replacing the
stringers on top of the fuselage, the his-
toric biplane was redesignated the
DH82a and, by the RAF, as the "Tiger
Moth II." More than 8,800 others, in-
cluding 3,506 from Morris Motors, fol -
lowed before production ended in
August, 1945.
Having been built in seven countries
from Norway to New Zealand, it is like-
ly that, except for the DC-3, the durable
Tiger Moth has spread its wings over
more remote parts of the world than any
flying machine of its time.
The Past Lives of a Moth
The Pemberton Tiger Moth rolled out
the door of the Morris plant on May 7,
1940 as Works No. 83230 in the grey-
brown-green camouflage attire of the
war era. The Royal Air Force obscurely
dubbed it "T-5525" and, with 49 others,
shipped it "down under" to the Royal
Australian Air Force. (Tiger Moths
weren't built in Australia or New
Zealand until June, 1940.)
Other than it somehow survived a
storm that destroyed much of the tied
down shipment shortly after arrival in
Narranda, New South Wales, AI has not
been able to uncover much about T-
5525's Australian life (the RAAF logs
are missing). While a few Tiger Moths
were fitted with bomb racks, used as
recon spies in the sky and converted for
ambulance duty in Burma and India, he
did learn T-5525 spent at least most of
its first life of 12 years as a primary
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
trainer at two of the 13 RAAF Elemen-
tary Flight Training Schools (Nos. 8 and
10) that were scattered across the sub-
continent between 1939 and 1945.
The Royal Singapore Flying Club,
based at Kallang Airport, purchased T-
5525 from the RAAF with about 2,200
hours on the airframe in 1952, the same
year Al finished Bakersfield High.
Upon arrival in Singapore, it was
registered as "VR-SDP" and used brief-
ly as a test bed for Gipsy Major lC
engine (No. 927), which was manufac-
tured in 1943 under license by General
Motors-Holdens. (It was not put into
service until 1949.) According to the
logs, the engine was removed two
weeks later and "put in storage." After
2,301 hours IT and several lives of its
own, which included mating with four
other Tiger Moths (9M-ALJ, VR-SCX,
VR-SCY and GM-ALJ), the still young
and snappy engine would be reunited
with T -5525 in the Pemberton hangar 38
years later.
The Royal Singapore Flying Club
used T-5525 for member flight instruc-
tion and to drop payrolls and nonbreak-
able \:iupplies to nearby jungle
plantations that lacked a landing strip,
so it has been used as a bomber of sorts.
In later 1957, while Al was a seaplane
tender in the Navy, the Tiger Moth was
sold to the Delhi Flying Club, Ltd.,
based at the Saldarjang Aerodrome in
India, where it was assigned civilian ID
letters "VT-CSZ." Apparently the
Tiger was too much Moth for the mem-
bers of the Delhi Flying Club, because
it was resold to the Madras Flying Club
based at Civil Aerodrome No. 27 in
southeastern India less than six months
later with just 2,846 IT on the airframe.
Life with the Madras Club members
was, to say the least, rigorous. The
Club's meticulous logs record that T-
5525 survived a nUl(lber of crashes,
several "heavy" landi'ng accidents and
frequent rebuilds during its 3,700 hour,
14 year stay in Madras. During one
rebuild in Bombay it was fitted with an
auxiliary fuel tank holding 10 Imperial
gallons, reportedly so it could be flown
nonstop between Madras and New
Delhi.
A weight and balance form prepared
12 APRIL 1992
for the Madras Club shortly before T-
5525 was sold to a Canadian with 6,580
hours on the airframe cautions, "The
above schedule does not include pas-
senger amenities such as rugs, pillows,
magazines, etc." Sure, try reading a
magazine in an open cockpit biplane,
even if it is pillowed.
The "Sewing Machine," as those in-
volved in the latest resurrection call it,
was reassembled in Canada in early
1972 and registered as "CF-EIQ." The
Canadian put less than 50 hours on the
charmed life plane before it ended up in
the hands of Mike Russell of Lakewood,
Colorado as N6463, and then Walter
Ruehle of Denver. It last flew on Sep-
tember 9, 1973 and wound up hibernat-
ing in Nelson's Torrance hangar
waiting rebirth with the Gipsy Major
engine, which found its own way to
Torrance. Al reports another Tiger
Moth and a half still languish there.
Meanwhile, Back in Bakersfield ...
Young AI and older brother Bob, who
was the personal chopper pilot for the
Shah of Iran and is now an FAA desig-
nated MD 80 inspector in Shanghai,
grew up in an aviation rich environ-
ment. Their father, Roy (a spry 90 who
retired in 1969), was taught to fly in
1922 in Imperial, California by
barnstormer Norman A. Goddard. He
holds DOC (Department of Commerce)
pilot's license number 3226, commer-
cial and air transport tickets and three
glider/sailplane ratings personally
signed by Orville Wright as President of
The National Aeronautic Association,
the USA representative of the Federa-
tion Aeronautique Internationale.
Roy logged over 30,000 hours. He
instructed at the now defunct Air Tech
Flight School in San Diego, flew mail in
an Eagle Rock biplane between
Bakersfield and Lake Isabella (tucked
in the nearby Sierras), and operated the
Civilian Pilot Training School at Lone
Pine, California during WWII. How-
ever, the flight Roy recalls best is his
solo. Al tells the tale with a straight face
and sober tongue: "Dad, who had yet to
solo, and his instructor flew to Yuma in
a Jenny and landed in a farmer's field.
The instructor left Dad with the plane
while he went to town for a brief tryst
with his (or someone's) girlfriend. A
short time later an angry farmer showed
up with a shotgun and told Dad to 'git
that dang aeroplane off my field -
now!' Dad tried to explain he didn't
know how to fly; but seeing no one else
around, the justly skeptical farmer
replied, 'Well, son, yur gonna learn or
git shot.' No dummy, Dad tied the
Jenny to a tree, propped it, and soloed to
a nearby field without incident. The
surprised instructor, when he found
Dad, signed him off."
Roy moved the Pemberton family to
Bakersfield from California's Imperial
Valley in 1937 to take a job with high-
school pal Cecil Meadows who then
managed the Bakersfield airport that
now bears his name. Roy also opened
and operated "Pemberton Flying Ser-
vice" in 1937, instructed, and sold avia-
tion fuel under the defunct "Stanavo"
banner until retiring. He sold out to Al
who, with Billie, now operates it as
Pemberton Aircraft Fuel Service, Inc.
At 53 years, it is the oldest, continuous
Standard Oil/Chevron dealership in the
world. Yes, they have 80 octane.
During the post-WWII years, Roy
was, in alphabetical order, the only
Aeronca -Beechcraft -Bellanca -Cessna
-Globe dealer in Bakersfield, and
Ray, "the Pemberton Patriarch", waits for
the fuselage to be completed and his first
ride since 1972.
probably the world. AI feigns a grimace
you won't swallow when he recounts
his several boyhood rides in factory new
65 hp "Airknockers" and C-120s that
Roy ferried west to Bakersfield from
Springfield and Wichita for resale.
Although AI denies being even gent-
ly pushed into aviation, he earned a
private SEL license (the only rating he
holds), from Bakersfield instructor Bill
Scott in 1956. Scott, who was taught to
fly by AI's dad many years earlier, is
now teaching Billie in the family C-185.
Before Model "A" Fords caught his eye
in 1975-76, AI logged some 4,300 VFR
hours and "a minute or two in the other
stuff. "
Between 1976 and 1987, AI restored
more than 30 Model "As" to showroom
plus condition. Once he had 14 under
restoration at the same time. Although
he didn't realize it then, his "Model A
years" were the training ground for the
eventual rebirth of T-5525.
After exhausting the supply of 1927-
31 Fords, the Bakersfield "King of
Model As" drifted back to flying in
1987 and purchased the C-185 which,
incidentally, he had ferried from Kansas
in 1965 when it was new. Three years
and some 300 flying hours later, and
bored without a wrench in his hand, he
casually told friend and Fed Ex jockey
Nick Baker that .. .
c:
g
CI>
E
CI>
0..
;;:
>-

o
"
u
Saving The Tiger
AI is the first to admit he knew little
about restoring airplanes and even less
about Tiger Moths when he backed the
loaded trailer into his 40 foot by 50 foot
hangar. Baker helped AI arrange the
puzzling parts on the floor in their ap-
proximate and ultimate relationship to
each other and explained "what went
where." Still bewildered, AI just dug in.
Except for a short fishing trip, he put in
five to six hours a day on the project
while also running the fuel service, and
"dawn to dusk plus" was the schedule
on weekends.
I witnessed the Moth's metamor-
phosis several times while refueling at
Meadows Field. Not even a Mayo
Clinic CAT scan can find any rust or
corrosion on this rebuild. Every piece
of tubing had been impeccably blasted,
replaced as required, zinc chroma ted,
and primed and reprimed before cover-
ing.
Despite finding a fossilized rat's nest
in a lower wing where the spar joins the
metal tip, all of the spars and ribs were
free of dry rot and "in excellent shape."
The trailing edges did not fair so well.
Friend Pete Plumb made new ones from
fresh Sitka spruce while AI, as neces-
sary, removed, reglued and renailed the
ribs. Billie, AI boasts, made the Stits
envelopes.
Meanwhile, two volunteers signed
on. One, Leo Pike, an engine wizard
who had retired from Bakersfield Avia-
tion three years earlier, wandered by
and became fascinated with the Gipsy
Major lC engine hanging in a comer of
the hangar. It had only 2,301 hours TT
and 477 since overhaul. For a 1932
design, it has a remarkable TBO of
1,500 hours. Nevertheless, Leo volun-
teered to major it. Who could tum down
an offer like that?
The Gipsy Major Ie, of course, is an
inline, 4-cylinder air-cooled, left
swinger. It has 4.646 inch bore, 374
cubic inches, and a compression ratio of
6.0 to l. Mounted upside-down, there
was never one made that hasn't leaked
at least some oil. It's part of the mysti-
que. Bearings were the only new parts
required during Leo's major. It
originally fired KLG-RVI23 plugs,
which have been replaced with the KLG
RL-50R obtained from England.
The other volunteer is Bakersfield
A&E Mike Collins who works on King
Air, Gulfstream and Saberliner
airframes for a living. At age 14 Mike
bought a ragged Taylorcraft BL65 to
restore with his Dad. But two years
later, before it was finished, he dis-
covered girls and needed "wheels." So
long, Taylorcraft. That was 22 years
ago. Now, here was another chance at
restoration.
Mike, who helped with the airframe
restoration and assembly, recalls the
only glitch on the project. After the
initial rigging, he moved the stick left
and both ailerons popped up. Speed
brakes are not a Moth necessity, so he
converted them back to ailerons.
AI counted eight layers of paint on the
interplane struts, which were sanded to
their natural finish, stained, rubbed and
spar varnished to the lustre of fine fur-
niture. The mahogany, brass edged
prop (a Gipsy Major) was also clad in
black paint. It was carefully stripped,
even more carefully inspected, then
sanded and refinished in its layered,
natural tones.
All of the panel cockpit wood is new,
as is the flooring, which was several feet
short. To hide deep scratches and scars
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
The fuselage of the Tiger Moth nears completion. The 12 Imperial gallon aux tank
installed in Bombay is located between the firewall and the front panel.
.0
r::
.g
Z
E
~
0(
>-
~
o
"
U
The "upside down" Gipsy Major IC overhauled by leo Pike. It The wing is being held by A & P Mike Collins, who appears to
is shown in the upright position.
on the turtledeck, Al covered it with
flannel and sprayed it with water for
shrinkage prior to covering with Stits.
The interior seating and the prominent,
cushioned crash pads above each panel
are genuine, top grade leather. What
else?
The Moth also has a new firewall
("the old one was paper thin flanked by
asbestos"), Cleveland brakes, Goodyear
6:00 x 6 tires, new flying wires, stainless
steel cables, and a custom-built forked
tail wheel assembly designed by Tiger
Moth guru Ed Clark of Hawthorne,
California. It incorporates most of the
original swiveling tail skid parts that
came with the plane. (Steel skids don't
mix well with concrete.) Al cleaned,
refaced and repainted all of the dual
instruments and had them profes-
sionally checked and calibrated.
Billie's major contribution was in the
fabric stitching and shrinking, which
some say is a good reason to own a
Spam can or monoplane. The Stits
covering was initially sprayed with
three coats of clear Polybrush, separated
by the traditional but arduous sanding.
While refusing sanding help requires
will power, Al did all of the dirty work
himself to avoid the sand -throughs of
heavy hands. Next came five coats of
silver Polyspray, each separated by
more sanding, raw fingers and aching
biceps. Finally, three coats of urethane
color (Cub Yellow) were added during
have been on his knees a time or two during this restoration.
the still Bakersfield dawns.
With an assist from Mike, Al did all
of the layout and template work, mask-
ing and detail painting, including num-
bers, letters and the famous British
roundel target. He selected RAF war
paint, primarily because a detailed color
photo of the plane in that scheme during
its brief Singapore life came with the
basket.
The final product is so expertly
painted that some sections, such as the
turtledeck and the tapered antispin
strakes (more on those later), look as if
they have been fiberglassed. In fact, Al
is repeatedly asked if they are. They
aren't.
The Pemberton's were fortunate in
that the trailer of parts was 99 percent
complete. Seller Dan Nelson later came
up with some tapered pins needed for
the top wings, and Ed Clark loaned Al
molds for the hub caps, which had to be
made. The logo decals on the interplane
struts came from the Tiger Moth Club
in England.
The only concession to modern tech-
nology (and the FAA) is a portable,
hand held Icom radio (with VOR). It
works well when attached to a station-
ary, three foot antenna that is discreetly
concealed in the fuselage interior, left
and aft of the rear cockpit.
With the little war bird finally as-
sembled, Al and the friendly cohorts to
whom the Pembertons concede they are
indebted, decided to do some taxi trials
and check for oil leaks at high rpm. It
was too much for Al and T-5525, both
eager to fly. Unable to restrain themsel -
for both Moth and man.
The Tiger's Stripes
The Tiger Moth is loaded with fea-
tures and gadgets that were blase in its
era but are now quite unique, if not
fascinating.
Perhaps the most readily apparent is
a mechanical spring loaded airspeed in-
dicator attached near the top of the left
forward interplane strut. It vaguely
resembles a pie shaped sundial. Opera-
tion is basic. The rush of air as the plane
moves forward depresses a small metal
tab attached to the spring. As the spring
is compressed, it activates a long needle
that swings across an arc shaped brass
scale that reads from 40 to 120 mph-
that is, if you don't need glasses.
The rear cockpit, which for solo
operation must be occupied for c.g.
weight reasons - not the fact that it
contains the only ignition switch - is
dominated by a large, brass compass
(the P8) that is horizontally inset, bot-
tom center. The needle always points to
magnetic north, so changes in heading
must be followed by twisting the brass
read-out dial so "N" is always aligned
with the head of the needle. Although
highly polished and handsome, it seems
out of place in a flying machine and
better suited to a sailing one.
Cockpit instrumentation is frugal, but
adequate. Both panels contain rpm, oil
temperature gauge, a Reid & Sigrist turn
and skid needle (sorry, no ball), a con-
ventional airspeed dial, and a height
indicator (altimeter). Now unique, the
face of the "altimeter" rotates while the
ves, they "accidentally" jumped off the indicator needle itself remains fixed. Al
ramp at Meadows Field December 30, says the British used "unisex" in-
~
1990. In a sense it was a reincarnation strumentation during WWII, so the
14APRIL1992 = ~
t
__.....L__
Billie and AI Pemberton proudly show off the Camarillo Fly-In "Best In Show" speed of 43 mph. The
trophy. "never exceed" red
same dials were employed in most other
RAF war birds of the day. Indeed,
two large coils of unnecessary and
un-shortenable Spitfire oil pressure
line hang just behind the firewall. A
stem fuel gauge is located at the rear
of the wing tank, just above the
pilot's eyes.
The Bombay installed aux. fuel tank,
which now gives T -5525 a total capacity
of 35 U. S. gallons and a reserve range
of about 350 miles, is located between
the firewall and forward panel. Fuel is
,"drawn" to the main tank for eventual
gravity feed on the pull stroke of a pistol
gripped pump handle located in the rear
cockpit at the right knee, near a large,
sprocketed lever that
operates the wing
slots (a.k.a. "slats").
Another feature
that jumps out is the
sleek antispin strakes
located at the rear of
the fuselage top
where it joins the ver-
tical stabilizer.
While early Tiger
Moths possessed un-
failing spin recovery,
the addition of wing
weight over time at
the request of the
RAF resulted in a
flywheel effect that
made spin recovery
in later Moths dif-
ficult, if not down-
right dangerous. To
solve the problem,
previously installed aileron mass
balance weights were removed, and the
antispin strakes, designed to slow the
rate of spin, were included on new
Moths made after 1941 and retrofitted
on those made before, including
T-5525.
The throttle, which Al suggests is
similar to that in a Model "A" (and he
should know), has a spark advance
which, when fully retarded, makes the
idling Gipsy MajorlC sound more like
a tractor than a plane. In the idle posi-
tion AI swears he can count the blade
turns; well, almost.
With the cowling doors up and the
inline cylinders and valves pointing
down, one sees a cavernous space that
suggests a lot of engine is missing. It
isn't. There's room for maintenance
work; a mechanic's dream, Wichita!
There is also an alternate linkage arm
on the Claudel-Hobson A1.48 car-
buretor that is stamped "20,000 feet,"
but AI isn't about to "give it a bloody
go."
On the left side of the fuselage, mid-
way between the rear cockpit and the
rudder, are the red stenciled words
"FIRST AID." Reportedly, some war
Moths were equipped with an 8x5x8
inch first aid kit imbedded inside the
steel tube fuselage. The downed pilot
or passenger, in need of medical sup-
plies, was supposed to cut through the
fabric around the stenciled words to
reach it.
Despite the antics of the Madras
flyers, the medical kit that came with
T-5525, although maybe replaced a
time or two, has never been used.
Among the many contents are Band
Aids and bandage wraps "Made in India
by Johnson & Johnson" and a miracle
product called "Deltal Antiseptic," also
made in India (but not by J&J). Accord-
ing to the label, it is good for "Cuts and
wounds, insect bites, scratches, snake
bite, insect sting, mouthwash, gargle,
dandruff, bathing, douching - and sur-
gical-medical midwifery."
For specification buffs, the wing span
on the Tiger Moth is 29 feet, 4 inches;
overall length is 23 feet 11 inches; and
it stands 8 feet 9.5 inches. The chord on
both wings is 4 feet 4 and 3/8 inches
with an incidence of 4 degrees. The
dihedral on the top wing is 2 degrees 45
minutes, while on the distinctive bottom
one it is 4 degrees 30 minutes. The "tail
plane," as horizontal stabilizers were
called, measures 9 feet 10 inches across,
and the wheel base is 5 feet three inches.
While the Tiger Moth may not have
been the most graceful looking aircraft
of its day, which now spans 60 years and
more than two-thirds the entire history
of aviation, there is no disputing that,
with a folklore background, it remains
one of the most durable and interesting.
Flying The Tiger
Fairness suggests that Tiger Moth
performance should be judged by the
standards of 1931 when it first flew,
rather than by those of today or 1945
when it was last built. The original Hat-
field "Manual," which is still with T-
5525, lists the
Pemberton DH82a at
a gross weight of
1,825 pounds for nor-
mal category opera-
tion and at 1,770 for
aerobatics. AI and
Billie's has an empty
weight of 1,231
pounds.
The "Book" claims
a max. speed of 106
mph at 5,000 feet,
2,350 turns and 1,650
pounds; a sea-level
g climb rate of798 FPM
o
(let's round it to 800);
a service ceiling of
15,800 feet (absolute
...J@ is 18,000); and a stall
line is is 160. One
paragraph reads, "In order to avoid
extravagance in petrol and unnecessary
wear, the air screw should be operated
between 1900 and 2350 rpm;" words of
wisdom still true.
Time to climb from sea level to 5,000
feet is listed at 7.5 minutes. It carried
two gallons of oil and 19 Imperial gal-
lons of petrol in the main tank; range at
max. weight and 2,050 rpms was
reported as 300 miles.
Al is more candid. While he con-
firms the new flying wires will sing only
at about 100 mph indicated, normal
cruise is about 90 mph; but he says, "It'll
never see 15,000 feet unless it's carried
to the top of Mt. Whitney on a mule"
(even then it would be 506 feet short).
On the plus side, "It still flies at 40." AI
estimates full stall comes closer to 35
mph.
(Continued on Page 26)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
wmT ()UI2
veter-sen
HM-14 "FLYING FLEA"
This photo of a "Flying Flea" was
sent in by Bill Nelson (EAA 164560) of
Chesterfield, MO, in response to the
photo of the Crosley "Flying Flea" in
SPORT AVIATION, September '9l.
Bill took the picture during a 1989 visit
to the Sopwith Museum, Old Warden
Airfield, Bedfordshire, England.
Constructed by K. W. Owen of
Southampton, England in 1936, the
Henri Mignet designed homebuilt was
registered G-AEBB and was powered
with a 25 hp Scott "Flying Squirrel"
engine. The tandem-winged machine
was restored for museum display in 1968
and taxied under its own power, but not
flown, before being placed on display.
STINSON L-5 "Trailblazer"
This nearly 50-year-old photo of a
special Stinson L-5 (brand new) was
brought in by Alvin (Boots) Geiger
(EAA 45764, A/C 2512) of Lewiston,
MI. Taken in 1944, the photo shows
how the war effort was helped along by
designating an aircraft sponsored by the
local high school students. The inscrip-
tion on the cowl reads: "Trailblazer,
sponsored by the students of Central
High School, Detroit, Michigan."
The cool, 22-year-old man by the L-5
is "Boots" Geiger himself, who worked
at the Stinson Division of Consolidated
Vultee Aircraft Corporation at Wayne
County Airport, Michigan. Note the
Ray-Ban sun glass case on the belt and
the substantial wooden propeller on the
Lycoming 0-435 engine of 190 hp.
32 hp Bristol
pronouncing that name with a
full of peanut butter!)
The unusual looking aircraft in the
background, registered G-ABXL, is a
Granger Archaeopteryx powered with a
Cherub engine. (Try
mouth
Jeannie Hill's Taylor E-2 "Cub"
on skis
Outside enjoying the "cool" near
Harvard, IL, is Antique/Classic Director
Jeannie Hill (EAA 56626, A/C 629) and
her 1933 Taylor E-2 "Cub", NC13179,
SIN 60, mounted on a set of Heath
tubular skis. Although the E-2 is not a
"tiger" on a warm summer day with its
Continental A-40 engine of 37 hp, the
cool winter air makes the neat two-
placer come alive, performing very well
on the antique metal tube skis. Jeannie
and her husband, retired NW A Captain
Dick Hill, also fly a Piper J-2 "Cub" on
skis from their rural grass landing strip
near Harvard, IL.
Otto Stender's Grass Strip
A literal hotbed of antique/classic
flying activity is Otto Stender's (EAA
295383) grass landing strip near Wal-
cott, IA. This photo, taken by Nancy
Levsen and sent in by Leonard Lemon,
of a typical day at Otto's neatly mowed
strip, shows six aircraft parked in a
"dress right, dress" formation. From the
left: 1940 Aeronca Defender, N31791,
SIN 6600T, Glen Desplinter, Sherrard,
IL 1941 Porterfield, N37855, SIN 1002,
Otto Stender, Walcott, IA 1947 Cessna
140, N4014N, SIN 13472, Chuck Lev-
sen, Donahue, IA 1950 Cessna 170A,
N5562C, SIN 19615, Chuck Levsen,
Donahue, IA 1958 Champion Tri-
Traveler, N7544E, SIN 7FC-249,
Leonard Lemon (EAA 108247, A/C
13272) Rock Island, IL 1946 Piper J-3
Cub, N3650K, SIN 22344, John Spiegel
(EAA 17024, AjC 4978) Viola, IL
Our thanks to Nancy Levsen for
taking the picture and to Leonard
Lemon for sending it to EAA head-
quarters for inclusion in VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. All of these airplanes, ex-
cept the J-3 Cub, are based at Otto
Stender's strip.
Richard Grigsby's Waco VEC
Posing on the ramp at Ashland, OR,
prior to leaving for Oshkosh is Waco
UEC, NC18613, SIN 3684, owned by
Richard Grigsby (EAA 309645) of
Pacific Palisades, CA. Originally built
in 1932 using a Continental R-670 en-
gine of 210 hp, this particular Waco
UEC went into service with the Bureau
of Air Commerce and was registered
NS-38. It was then changed to NC16
when the CAA came into being. This
registration was later changed to
NC18613. Note the square insignia on
the side of the fuselage which reads: U.
S. Department of Commerce, Civil
Aeronatics Administration, just as it
looked in the 1930's in governmental
service.
This bright orange Waco cabin was
awarded an Outstanding Silver Age
trophy at EAA Oshkosh '88 in the An-
tique/Classic Division. In 1991, Dick
Grigsby again brought the Waco to
EAA Oshkosh '91 and garnered the
Outstanding Closed Cockpit Biplane
award in the Silver Age bracket. On this
trip, his co-pilot (and navigator) from
Greeley, CO and return was John Roche
(EAA 386997) - age 10! (This ener-
getic young man has already been
awarded a scholarship to the EAA Air
Academy when he reaches the required
age.)
Dick Grigsby acquired the Waco in
1980 and has been upgrading the
aircraft ever since. Much of the rebuild-
ing has been accomplished by Steve
Green in Ashland, Oregon. The wheel-
pants and ring cowl were made by Jack
Richards in Lancaster, CA, who put a
great deal of effort into the Waco after
it sustained substantial damage in a
1965 accident.
In 1989, Dick donated the Waco to
the Donald Douglas Museum of Flying
in Santa Monica, CA, where he main-
tains the airplane in an airworthy condi-
tion (as an active volunteer) and also
gets to fly the airplane when needed.
Dick's personal logbook presently
shows over 31,500 hours! 01'
NC18613 is one of eight Waco UEC
aircraft remaining on the U. S. register.
...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
HoneymoonAirplane
The 27th annual Watsonville West
Coast Antique Fly-in held May 24-26,
1991 sponsored by the Northern
California Antique Aircraft Association
set a new record ofsorts. Jim Ricklefs'
1935 Fairchild 24C8C, NC15921 won
the Grand Champion award. This es-
tablished Ricklefs as the first three-time
Grand Champion winner in the 27 year
history of the event. Ricklefs' previous
winners were a 1916 Spad VII in 1974
and a 1933 Fairchild 24C8A in 1980.
There are two two-time Grand Cham-
pion winners: Flora and Ted Homan
with an American Eagle in 1966 and a
Hisso powered Travel air 3000 in 1981;
Jim Nissen with his 1917 Thomas
Morse S4C Scout in 1965 and his 1918
Curtiss JN4D in 1976.
Ricklefs called his airplane "The
Honeymoon Airplane" as he and his
first wife flew on their honeymoon in
this airplane in June 1936. Jim's first
wife, Nadine, died in 1953 and the
airplane has been restored in her
memory. The airplane was a wedding
present from the bride's father, W. H.
Davis of Los Altos, California. Jim was
just finishing his education at Stanford
so the airplane had to be in Stanford's
colors, white with red trim. It was com-
mon in 1936 to personalize your
airplane with a name and insignia. The
airplane bore the name "Pegasus" and a
18 APRil 1992
by Jim Ricklefs (A/C 964)
logo on each side of the airplane showed
a woman riding a winged horse with a
helmeted man holding onto the tail and
a dog running alongside. Beneath the
logo were the words "NAD AND
RICKI." Ricklefs had the original 1936
pictures of the logo which artist Bob
Sterling duplicated.
Jim and Nadine flew to Monterey to
spend a few honeymoon days before
going to Hawaii for the summer. At that
point of time Monterey did not have an
airport so Jim landed the plane inside
the county racetrack, tied the airplane to
the fence, spent several days at the Del
Monte Lodge, came back to the airplane
and flew away. Nobody said boo. Im-
agine if you did that today!
After Nadine and Jim sold the
airplane it went through a series of
owners, ending up in a hay bam in San
Jose, California as a basket case. It was
discovered nine years ago by Jim's
friend John Eney of Doylestown, Pen-
nsylvania. It had no logs or paperwork
so John sent to the FAA and obtained
microfiche records which showed Jim
and Nadine Ricklefs to be the original
owners. John, being a nice guy, called
Jim and said ''I'll buy this if you don't
want it, but I think you should have it."
The restoration took longer than
usual due to circumstances that would
not be of great interest to readers. The
majority of the restoration was done by
Air Fab of Hollister, California with
some of the work done by Jim's son-in-
law, Ray Johnson.
The first test flight flown by retired
VAL pilot and test pilot Frank Egbert,
another of Jim's good friends, was less
than successful as power loss was ex-
perienced. Frank barely made it back to
the runway. The engine had to be
removed and gone over before flying
was again resumed. As of this writing
there are about 10 hours on the airplane
since restoration.
As Frank was checking Jim out in the
airplane, Jim made a series of five bad
landings, a far cry from the good three-
pointers he was making in 1936. Dis-
gusted with himself, Jim turned to Frank
and asked Frank to take it around the
pattern and show him how to do it.
Frank did this and made an equally bad
landing, bouncing and cavorting all
over the runway. At the end of the
landing roll, Frank turned to Jim and
said, "See, you've got this runway so
screwed up nobody can land on it!"
A lot airplane restorers miss the boat
by not making a display sign for their
restoration. It should give the airplane's
history as well as its specifications.
(left) Jim Ricklefs and
Nadine Davis/Ricklefs
beside their Fairchild
"Honeymoon" airplane
at the Palo Alto airport.
The airplane was a wed-
ding gift from the bride's
father, William H. Davis
of Toyon Farm, los Altos,
CA. The wedding was
held June 18, 1936.
The "Honeymoon" airplane is
rediscovered and reclaimed
amid hay bales after 46 years.
Just look at the dust and dirt all
over this "find". What a thrill it
was to find this long-lost piece
of Jim Ricklefs past.
At the Hollister, CA airport, here's the airplane's crew, from left to right: Test pilot Frank
Egbert, technical advisor and backup pilot Jim Nissen, Jim Ricklefs, and Air Fab owner
Bob Hall.
The restored "Honeymoon" airplane, a 1935 Fairchild 24C8C, sin 2724 equipped with
a 145 hp Warner ready for a test flight. What a pretty sight!
Here is the sign made up for the Fair-
child:
THE HONEYMOON AIRPLANE
3-PLACE 1935 FAIRCHILD 24C8C,
SIN 2724
7-CYL. 145 HP @ 2050 RPM
WARNER SUPER SCARAB
Jim Ricklefs and his bride Nadine Davis
(deceased 1953) flew on their honeymoon
in this airplane in 1936. The plane was a
wedding gift from Nadine's father. It was
rediscovered as a basket case in a hay bam
near San Jose nine years ago and has been
under restoration since. It was test flown
April 1991 by Frank Egbert.
RESTORED IN LOVING MEMORY
OF NADINE DAVIS RICKLEFS
Empty Weight: 1587 pounds
Max. Speed: 137 mph
Cruise: 118 mph
Gross Weight: 2400 pounds
Span: 36 feet 4 inches
Length: 23 feet 9 inches
Land no flaps: 49 mph
Land w/flaps: 43 mph
Airfoil : N-22 Chord: 66 inches
Climb: 700 fpm
Servo Ceiling: 15,500 feet
Fuel: 40 gallons Range: 490 miles
Oil: 3 gallons
Cost: $7,200
TOTAL PRODUCTION 130. MFD.
BY KREIDER REISNER
DIVN ./FAIRCHILD
RESTORED BY AIR FAB OF
HOLLISTER, CA
OWNER: JIM RICKLEFS,
SAN CARLOS , CA
It is interesting to note that today' s
signs are not hand painted. They are
done on a computer whi ch generates
stick on tape letters of any size and
shape you wish and are far superior to
the old hand painted signs.
Jim Ri cklefs spent most of his work-
ing years in the helicopter business and
is the retired president of Rick Helicop-
ters, Inc. and Alaska Heli copters, Inc.
In retirement he has been restoring
airplanes and helicopters as a hobby.
His airpl anes: 1916 Sopwith "Pup,"
1916 Spad VII, 1933 Fairchild 24C8A,
1935 Fai rchild 24C8C. His helicopters:
1944 Sikorsky R-4B, (2) 1943 Sikorsky
R-6As, (2) 1960 Hiller XROE- l Rotor-
cycles, 1958 Hiller YH32 Ram Jet. In
additi on to the aircraft, Ricklefs has res-
tored a number ofWWI engines includ-
ing Le Rhone and Gnome rotari es.
Most of the aircraft have been sold and
reside in museums around the country.
Rickl efs , at age 77, says that the 1935
Fairchild will be his last restoration. He
intends to keep it until he dies. And
what be tt e r final e than THE
HONEYMOON AIRPLANE! ..
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
FAMILY CHAMP.

Few things in this life are more fun
than walking the lines ofairplanes at
Oshkosh,drooling overthe almostun-
believeable workmanship exhibited,
and pausing to think how you would
enjoy each and every machine - if it
were yours. (We can all dream, can't
we?)
While making the rounds at EAA
Oshkosh '91, I was pleased to come
acrossaverynicelookingAeronca7AC
"Champ" that brought back memories
ofJanuary and February, 1956,whenI
was learning to fly in a7AC (N84168)
at nineteen below zero in Minnesota!
My careeningtakeoffs,usingtheentire
runway widthfromsidetoside,andthe
final,desperateleapoverasnowbankin
a full stall, was enough to make my
instructorinthebackseatdevelopbeads
ofsweat on his forehead! His was not
an easytask.
Amongall theairplanesat Oshkosh,
this particular "Champ" had an almost
familiar look to it, as if I had seen it
before. Perhapsthe"N"numberranga
bell, way in the background. Thenext
20 APRIL 1992
byNormPetersen
morning, Ihadthe pleasureofmeeting
the young man who flew the "c\assic"
into Oshkosh. When he introduced
himselfasJimSobralske(EAA301264,
AIC 15894)ofGraham,NorthCarolina,
thelightsuddenlycameon. Justafew
yearsago,IhadparkedmyJ-3Cubnext
to this very "Champ" N83933, SIN
7AC-2601,athisparent'slandingstrip,
aptlynamed"BrokenPropAerodrome"
atBerlin,Wisconsin. Mystery solved.
Jim' s father, Walter Sobralske, had
learned to fly from the master, Steve
Wittman,atOshkosh,WIin 1946,solo-
ing in a J-3 Cub. Years later, in 1969,
he located an Aeronca "Champ" that
wasforsaleatCapitolDriveAirport in
Milwaukee. Ithadabout500hourstotal
time on the airplane and had been
recently recovered. The price was
$1400. Walt bought the Champ from
HomerIslamandtwoothersandflew it
home to a nearby stripat Red Granite,
WI. Acheckofthe logbooks revealed
01' N83933 had spent its life in Osh-
kosh, West Bend and Milwaukee, WI.
Walt'sson,Jim, was only 11 years old
atthetime,butherememberstheevent
vividly.
The next summer (1970) a landing
strip was builtjustwest ofthehomeat
Berlin and the name, Broken Prop
Aerodrome, was placed on the end of
thenewhangar. BythetimeJimwasa
16-year-oldBerlinHighSchoolstudent,
he was taking lessons in the Champ,
makinghissoloflightinthefamilybird
in 1974. By the time Jim graduated
from high school, he had his Private
license and was offto North Carolina
StateUniversityatRaleigh,NCtostudy
textileengineering.
Afiveyearstintinthetextilebusiness
forJim was followed by ajobwiththe
Federal Systems Division of AT&T,
whichhaskeptJimbusyforthelastfive
years. His longingfor 01' N83933,the
Sobralske family Champ, was soothed
whenhisfatherflew the Aeroncafrom
Wisconsin to NorthCarolinainAugust
of1987andsaid,"Haveatit!"
Jim andhis wife,Margaret,flew the
Champaroundtheentireareaduringthe
ensuing year, making several longer
Jim Sobrolske
trips to really see the country. How-
ever, by the time for Annual Inspection
in August of '88, the old girl was ready
for a complete rebuild. It had been in
the Sobralske family for nearly twenty
years and perhaps deserved a rejuvina-
tion. Jim promptly took the Champ
down to the bare airframe and dis-
covered a few items.
The horizontal stabilizer was rusted
through in spots and had to be replaced,
however, the all-important longerons
were in excellent shape. The wooden
stringers and bulkheads on the fuselage
were noticeably warped out of shape
from the pull of the fabric over all the
years. All were replaced with new
wood. New epoxy primer on the
fuselage tubing started the rebuild as
parts and pieces were added to the inte-
rior, each piece cleaned and painted as
required. A new Airtex interior was
installed with the headliner being done
in a particularly neat manner. It is ob-
vious that Jim has put forth his best
effort in the entire rebuild.
Covering was done with the Stits
process through silver (Polyspray)
which was carefully sanded before the
final finish of Amerflint Polyurethane
was applied by a friend of Jim's. The
beige and maroon colors were matched
from chips found during the rebuild.
All new glass was installed in the side
windows and door, however, Jim's
thoughts of re-using the old windshield
were dashed when he noticed a tiny
crack had expanded and gone right
across the center of the plexiglass! A
new windshield solved the problem.
Matching floor carpets were part of
the Airtex interior and when the thick,
upholstered seats were installed, the
feeling of lUXury began to spring forth.
Even the long trips aren't quite as un-
comfortable as they formerly were with
the quieter interior and soft seats ac-
cording to Jim.
The original Continental A65 engine,
which had a total of 1500 hours on it,
was completely majored with new pis-
tons, rings, valves, guides, springs and
a re-lobed camshaft. The crankshaft
was reground .010 under and new bear-
ings were fitted. The original Fiottorp
wooden propeller was sent out for over-
haul and was returned with a red tag on
it! Not Airworthy! Dry rot had gotten
to the wood. A new Sensenich wooden
prop was ordered.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
(Above) The plush interior of the Sobralske
Champ, complete with handheld radio in-
stallation and padded side panels.
(Right) The clean engine installation in the
Champ, including a shielded ignition harness
to cut ignition interference in the radio.
(Below) Here's a neat trick! The cables for the
brakes normally ride in a Bowden cable
housing, but Jim has these two pulleys set up
to reduce friction in the brake system.
The "Family Champ" as it looked at the Sobralske's strip, "Broken Prop Aerodrome" in
1985.
The original metal nosebowl was
carefully refinished while Tony Daw-
son of Greensboro, NC, a real pro at
sheet metal, made a new boot cowl to
replace the old, tired one. (It is really
amazing how much better an airplane
looks when the sheet metal is new.)
When the engine was installed with all
its accessories, the cowling was added
to the front end of the Champ and it
really began to look like a first class
airplane, in spite of being built forty-
five years ago. Jim carefully cut out the
row of Wisconsin registration stickers
from the old fabric and sent them to his
parents in Wisconsin - where he knew
they would be appreciated. New
Aeronca logos were obtained from
Wag-Aero to add that "touch" to the
side of the fin.
A pair of Aeronca wheel hub caps
(with "Aeronca" punched into them)
were located in Minnesota and fit nicely
on the Cleveland wheels which replaced
the original VanSickle wheels. Jim
feels the Cleveland brakes are a
worthwhile investment, especially
when you need them - bad!
The area that Jim flies in around
Graham is rather heavy with traffic and
a two-way radio is a must. Jim uses a
hand held radio attached to an outside
antenna mounted above the center
cabin, just behind the windshield. This
arrangement works very nicely (with
earphones) and allows Jim to communi-
cate with all facilities.
Once the rebuild was completed and
all the paperwork finished, Jim took the
"new" bird for its first flight. He readily
admits it is like flying a new airplane.
Even the 65 Continental gets up and
goes with more authority following the
major overhaul. In April of '91, Jim's
father, Walt, came down to North
Carolina and the two of them flew the
sparkling Champ to Sun 'N Fun, a treat
indeed. They also made a flight to
Savannah, GA, to visit Jim's sister.
Everybody agrees the Sobralske family
airplane is a most unique aircraft and a
credit to those who have taken such
good care of her over these many years.
Jim and Margaret have a beautiful
two-year-old daughter named Victoria
Lee (who goes by the name of Lee) and
who enjoys flying in the airplane. Her
grandfather, Walter, said it best, "I sure-
ly hope that one day Lee will solo in
N83933 and make it a three generation
family airplane."
As the ad on TV says, "This is as good
as it gets!" ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
PASS IT TO
--1Juck
An information exchange column with input from readers.
SomeThoughtsAboutMembership
At the last board meeting of your
Antique/ClassicDivision,oureditorof
VINTAGE,H.G. Frautschy,andIwere
talking about ourforeign membership.
H.G. punched the computer and came
up with some numbers that were very
interesting. He tells me slightly under
ten percent (9.8 %, to beexact) ofour
membership resides outside of the
UnitedStates. Idon'tconsiderCanada
as being a foreign country, excluding
Quebec, ofcourse, and so I tended to
consider these people as part of the
"local" family. We have a BUNCH,
believe me! And they are even more
prevalent in the homebuilder ranks.
Someveryinnovativedesignsarecom-
ing outofCanadaas faras light planes
andcustom-builtsareconcerned. There
is a real core of seaplane enthusiasts
thereaswell,andtherearesomebeauti-
fully restored antique workhorse bush
type antiques doing yeoman duty on
forestry patrol, fisherman fly-outs and
justplaintransportation. Therearealso
a goodly number of antiques that are
flown forjustfun. Ihateto mentionit,
buttherearesomebeautifulwarbirdsas
well.
Butallthisisleadinguptoourmem-
bership. IaskedH.G. foraprint-outso
Icouldjustseewhoandwhereour7400
copiesaremailedtoeachmonth. That's
right! 7400 copies are mailed each
month!
I scanned the print-out. At first
glancethereareabout200copiesthatI
call"friendlypersuasion"copies. They
go to all the various State Aeronautics
Divisions or Departments in the U. S.,
somepubliclibraries, FederalAviation
FISDOs, FAA offices in Washington,
andmanyoftheaviationpublicationsor
theireditors. Thesearecomplimentary.
Many years ago whenJackCox and
24 APRIL 1992
Iweretryingtogetthewordoutthatwe
hadaDivisiondevotedentirelytoanti-
quesandclassics,wefeltthatwehadto
let the world know about it. Even
though we couldn't really afford it, we
putall thesepeopleonourcomplimen-
tarymailinglist. Ithaspaidoff! When
you go to the local FAA offices and
mention you are EAA's Antique/Clas-
sicDivision,becausethemagazinesare
in their reading file, they immediately
knowwhereyou arecomingfrom. No
explanation is necessary! You may
haveto answeraquestionortwoabout
what your opinion is about a certain
airplane or event, but you are con-
sideredafriend.
Thisisgoingtobeespeciallybenefi-
cial to our "Contemporary" group as
they come on board as we share ex-
periences in print and make the "new"
breedofFAApeoplefamiliar with our
Antique/ClassicDivisionandourmem-
bership.
Back to the membership. We have
some names on that list that generate
real excitement on my part. I see
authors, astronauts, editors, military
notables, association presidents (are
you reading me, Bob Taylor?), airline
presidents, high government officials,
aircraft manufacturers, parts suppliers,
designers and many unsung heroes,
guys like you, whom I have come in
contact with over the years. I am
humbled to realize as I look over the
many, many pages that there arethree
or four, sometimes a whole bunch on
every page,whomIhavecomeincon-
tactwithoverthepast20years.
Yes! Twentyyears! Ihaven'treally
givenitmuchthought,butIhavehad20
years ofpleasant relationships with all
these people who have the same inter-
estsIhave. Howaboutthat? Whoelse
canclaimthathehasenjoyedarelation-
by Buck Hilbert
(EAA 21, AIC 5)
P. O. Box 424
Union, IL 60180
shiplikethat?
I think backto the first 30 or40 of
you, and you know whoYOUare,and
how we struggled to park airplanes at
the conventions. How the few volun-
teers GREW to larger attendance each
year. How, with the help of "seed
money"andadvicefrom PaulPoberez-
nyandEAA,weweregearingupatthe
rateofabout20percentayear. WhenI
tookoverfromDaveJameson,ourfirst
Antique/ClassicDivisionpresident,we
hadabout80orsomembers. In thenext
fiveyearswewenttojustover1800. J.
R. Nielandertookoverand we wentto
2500. BradThomasbroughtinabunch
more; BobLickteig - Godbless him!
- really tackled membership increase
withafervor, broughtusupover6,000.
And now with "Butch" Joyce we are
over7,000,
WhatIamgetting to, Iguess, is that
ourmembershipis verydiversifiedand
filledwithenthusiastsfromallwalksof
life. We have a wealth ofexperience
andvarietywithinourorganizationthat
is astounding. YOU, fellow member,
are kin to a fraternity ofaviation en-
thusiastssharinganinterestthatknows
no boundaries, borders, religions or
race! Although we might be Russian,
Argentinean, German, Mexican,
Japanese,AmericanorNewZealander,
we all share this common interest.
Whatawonderfulworldwehaveinour
Antique/ClassicDivision.
Let's welcome our "Contemporary"
group, the new kids onthe block, with
the same enthusiasm and comradeship
that we have enjoyed these past 21
years. Within this group are more
"names" in aviation, people who can
andwillcontributetotheAntique/Clas-
sic Division. Welcomethem and their
airplanes, and the expertise of those
whowilljoinus.
Overtoyou, ....
BARGAINTUBING BENDER
ByGeorgeF. Ruth
EAA129219
176WestsideLane
Torrington,CT06790
After sandblasting the horizontal
stabili zers ofmy PA-12, I discovered
that th e leadin g e dge tubes had
numerous holes in t hem. I had the
option of replacing the stabi li zers at
$252 each or repl acing the leading
edge tubes at $11.60 each. I chose
thelatter.
After the original leading edge
tubes we re r e moved, th e
problem was . ..how to bend
1" diameter tubes to conform
to the proper leading edge
shape. I checked several
catalogs which sell commercial
benders, and I discovered that
onecan spend severalhundred
dollars for a bender, and none
t hat I saw was des igned to
be nd a 1" diame ter tube.
Therefore, [ decided to make
my own. Thebenderwas made
from a 16" diameter, 2" thick
mapl e chair seat , discarde d by a
nearby cha ir manufacture r . I
screwed a face plate on one side and
mount ed it on the end of my wood
lathe. To obtain a pe rfect 1 "
diamet er groove in the periphery of
the seat, I made a cutting tool by
grinding the e nd of a fi le to a 1 "
diameter. With it, I cut a groove 1-
1/8" deep around the edge of the
sea t. A stay block was made by
cutting out a 3" section of the seat
and attaching it to the seat with steel
straps and a bolt. I drill ed several
hol es in the straps , a ll owing th e
adjustment of the stay block with
respect to the seat. Moving the stay
block in oroutorfore and aftaltered
the pressure location on the tube,
and thi s affected the radius of the
bend . The compl eted bender
asse mbl y was then h e ld in a vise
duringthe bendingoperation.
In the photo , a tube is shown
partiallybent. Before bending, itwas
fi ll e d with #00 sa nd and t he ends
plugged with woodendowels. 4130 is
tough , an d I found that slightl y
heat in g the tube made
bending easier. Because the
radiusofthedesiredbendwas
not constant, I had to move
the tube fore and aft overthe
bender during the bending
operati on, but the fi nal for m
wasperfect.
This tube benderdidn' t cost
me a cent , a nd in stead of
paying $504 for two new
stabili zers, I spent $23.20 for
th e tubes a nd bent th e m
myself.
Readers are invited to submit entries to EAA, Hints For Homebuilders, Att: Golda Cox, EAA Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Entries will be reviewed by a panel of EAA judges. Readers whose hints are published in any EAA
magazine will be awarded one of three monthly prizes by Snap-on Tools - a 3/8" Drive Socket Wrench Set, a 1/4" Drive
Socket Wrench Set or a Nine-
piece Long-Handle Combination
Wrench Set. Members are also
invited to submit hints of an elec-
trical nature. Any electrical hint
used will receive a Fluke Model
23-2 Multimeter with Holster
from the John Fluke Mfg. Co.,
Inc. The contest will run from
August through July of each year
with a Grand Prize of a Snap-on
Tools KR657 Roll Cab and KR637
Top Chest being awarded the
best entry for the year. A Grand
Prize will also be awarded by the
John Fluke Mfg. Co . These
awards will be presented during
the EAA Convention. Our thanks
go to Snap-on Tools and John
Fluke Mfg . Co . for providing
these awards.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
Of Tiger Moths and Men
(Continued From Page 15)
The Pemberton's first cross-country
trip in the notoriously cold and breezy
craft with miniature windscreens (about
85 crow miles south to Camarillo) took
place last May. At 6,500 feet over the
Los Padres Nati onal Forest the "Sewing
Machine," as brother Bob dubbed it,
skipped a few stitches. AI' s not sure
whether it was carburetor ice (Moths
have no carb heat), thi n leaning, or
"automati c rough;" the latt er being
generally reserved for VFR, single en-
gine ni ght fl ights over mountainous ter-
rain into IMC by non-IFR pil ots. The
problem, "whatever it was, took care of
itself and hasn' t returned."
The crosswind component for the
Tiger Moth is about 12 knots, which is
precisely what Al discovered was blow-
ing across Camari llo's runway 26 at 90
degrees on his arrival. Winking, he
claims "No sweat," but considering the
impeccable quality of his painstaking
restorat ion, one suspects otherwise.
Al says the vintage war bi rd "flies
true to its name." Translat ing, he says,
"It seldom fli es long in the same direc-
tion or at the same altitude. It 's a hands-
on, feet on airplane." That makes
setting the P8 compass (which takes two
hands) a mi ld advent ure in two knee
dexterity.
Ray Roy, who hasn' t been in a plane
since 1972, and never in a Tiger Moth,
is waiting for warmer weather and a
front seat ride with leather helmet, gog-
gles and a white scarf at the ready. No
doubt it will be hi s second mos t
memorable ri de.
Al has already answered the "What's
next?" question. In-between sorting out
the many fly- in invitati ons received
since the Camari ll o EAA bash last May
("Best of Show"), he and Mike have
started on a 1941 Ryan PT-22 they hope
to have flyi ng this summer. A derelict
1935 BT-9, the small er, fixed leg ances-
tor of the more famous T -6, waits in the
wings.
And if Al and Billie can plot a realis-
tic every three hour or so 80 octane
course (lOOLL eats brass valve seats),
you just might see a yell ow, war painted
"Sewing Machine" from a bygone era
at Oshkosh. Remember, it's not a ghost,
but a reincarnation. ...
WELCOMENEWMEMBERS
James A. Abbott Winona, MN
William R. Adams
Mississauga, Ont, Canada
Donald R. Andersen Orlando, FL
Alan H. Anderson Madison, AL
J. Scott Becker Chicago, IL
Steven J. Beckman Aurora, CO
Robert Benson, Jr. Slidell, LA
Frederick W. Berken Olympia, WA
Baylas Bright Bristol , IN
Eugene M. Brim Mansfi eld, OH
Richard Caldwell Norwell, MA
Mark S. Calhoun Little Rock, AR
Marshall N. Carter Cambridge, MA
Richard L. Carter Salt Lake City, UT
Michael M. Charles Memphis, TN
Michael S. Cheslik Columbus, OH
Gene Cook Colorado Springs, CO
Homer M. Cox, Jr. Grapevine, TX
Sam DiCiocco Poland, OH
Kenneth V. Dobson
Warner Robbins, GA
Tyrone Elias Tulsa, OK
Warren Erickson Edina, MN
Delbert L. Fern Belton, MO
Joseph M. Fischer Upl and, CA
Joe Fulton Huntington Beach, CA
Joseph Gaines Fayetteville, NC
Leroy Goodwin Leipsic, OH
Joseph C. Goolsby Chandler, AZ
Charles J. Gustafson Ft. Worth, TX
Hugh Hackett Evanston, IL
Kenneth D. Hastey Bloomington, MN
L.R. Heinig St. Paul , MN
Greg Hier Crete, NE
Tommy Hill Hunstville, AL
Craig D. Hinton
White Bear Lake, MN
Albert M. Holman Grand Forks, ND
Jack Hooker Freeport, IL
Melinda Hum Mesa, AZ
Kenneth Johnson Rockford, IL
Fred W. Karn Valley City, ND
Glenn C. Kinney Coupeville, W A
George G. Kissel Angier, NC
Laurie Koronowski Mt. Pleasant, P A
Maj. R.J. Krogseng Soldotna, AK
Michael G. Lavelle Issaquah, W A
Larry Lyons Hyden, KY
Dean L. Mackey Dromana, Australia
Michael A. McCartt Akron, OH
David A McCreery Chicago, IL
Virgil R. McDonald Alvin, TX
Donald K. Morrow Santa Ana, CA
Raleigh Morrow Lodi , CA
David A. Nuss New Haven, MI
R.H. Osborne Colorado Springs, CO
Roy E. Palmer, Jr.
Mercer Island, W A
Dennis H. Parks Oshkosh, WI
Harlet B. Pickett Odenville, AL
Thomas M. Posey Billings, MT
J. Robert Pratt Williston, FI
Louis O. Ray Westchester, PA
Daniel Redfern Milpitas, CA
Robert E. Ross Pahoa, HI
Mark D. Sanders Miffl inburg, PA
Donald G. Schindler
Woodland Hills, CA
Roger L. Smith Los Alamos, NM
Herbert M. Spector Rock Island, IL
Joseph Stancil, Jr. Placerville, CA
Rodney L. Staub New Oxford, PA
J. Steiner Aurora, CO
John Surrency A von Park, FI
Warren F. Travis Germantown, TN
William H. Turner Riverside, CA
Dennis Van Swol Los Angeles, CA
Brian Van Wagnen Jackson, MI
Robert K. Vander Beek Plainfield, IL
Martin R. Walker Pueblo, CO
Howard Warren Middletown, NY
RandolfB. Webb, Jr. Sherman, CT
Bart W. Wellenkotter Aliquippa, PA
Jack Wells Tulsa, OK
Hubart C. Williams New Market, V A
Randy Wiliams Big Island, V A
Georgia Wood Sim, NC
John E. Wood Harrisonburg, VA
William A. Woods Martinsburg, WV
Grant R. Wrathall Aptos, CA
Steven Zeller Al pharetta, GA
Howard Zimmerman
Summerl and Key, FI
26 APRIL 1992
The following list of coming events is
furnished to our readers as a matter of
information only and does not constitute
approval, sponsorship, involvement,
control or direction of any such event. If
you would like to have your aviation event
(fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed,
please send the information to EAA, Att :
Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI
53093-3086. Information should be
received four months prior to the event
date.
April 25 Levelland, TX - EAA Chapter
19 Fly-In Breakfast at Levelland Municipal
Airport. Call 806/793-7889 for more infor-
mation.
May 1 - 3 Burlington, NC Annual EAA
Fly-in for Antique, Classic and Contem-
porary Aeroplanes, sponsored by EAA AjC
Chapter 3. Major speaker, vintage films,
good EAA fellowship; awards in all
categories. Contact: R. Bottom, Jr., 103
Powhatan Parkway, Hampton, VA 23661
May 1 - 3 Camarillo, CA - EAA Chap-
ter 723 and CAF Wing 12th Annual Fly-In
and aircraft exhibit. Homebuilts, classics,
antiques, warbirds and more. Pancake
breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, Dinner
Friday and Saturday with a band, seminars
and more. Contacts: Bob Koeblitz
310/443-8056 or Larry Hayes, 805/496-
3750
May 2 - 3 Winchester, V A - Winchester
Regional EAA Spring Fly-In. Trophies for
winning showplanes. Pancake breakfast
Sunday. Concessions and exhibitors. All
welcome. Contact AI or Judy Sparks, EAA
Chapter 186. Call 703/590-9112.
May 3 Moraine, OH - 29th Annual EAA
Chapter 48 Funday Sunday Fly-In at
Moraine Airpark. Awards, Breakfast, Flea
Market. Lots of Wacos! Contact Jennie
Dyke 513-878-9832 or Michael Williams
513-859-8967.
May 3 Bloomington, IL - Fly-In, Drive-
In pancake and sausage breakfast sponsored
by the Prairie Aviation Museum and Clark
Aviation. 8:00am til 12:00pm in the Clark
Aviation hangar. Contact: P.O. Box 856,
Bloomington, II 61702 or phone 309-663-
7632.
May 3 Rockford, IL - EAA Chapter 22
Annual Fly-In Breakfast. Mark Clark's
Courtesy Aircraft, Greater Rockford Air-
port. 7am til noon. Atis 126.7. For more
information call Wallace Hunt, 815/332-
4708.
May 15 -16 Colorado Springs, CO 3rd
Annual C.A.L./NX-211 Collectors Society
Symposium. Hied at the Pioneers Museum.
Contact: Dick Hoerle, 727 Y oUll-Kin Pkwy.
South, Columbus, OH 614/497-9517.
May 16 Mt. - Vernon, TX EAA Chapter
834 Spring Fly Market at Franklin County
Airport. Event will be held rain or shine.
Contcat: Jim Mankins, 903/725-6674, Ted
Newsome, 903/856-5992 or the Franklin
County Airport, 903/537-2711.
May 15-17 Columbia, SC - EAA
Chapter 242 2nd AIUmal Spring Fly-In at
Owens Field. Contact: Feaster Coleman,
803/779-6562 or 657-5864, or John
Gardner 803/796-2400 or 796-5808.
May 17 - Benton Harbor, MI - EAA
Chapter 585 6th Annual pancake breakfast
Fly-In at Ross Field. Classic car show,avia-
tion art and equipment exhibits. Contact: AI
Todd, 616/429-8518 or Randy Hunt ,
616/428-2837.
May 22-24 - Watsonville, CA 28th An-
nual West Coast Antique Fly-In and Air-
show. Contact: Gene Cox, 408/263-1616
or Susan Weil, 408/735-8238
May 22-24 - Atchison, KS - 26th Annual
Fly-In of the Kansas Ci ty Chapter of the
AAA. Contact: Stephen Lawlor, 816/238-
2161 or Gerald Gippner, 913/764/8512.
May 23-24 - Decatur, AL (DCU) -
EAA Chapter 941 and Decatur-Athens
Aero Service's fourth aJUlual Reunion and
Fly-In. Homebuilts, Classics, Antiques,
Warbirds and all GA aircraft welcome. Bal-
loon launch at dawn. Camping on field,
hotel shuttle avai lable. Contact: Decatur-
Athens Aero Service, 205/355-5770.
June 5 - 6, Bartlesville, OK - Frank
Phillips Field, Sixth Annual National
Biplane Convention and Expo. "Old Time
Airshow", forums, seminars, workshops.
Biplanes and NBA members free; all others
pay admi ssion fee. Contact: Charlie Harris,
918/742-7311 or Virgil Gaede, 918/336-
3976.
June 6 - Hot Springs, AR 25th Annual
Arkansas Air Derby. Contact Doug Mc-
Dowall, 5700 Granby Rd, North Little
Rock, AR 72118, phone 501/791-2626 or
501/758-1668 for registration information.
June 6 - St. Ignace, MI - EAA Chapter
560 2nd Annual Steak Cookout. Contact:
Sharon Travis, 616/627 -6409.
June 7 - DeKalb, IL - EAA Chapter 241
28th AIUmal Breakfast Fly-In at DeKalb-
Taylor Municipal Airport. Contact :
815/895-3888.
June 7 - LaCrosse, WI - LaCrosse Area
Flyers Club Annual Pancake Breakfast,
7am to llam. P.I.c. free. Check Notams.
June 7 - Wautoma, WI - EAA Chapter
252 Fly-In/Drive-In Picnic. Starts at llam.
Call 414/787-3030 for more information.
June 7 - Lebanon, TN - EAA Chapter
863 3rd Annual Fly-In/Drive-In. Call
615/452-1205 for more information.
June 13 Newport News, VA - EAA
Chapter 156 20th Annual Colonial Fly-In at
Newport News/Williamsburg International
Airport. Contact: Bob Hamill, 123 Robin-
son Rd., Hampton, VA 23661, 804/928-
0107
June 13 - 14 Coldwater, MI - NOTE
THE DATE CHANGE 8th Annual Fair-
child Fly-In. Branch County Memorial Field.
Contact: Mike Kelly, 22 Cardinal Dr.,
Coldwater, MI 49036, or call 517/278-7654
June 27 - 28 Orange, MA - New
England Regional Fly-In with antique
steam and gas engine show, flea market,
food. Trophies both days for Homebuilts,
antiques, classics warbirds. Chapter 726,
Orange Municipal Airport, Orange, MA
01364.
June 25 - 28 Mount Vernon, OH - 33rd
Annual National Waco Reunion Fly-In
Wynkoop Airport. Make your reservations
at the Curtis Motor Hotel 1-800-828-7847
or (in Ohio) 1-800-634-6835. For addition-
al information, contact the National Waco
Club, 700 Hill Av., Hamilton, OH 45015 or
call 513/868-0084.
June 28 - Anderson, IN - EAA Chapter
26 Annual Fly-In breakfast. Call 317/759-
5231 for more information.
July 3-5 Gainesville, GA - 24th Annual
Cracker Fly-In, EAA Chapter 611. Call
404/532-7119 or 404/967-2144 for more
information.
July 8-12 Arlington, WA - Northwest
EAA Fly-In. Info: 206-435-5857.
July 10 -12 Minden, NE - 14th Arumal
National Stinson Fly-In and meeting.
Pioneer Village Airport, Minden, NE. Call
303/744-8048 for more information.
July 11-12 Emmetsburg, IA - Fourth
AlUlual Aeronca Fly-In sponsored by the
Tail Dragger Club. Camping, Flight Break-
fast on Sunday, with free breakfast for pilot
and copilot. Serving 6:30am til 12:30pm.
Contact: Keith Hamden, Box 285, Em-
metsburg, IA 50536.
July 12 - Michigan City, IN - EAA
Chapter 966 Pancake Breakfast. Michigan
City Municipal Airport. Call 219/872-5248
for more information.
July 25 -26 New Berlin, IL - Flying
"S" Farm. Midwest gathering of
Taylorcrafts. Contact: AI and Mary Smith,
217/478-2671.
July 25 -26 Bemidji, MN - Bemidji-
Beltrami County Airshow, Alltiques and
Classics welcome. Fish fry, Hangar parties,
Sunday breakfast and aerial demonstra-
tions. Contact: LeRoy JolUlson, 1-800/458-
2223 or 218/751-5423.
July 26 - 31 Marion, IA - 24111 Arumal
International Cessna 170 Association Con-
vention. Contact Lee Reedy, 319/322-0665.
July 31-Aug. 6 Oshkosh, WI - 40th
Annual EAA Fly-In and Sport Aviation
Convention. Wittman Regional Airport.
Contact John Burton, EAA Aviation Cen-
ter, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, 414/426-
4800.
August 1-2 Shiocton, WI - Annual Fly-
In. Food served daily. Free camping to
EAA members. Contact: Joyce Baggot,
414/986-3547.
August 22-23 Bloomington, IL -
Eighth AlUlual Air Show sponsored by the
Prairie Aviation Museum. Contact: P.O.
Box 856, Bloomington, II 61702 or phone
309-663-7632.
September 5 - 7, Lake Guntersville,
AL - Aerodrome '92. Worlds largest WW I
Aviation Fly-In Convention. Contact :
Ryder International Corp., 205/586-1580.
September 19 - 20, Rock Falls, IL - 6th
Annual North Centra l EAA "Old-
Fashioned" Fly-In. Workshops, forums,
exhibits, swap meet, and awards. Pancake
breakfast on Sunday. Contact Gregg Erik-
son, 708/513-0642 or Dave Christianson,
815/625-6556. .....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
MYSTERYPLANE
by GeorgeHardie
Here's one for the lightplane experts.
Note the high aspect ratio wings. This
photo was submitted by Dan Hagedorn,
Archives Division, National Air and
Space Museum, Washington, DC.
Answers will be published in the July,
1992 issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
The deadline for that issue is May, 20,
1992.
Steve McNicoll of Geneva, Illinois
correctly identified the January Mystery
Plane. He writes:
"It is James McDonnell's
'Doodlebug'. McDonnell built it in
Milwaukee while he was Chief En-
28 APRIL 1992
gineer for the Hamilton Aero Manufac-
turing Company. The purpose of the
design was to win the $100,000 prize of
the Guggenheim Safe Aircraft Com-
petition.
"The 'Doodlebug' was a tandem,
two-place of tubing, wood and fabric
construction. Projected top speed was
110 mph, while its wing slots and flaps
allowed it to land very slowly and in a
short distance.
"The plane made its first flight on
November 15, 1929 at Milwaukee
County airport. The 'Doodlebug' per-
formed well in its initial flight at the
Guggenheim trials, held at Long
Island's Mitchell Field. But on its
second flight, the horizontal stabilizer
broke and the right wheel was knocked
off in the resulting landing.
"The Guggenheim committee
granted McDonnell time to make the
necessary repairs, but on its return flight
to Mitchell Field an engine failure
forced the plane down and a gear strut
was broken. This time, there would be
no extension, and the Guggenheim prize
went to the Curtiss 'Tanager'.
"McDonnell toured the country with
the 'Doodlebug' for a year seeking
fmancing to put the plane in production.
But in the spring of 1931 very little risk
capital was available.
"The 'Doodlebug' was sold to the
NACA for aeronautical research and
James McDonnell became an engineer
and test pilot with Great Lakes Aircraft
Corporation in Cleveland. In 1933, he
joined the Glenn L. Martin Co. in Bal-
timore. He stayed with Martin six
years, until forming the McDonnell
Aircraft Corporation in July, 1939 in St.
Louis."
Willis Kunz of Chesterfield, MO
adds this:
"The "Doodlebug' or 'Flying
Flivver' was designed and built by J.S .
McDonnell & Associates in Mil-
waukee, Wisconsin. The two other as-
sociates in the firm were James C.
Cowling and Constantine Leoyavich
Zakhartchenko. The aircraft was
designed to compete in the Guggenheim
Safe Aircraft A ward contest but it also
took part in the All-American Air Races
at Miami .
"Of course this is the 'Mr. Mac' who
founded the very successful McDonnell
Aircraft Corporation in St. Louis.
'Zakh' became chief engineer for the
Helicopter Engineering Division."
Charly Hayes of Park Forest, Illinois
note the resemblance of the "Dood-
lebug" to the Ryan X-I designed by Don
Hall. In comparing the stories on the
two airplanes, it appears they were two
separate designs. Both were intended
as entries in the Guggenheim contest,
but were apparently independent
projects. Design of the X-I was started
in November, 1927 and the first flight
was made in September, 1928. Design
of the "Doodlebug" started in early
1928 and first flight was made Novem-
ber 15, 1929. The X-I project was
abandoned in mid-1929 - its license NO.
was X-7521. The "Doodlebug", license
No. 157N, was flown around the
country by McDonnell a total of 26,000
miles before it was sold to NACA in the
Spring of 1931.
References: Popular Aviation, May,
1931; Air Classics, February, 1973;
NACA Report 482 and NACA Notes
398 and 460.
Other answers were received from
Wayne van Valkenburg, Jasper, GA;
Larry Wilson, NASM, Washington,
DC.; James Borden, Menahga, MN;
Terry Bowden, Waco, TX; Robert
Pauley, Farmington Hills, MI; H. Glenn
Buffington, El Dorado, AR; Marty
Eisenmann, Garrettsville, OH; Lynn
Towns, Brooklyn, MI; Gene Horsman,
Golden, CO ...
J. S. McDonnell Jr. &Associates "Doodlebug"
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...
35perword,$5.00minimumcharge.Send yourad to
TheVintageTrader,EAAAviationCenter,P.O. Box3086,Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT
" NowIt'saClassic"Meyers200A- Mfg. Dec.1959.820hrs.n,545hrs.
onzerotimeengine.15hrs.onzeroprop.Beautifullymaintained.IFRpluslots
ofextras. Call6p.m.to9p.m.,414/336-2356.(5-3)
DreamMachine-1937WacoYKS-7.Totallyrebuilt1980.Stitsprocess.740
SMOH. Leather interior. Clean and sharp. Flyaway - $87K. 208/683-3105.
(4-1)
MISCELLANEOUS:
CURnssJN4-DMEMORABILIA- Youcan nowownmemorabiliafromthe
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 of these items support
operating expense to keep this "Jenny" flying for the aviation public. We
appreciateyourhelp.Writeforyourfreepricelist.VirginiaAviationCo.,RDv-8,
Box294,Warrenton,VA22186. (c/5/92)
SUPERCUBPA-18FUSELAGES- Newmanufacture,STC-PMA-d,4130
chrome-moly tubing throughout, also complete fuselage repair. ROCKY
MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC. (J. E. Soares, Pres.) , 7093 Dry Creek Rd.,
Belgrade, Montana. 406-388-6069. FAX 406/388-0170. Repair station No.
QK5R148N.
Parachutes- TollFree1-800-526-2822,New&UsedParachutes.Wetake
trade-ins, 5-year repair or replacement warranty, many styles in stock.
Parachute Associates, Inc., 62 Main Street, SuiteA, Vincentown, NJ 08088,
609/859-3397. (c/7/92)
VINTAGE AIRCRAFTANDENGINES- Out-of-printliterature:history;res-
toration;manuals;etc.Uniquelistof2,000+scarceitems,$3.00.JOHNROBY,
3703VNassau,SanDiego,CA92115.(Established1960)(c-10/92)
C-26ChampionSparkPlugs- Newandreconditioned.New- $14.75,recon-
ditioned- $5.75to$9.75.Newwireends,$4.75.EagleAir,2920EmeraldDrive,
Jonesboro,GA30236,404/478-2310. (c-10/92)
GEEBEER-2, MONOCOUPE110Spl.,Hall"BULLDOG",topscalerated
model PLANS used byReplica Builders. Plus others byVem Clements,
EAA9297,308PaloAlto,Caldwell,ID83605. ExtensiveCatalog$3.00.(6-3)
ox-s Parts and Service - Free ads to subscribers. Subscription $18.00
yearly.P.O. Box134,Troy,OH45373.(7-6)
1930's Kollsman "Bubbleface" compass, have several, N.O.S., $225 each.
Manyothervintageitems- 44-pagecatalog,$5.JonAldrich,AirportBox706,
Groveland,CA95321,209/962-6121.(c-12/92)
AeroncaChamp/Chiefwings,fullycoveredandpainted,withGrimeslightsand
aux.Fueltank.$2400forthe pair.414/727-9632.
PLANS:
GreatLakesTrainerGuru- HarveySwackwillhelpyoubuyorsellaGreat
Lakes Trainer or a Baby Lakes. The only source for CORRECTED and
UPDATEDORIGINALGreatLakes drawings.Welded partsavailable. Write
to P.O.Box228,Needham,MA02192orcalldays617/444-5480.(c-10/92)
ENGINES:
Continental -1349n.549SMOH.Ground runtimesinceextensive
top overhaul. Newplugs, harness,will exchange.Continental A65480n,
oSMOH. Nowbeingoverhauled.Callfordetailson aboveengines.303/536-
4253evenings.(4-1)
Technical Data of Construction and Erection of N2S, N3N, and all
militarymodels ofthe PiperCub. $1.25 perdatasheetplus postageand
handling. Send part numberto: RLS Hangar15, 305 Kinney Street, EI
Cajon, CA92020, 619/562-3219. (5-2)
Cleaningourhangar- WrightR540Carb, $325;E-15012Vstarter,$490;
Wright R975 Master Rod (new) $300; British air speed 0320 mph $120;
Pioneer Bubble Eye Compass, $290; 2" Pioneer Brass Venturi ,$85; water
temp gage,$40;4" JonesTachometerfaces plus more.Send.75 in stamps
for list.Jerry,4925WilmaWay,SanJose,Ca95124
TraildraggerDragger- Nowmoveyoufavoriteaircraftsinglehandedlyand
neverleanon(oreven touch) the airframe! Justsay"HelloDolly""Goodbye
achingback". Guaranteed!Forinformation,1-8005358640.(7-4)
30 APRIL1992
AVIAtION
+
+

AntiqueAircraftAuction
Saturday,April25,1992
Startingat9:00A.M.
BILLHILL'sANTIQUEAIRCRAFT
COLLECTION
HartleeAirfield- Denton,Texas
(LocatedN.E. sideofDenton,Texas)
Sale Site Phone: 817-565-9125 Motel Headquarters:
Holiday Inn, 1500 Dallas Drive, Denton, Texas Phone:
817-387-3511
ANTIQUEAIRCRAFT
1929WacoATOTaperwing
Has Wright J-5 Engine, 35 H S.M.O.H. Total Ground
Up Restoration in 1989. New wings, center section, N,
cabaneandaileronstruts,New65 Gal. maintank, 18 Gal.
Center Section Tanks, 6 Gal. Oil Tank, 30" x 5 Wheels
w/Hyd Brakes, LockingTail Wheel, New Interior, Seats
& Floorboards, Stits HS 90XCoverFinished w/Butyrate
Dope in 1929 Factory Colors. 1989 AAA Grand Cham-
pion. This restoration is absolutely flawless!!! Grand
ChampionQuality.
1937BeechcraftD-17SStaggerwing
NC-18575 SIN 179 (5th Pratt & Whitney R-985 450
HpStaggerwingBuilt)GroundUpRestoration1989.Long
rangetanks,KX-165w/SlavedHSI,Fosterloran,KT-76A
transponder, new style electric gyros, Cleveland 10"
wheelsandbrakes,"G"modelonepiecewindshield. Stits
103cover,Europeanpolyurathanepaint(paintjobcostin
excess of$20,000) No cost was spared in restoring this
aircraft. IsstatedtobethefinestStaggerwinginexistence
as perStaggerwingNewsletter.
1941 UPF-7WacoBiplane
N-32153.300S.M.O.H.onR-670-6EngineCurtiss-Reed
Propeller. Ground-uprestoration in 1979. Coveredw/Grade
"A"cotton(Butyratedope) Very nicestockUPF-7.
1946BC12DTaylorcraft
N20V. Totally Restored in 1983. 50 S.M.O.H. Con-
tinentalA-65.Stitscovering. ReallyniceTaylorcraft.
AUTOMOBILES
1931 ModelAFordSportCoupeDeluxe
1979TriumphTR-7
1956DodgeAirForceFuelTruck
DaihatsuHi-JetLiftPiCk/Tipper
Shopequipment- Handtools- Wacoinventory-
WrightR-760- E2engines& inventory- WrightJ-5
enginesandinventory- Instruments- Accessories-
HamiltonStandardpropsandparts-
Misc.otherinventory.
Note: This is only a Partial List. Call For complete
colorbrochure.Thissaleofferssomeofthefinestantique
aircraft& partsinexistence. Donotmissthisauction!
BROS.2J
AUCTIONS INC.
!2&0 Roy. l HE ba l 28
14021 592 Iq33
,INC.
AviationUnderwritingAgency
P.o. Box 35289 Greensboro, NC 27425
BecoIneA MetnberOfTheBAA
Antique/ClassicInsurancePrograIn!
BENEFITS INCLUDE:
CallToday!
Lower IJability & HullPremiums
Fleet Discounts
No Age penalty
800-727-3823
No Hand Propping Exclusions
No Component Parts Endorsements
NotAnEAA
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Antique/Classic Member? A+ Company with In-House Claims .....
~ ...1. - .-.:" call ToJoin!
Service
ANTIQUE 1-800-322-2412
Option to Repair Your Own Aircraft
CLASSIC
APPROVED
974pagesofpracticaf,proven
construction techniques
forhomebuilders
BY:TONY BINGELIS
EXCELLENTREFERENCESOURCE-
MAKE GREAT GIFTS FOR THE
NOVICE OR EXPERIENCED
BUILDER - DON'TBUILD
WITHOUT THEM!
Information every builder needs, with allthe right answers at one'sfinger-
tips. Prepared by Tony Bingelis specificallyforEAA and SPORTAVIATION,
these publications are profusely illustratedwith photos,cutawaydrawings
and easy to understand descriptions that clearly resolve the most compli-
cated problem.Invaluablematerialforanyonedesigning,building,restoring
or maintaining sport aircraft. Orderyour copiestoday.
SPORTPLANE BUILDER_... S19.95
IAircratt Construction Methods - 320 pages) SPECIAL
FIREWALL FORWARD......$19.95
OFFER
IEngi ne Installation Methods - 304 pages)
... order alllhree for just
SPORTPLANE CONSTRUCTION
TECHNIQUES....... . . ...$20.95 $52.97
IAeuilde'-s Handbook - 350 pages) Add S6.95 postage and handling.
Send check or money order - WI residents add WI residents add 5% sales tax.
5% sales tax. Add S2.40 postage and handling
for each Dublication ordered.
OrderimmediatelybycallingEAA'sTollFreeNumber1-800-843-3612
orcall (414)426-4800
MajorCl8dHcardsaccepted.
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION
EAA Aviation Cenler Oshkosh.WI 54903-3086
p.O. box 468
madison, north carolina 27025
(919) 427-0216
AWWA
MEMBER
MEMBER
lANK PAINIINb AND REPAIRING
SANDIlASTING. TANK LINERS AND COAIINGS
PREVENIIIIE lANK ..AINHNANCE INSPtCliON SERVICE
lADDER SMETY EOUIP.. ENr
RESUIIOIR LINUS AND ROOfS
DIS....ANTlING AND ..OVING IANKS
NEW. uSED AND IECONOITtOHlO TANKS
POLY-FIBERCOVERING
THEBESTGETSBETTER WITHNEWHIGH
STRENGTHLOWELONGATIONFABRICSTYLES
OUTSTANDINGQUALITIES
Long Life Flexible Coatings and Finishes Developed Espe-
cially for Aircraft Fabric. Will Not Support Combustion
ProvenDurabilityonThousandsofAircraftWorldWideSince
1965.EasyRepairability.LightestCoatingSystemApproved
Underan FAASTC andaPMA MostEconomicalCovering
MaterialsConsidering Many Years ofTroubleFree Service.
. FAA STCApprovedforOver690 Aircraft Models.
VIDEOTAPE AVAILABLE
FABRICCOVERING WITH RAYSTITS. EDUCATIONAL.
INSTRUCTIVE. TECHNICAL. Sponsored by EAA Aviation
Foundation. See This Tape First and Avoid Expensive Mis-
takes. VHS or Seta, $39.95 Prepaid. Also Direct from EAA
(1-800-843-3612) and Poly-Fiber Distributors.
WRITE,PHONEORFAXFORFREE.NewFifthEditionPoly-
FiberManualWithUpdatedInformation.NewFabricSamples
WithTest Reports.CatalogandDistributorList
STITSPOLY-FIBER
AIRCRAFTCOATINGS
P.o.Box3084-V, Riverside,CA92519-3084
Phone (714) 684-4280,Fax (714) 684-0518
Flyhighwitha
qualityClassicinterior
Completeinteriorassembliesfordo-it-yourselfinstallation.
Customqualityateconomicalprices.
Cushionupholsterysets
Wallpanelsets
Headliners
Carpetsets
Baggagecompartmentsets
Firewallcovers
Seatslings
Recoverenvelopesanddopes
Freecatalogofcompleteproductline.
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and
stylesofmaterials:$3.00.
INC.
259LowerMorrisvilleRd.,Dept.VA
Fallsington,PA19054 (215) 295-4115
, ' As a flying club manager, I hear from all
the insurance companies. I was glad I
stuck with AVEMCO. When I made a
claim, they did it right. ' ~ . ~ ~
"It seems like insurance compa-
nies have been bouncing pri ces all
over to get my business" said
Cody, " but I want to stick with a
company that will be there when I
need it. And beli eve me, AVEMCO
was there. They had an adjuster
up to look at the damaged plane
in no time, and the claim was
handled very professionally. I
really appreciated the way they
worked with me to
In Canada Call
1-800-263-1631
pay the loss qui ckly."
Even if you're not in the
business of training students or
renting airplanes, you want to be
insured by a company that will
settle your claim quickly and
professionally. That 's the kind of
service you'll get from AVEMCO.
Isn' t that the kind of service you
want from your aviation insurance
company?
AVEMCO is rated "A+" Superi or
Stability is important, and for
30 years AVEMCO has insured
more general aviation aircraft
Cody Lawrence
Air One, San jose, California
and pilots than any other insur-
ance company. AVEMCO is also
proud to be rated"A+" by A.M.
Best Company. A.M. Best rates an
insurance company on its relative
financial strength and ability to
meet contractual obligations.
Call today for an immediate,
no-obligation quote.
INSURANCE COMPANY
1-800-638-8440
By Aviation Peop/e .. .For Aviation People