Vintage Airplane - Jul 2004

JULY 2004
VOL. 32, No. 7
2 VAA NEWS
6 MYSTERY PLANE
8 MY FLIGHT IN AN AEROPLANE
LUCERNE, AUGUST 9, 1912
Walter C. Hill, Sr
10 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE

CHANNEL CROSSING
SPECIAL CABLE TO THE WASHINGTON POST
11 CARLSON 'S THULIN-BUILT BLERIOT
A GRANDFATHER'S INSPIRATION
H.G. Frautschy
11
15 FLIGHT STORY - CONTINUED

A GRANDFATHER'S INSPIRATION
Tom Matowitz
19 A BRIEF HISTORY OF
STEARMAN AIRCRAFT COMPANY
Alan Lopez
25 THE VINTAGE INSTRUCTOR
INVULNERABILITY/Doug Stewart
26 CALENDAR
27 PASS IT TO BUCK
A STICKING VALVE/Buck Hilbert
28 NEW MEMBERS
29 CLASSIFIED ADS
Front Cover: Re storer/ pilot Mikael Carlson of Sweden flies past in his
Thulin Type A/ BIEniot Xi. The license-built Bleriot is powered by a 50 hp
Publisher
Editor-in-Chief
Executive Editor
News Editor
Photography Staff
Production Manager
Advertising Sales
Advertising/ Editorial Assistant
Copy Editing
TOM POBEREZNY
scon SPANGLER
MIKE DIFRISCO
RIC REYNOLDS
JIM KOEPNICK
JULIE RUSSO
LOY HICKMAN
913268-6646
ISABELLE WISKE
COLLEEN WALSH
KATHLEEN WITMAN
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
Executive Director, Editor

VAA Administrative Assistant
Contributing Editors
HENRY G. FRAUTSCHY
THERESA BOOKS
BUDD DAVISSON
DOUG STEWART
JOHN MILLER
Gnome Omega rotary engine . Recovered from a barn in Sweden in

1986, the pioneer era airplane reminds us of the 95th Anniversary of
Bleriot's flight across the English Channel on July 25, 1909. VAA/ EAA
photo by H.G. Frautschy.
Back Cover: " Fabric" is the title of the Best in Show ribbon winner during
the 2004 Sport Aviation Art Competition. "Fabric" was composed using
graphite pencils on cold-pressed illustration board . It was based on a
photograph of an Aeronca Champ taken by the artist, G.D. Provenza, in
1959, while hanging around a county airport and dreaming of being a
pilot. You can read G.D. at PO Box 271362 , Fort Collins , CO 80527, or
e-mail atjerryprovenza@wmconnect.com.
ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE

PRESIDENT, VINTAGE ASSOCIATION
EAA AirVenture Opportunities

You will be reading this just be
fore you take off to Oshkosh, if
you are going, to EAA AirVenture
2004. This year of course will be
special for me as it will be the last
convention while I am still presi
dent. My term will expire after we
have the election ratified at our
annual membership meeting,
which will be held Monday, Au
gust 2, at 9:30 a.m. We will hold
the meeting in the Type Club tent.
If you are interested in attend
ing, we ask that you verify the
meeting time/place at the informa
tion booth located in the Red Barn.
Speaking of the Red Barn, I
would like to thank all of you that
were able to send your support to
the Friends of the Red Barn fund.
These funds are used directly to
support and help improve your
Vintage area of the convention
grounds.
The VAA maintenance crew,
headed up by your VAA Director
Bob Brauer, has spent a number of
weekends in advance of the con
vention working on our facilities
in Oshkosh. They will be working
hard just a few days before the
show to get everything up and
running. Then they step back and
wait for something to break, and
they fix it!
So many activities take place
during the week that it is hard to
talk about each one. Literally hun
dreds of VAA volunteers contribute
their time as they participate in
the annual EAA convention. Some
of these include parking your air
craft and seeing to the security of
your aircraft and personal prop

erty. Volunteers also judge your
aircraft and others. More than SO
I would like
to thank all of
you that were
able to send
your support
to the Friends of
the Red Barn
percent of our volunteer forces are
used to cover these activities.
What is there to do in the vast
VAA area during EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh? You can start out by
joining some of your fellow mem
bers at the Tall Pines Cafe for
breakfast in the morning. After
that, hop on a northbound tram
and come to the VAA Red Barn and
see what other activities might be
going on that day. Visit the VAA
store and see what you might not
be able to live without. Outside
the Red Barn, the VAA has a tour
tram that is free for those who
wish to ride around the VAA area

to get an overview of the wide va
riety of aircraft on display.
You can buy a ticket to the VAA
picnic, which will be held at the
Nature Center on Wednesday
night. It's always a great time.
Just south of the Red Barn we
have a metal-shaping tent, where
there will be a number of skills
demonstrated. One more tent to
the south, we have located the
Type Club Headquarters, a center
of knowledge. We invite various
type clubs to set up an informa
tion table so you can chat about
your favorite airplane.
There are plenty of different ac
tivities , and your best bet is to
check in with the information
counter located in the Red Barn. If
it seems like we do a lot during the
week, you're right, but we couldn't
do it without your help. How can
you contribute? Why not stop by
our volunteer center, located just
at the entrance to the VAA area,
and ask where help is needed.
Anna Osborn and her crew will be
glad to pOint you in the right di
rection.
If you cannot make EAA AirVen
ture this year, start planning for
next year.
Let's all pull in the same direc
tion for the good of aviation.
Remember, we are better together.
Join us and have it all!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
Printed EAA AirVenture

NOTAMs Available
The printed notice to airmen
(NOTAM) for EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2004 is now available
from EAA Membership Services at
800-jOIN EAA (800-564-6322). The
NOTAM d esc ribes arrival and de
parture flight procedures in effect
from july 24 through August 3, in
cluding procedures for the many
types of aircraft that fly to Oshkosh
for the event, as well as aircraft that
land at nearby airports. NOTAM
booklets are also available online
through www.airventure.OIg.
Breakfast and a Briefing

The VAA Tall Pines Cafe will be in
operation again this year with an
expanded schedule prior to conven
tion, and fly-in style pancake
breakfasts during EAA AirVenture.
Starting on Friday morning, july 23,
and continuing through Sunday,
july 25, the VAA Tall Pines Cafe will
be open for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. Starting Monday, July 26,
only breakfast will be served at the
Tall Pines Cafe. As we had last year,
an FAA Flight Service Station (FSS)
trailer will be located near the cafe.
At the trailer, which will be north of
the VAA Tall Pines Cafe, you'll be
able to check the weather for your
flight and obtain a full briefing
from FSS specialists without having
to trek up to the FAA Building near
the control tower. We'll see you
there each morning for "breakfast
and a briefing."
VAA Volunteer Opportunities

Are you an ace pancake flipper?
If you're not one yet, we can help!
The VAA Tall Pines Cafe is looking
for volunteers who can help pro
vide a hearty breakfast to all the
hungry campers on the south end
of Wittman Field. If you could lend
a hand for a morning or two, we'd
appreciate it. If that's not your cup
of tea, feel free to check with the
VAA volunteer center, located just
2
JULY 2004
to the northeast of the Red Barn.

The volunteers who operate the
booth will be happy to tell you
when your help is needed each day.
It doesn't matter if it's just for a few
hours or for a few days, we'd love to
have your helping hands!
Call jeannie Hill (815-943-7205),

and she will reserve seating so your
type club can sit together.
Shawano Fly-Out
If so, be sure to check in at the

information desk at the VAA Red
Barn. There, we ' ll issue you a spe
cial name badge. We can also point
out the location for the Ford Tri
Motor rides . If you have any
questions , feel free to ask for
Theresa Books, the VAA adminis
trative assistant. If you need to
reach her in advance of your ar
rival, you can call her at EAA
headquarters, 920-426-6110.
The annual fly-out to Shawano

is Saturday, july 31. The sign-up
sheet will be at the desk at the VAA
Red Barn, and the briefing will be
at 7 a.m. the morning of the fly
out. This year the meal will be
provided at the Shawano airport,
so we won't need to leave the air
field. We 're hoping to have a good
turnout this year to make up for
the weather cancellation last year.
The community of Shawano is a
big supporter of VAA and puts
forth a lot of effort to sponsor this
event. It does a great job, and we
hope you'll help us thank Shawano
by joining us.
VAA Message Center
VAA Red Barn Store
If you would like to leave a mes

sage for people you know who
frequent the VAA Red Barn, stop by
the information desk. You can write
them a message in our "notebook
on a string," and we'll post their
name on the marker board so
they'll know there's a message wait
ing for them. Sure, cellular phones
and walkie-talkies are great, but
sometimes nothing works better
than a hand-scribbled note!
The VAA Red Barn Store, chock

full of VAA logo merchandise and
other great gear, will be open all
week long. Show your VAA mem
bership card (or your receipt
showing you joined VAA at th e
convention), and you'll receive a
10 percent discount.
On Thursday, july 29, from 7
p.m. to 9 p.m. there will be a spe
cial VAA Members-Only Sale. Bring
your VAA card, and you'll receive
an additional discount on specially
priced merchandise. See you there!
Are You a Friend of the

VAA Red Barn?
VAA Picnic
Tickets for the Wednesday, july
28, annual VAA picnic held at the
Nature Center will be available for
sale at the VAA Red Barn. Tickets
must be purchased in advance so
we know how much food to order.
Tickets will be on sale at the VAA
Red Barn prior to the start of EAA
AirVenture. The delicious home
cooked meal, including both beef
and chicken, will be served after
5:30 p.m. Trams will begin leaving
the VAA Red Barn around 5 p.m.
and will make return trips after the
picnic. Type clubs may hold their
annual banquets during the picnic.
CD Writer
As more of us use digital pho
tography to capture our memories
of special events, we're caught by
one fact of life-those little Com
pact Flash or Smart Media cards
don't always hold all the pictures
we'd like to take. We're going to
help you with this dilemma by of
fering to download your images
and burn them to a compact disc
(CD), all for a nominal fee. Bring
your digital camera to the VAA Red
Barn, and see how easy it is to sa
vor your stay in Oshkosh.
VAA AirVenture
Area Map
'0
West Side
Vintage Aircraft ~
Camping
Theater
In Th e
Woods
VAA
Antique
Parking
AREA
GENERAL
LAYOUT
To h'" m,mb,,' who fly

Red Barn
understand the layout of the conType Club
"
VAA Special
vention area adm inistered by the
Parking
()
Showplane / Camper
Display Area
VAA , we've prepared this simpli- ~_ Starts at
Hangar
DRegistration
- . - - - Row 74
Cafe
fied map. As yo u can see, _ _ _ _ _ __ _ -" '-_ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ --'
camping starts at Row 74 on the
Past Grand Champions - parked along road
VAA
east side
of the
main
and in rows 60 & 61.
Operations
north / south road (Wi ttm an
Shack
Ro ad), wi th the a reas to the
north of that line set up to hanVAA
dl e display-only vintage aircraft.
Large Special
Interest
VAA PARKING That 's why you may see open ar
Comm Center
Aircraft/
No Camping
eas as yo u taxi south to your
Antiques
Row 62 through Row 77
camping location.
Once you arrive, you ' ll need
to register your aircra ft and / or
campsite. In add ition to roving
Rows 60
Row SO
Row 78
registration vehicles , there is
& 61
EAST SIDE
Antique
one main aircraft registration =,;:--,.
-.--Point
VAA CAMPING AND PARKING _ _ _ _ _'----'--'-1._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ -'--_--'-_
__
building , located just south of
STARTS HERE,
th e Red Ba rn ( see map ). Th e
CONTIN UES TO ROW 150
EAA conve nt ion cam pgrounds ,
both on the air side and in Camp
If you want your aircraft to be judged by VAA volunteer judges, you need to be a current
Scho ller, are private camp
Vint age Aircraft Association member. VAA contri butes a significant portion of the costs re
grounds, and are not open to
lated to the EAA awards that are presented to the award winners . Anoth er immediate benefit
non-EAA members. Each camp
of VAA membership is your free VAA AirVen ture Oshkosh 2004 Partic ipant Pl aq ue , which you
site must be registered by a
can pick up in the rear of th e Red Barn . EAA and VAA memberships are avai lab le at both Air
current EAA member.
craft Registration and at the Membership booth located northeast of the Red Barn.
Other EAA AirVenture

VAA Highlights
Tony's Red Ca rpet Express will be
coordinated through the VAA Red
Barn. To schedule your transportation
needs, simply contact us at the desk.
VAA Red Barn headquarters is also
the VAA media headquarters. If you
have any questions concerning spe
cial displays or events, ask at the desk.
The DTN weather system will be
available throughout the day.
For pilots who register their air
craft, yo ur complimentary VAA
participation plaque and mug will be
distributed at the VAA Red Barn.
The new computer system that al
lows us to distribute the plaques and
mugs more efficiently also affords us
a convenient method of locating
members who have registered with us
durin g EAA AirVenture. So, if yo u
need to find someone, chances are we
can help you do so in record time.
The VAA Red Barn is also the VAA
Hosp it a lit y-Information Cen t er.
Please stop in to say h ell o, e njoy a

cup of coffee or a lemonade, and "set
a spell" on t he porch . We look for
ward to seeing all of yo u and value
your input. Let us know how we can
mak e your convention stay more
pleasant and enjoyable.
Other Things You' ll Find Near the
VAA Red Barn
Membership & Chapter
Information Booth
Volunteer Booth
Metal-Shaping Tent
Type Club Tent
Designated Smoking Areas

Near Flightline
Smoking on the fli ghtline at EAA
AirVenture is prohibited beca use it's a
ha za rd to a ll aircraft. "O n e o f the
mo st persistent complaints among
our volunteers is dealing with smok
ers who, unthinking, smoke around
aircraft," said Operation P.O.P. Chair
person Noel Marshall. To alleviate
thi s, Operation Protect Our Planes

(PO.P) has created several designated
smoking areas with butt cans along
the flightlin e, but away from aircraft
and refueling operations.
Designated smoking areas will be
south of the ultralight runway; near
the Hangar Cafe; near the Warbird
area (northeast corner of Audrey Lane
and Eide Avenue); the Wearhouse flag
pole area; the shade pavilion north of
the control tower; and near the Ultra
light Barn. Locations will be indicated
on EAA's free convention ground
map. The admission wristband will
also instruct visitors that smoking is
allowed only in des ignated smoking
areas.
Red Barn Contributors

Our thanks to each of you who
have contributed to the VAA
Friends of the Red Barn 2004 cam
paign . W e' l l have the list of
contributors in next month 's edi
tion of Vintage Ai/plane!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
Thoughts on Proper Aircraft Restraint

GENE MORRIS, VAA DIRECTOR, EAA AIRVENTURE]UDGE
ow badly would you feel if
your airplane were to seri
ously injure or kill someone?
I dare say that any VAA mem
ber would be beyond consolable. I know
I would be.
Yet by not properly tying down an
airplane while attending a fly-in, the po
tential exists for a seemingly benign
airplane to become uncontrollably air
borne in the teeth of a thunderstorm's
gales. Flipping an airplane over happens
every year, and it has happened at the
EAA Convention. Back in the early
1980s, a few airplane owners had to
come up with another way home after
their airplanes were totaled when blown
over during a thunderstorm that
pounded Wittman Field.
It's bad enough during a fly-in when
camping gear or lawn chairs are blown
about, but an airplane being blown over
or tumbling over and over can be lethal.
Unless we're all careful about properly
tying the airplane down, it can happen
again, with tragic consequences. Unfor
tunately, there are some folks who
believe that any tied own will do . The
fact is they're living in a fantasy world.
Because of the false sense of security
they can create, some tiedowns are al
most as bad as none!
Which brings us to the real purpose of
this piece of tie down wisdom. I say "wis
dom," because I've been around these
toys of ours for 62 plus years. Five of
those have been aloft, and still counting.
Much has been written about tying
down airplanes, some of it good, and
some of it not so good. A few years ago
there was even a short article in one of
our monthly magazines (not Vintage Air
plane!) complete with pictures, of the
latest and greatest "find" in tiedowns
that someone had just discovered. The
writer was so proud of finding a set of
pretty, screw-in "doggie ring" tiedowns.
The fact is, they're junk! Doggie ring
tiedowns are a menace to the well being
JULY 2004
of any airplane, and to the airplanes and

people surrounding them.
I know these tiedowns are inexpen
sive and sometimes even easy to put in
the ground, but just take a look at what
is holding your airplane down. The little
ring that fastens to the stake is put on
with a 1/8-inch rivet. Some have an
other clamp or crimping arrangement
that isn' t any better. Ask yourself:
"Would you fly your airplane with a 1/8
inch rivet holding the wing strut on?"
The other problem with any type of
screw-in anchor is that the very act of
screwing them into the ground dis
turbs the soil that is supposed to hold
the tiedown in place. Simply put, there
isn't anything good about these types
of tiedowns.
Here's my confession: I used to use
these screw in type tiedowns. But after
seeing what happened to an Aeronca
Champ during the EAA Convention in
1993, I made some tests.
First, I tied the rope to the top trian
gle, and applied some force (an amount
that was far less than the force generated
by a single wing in a 50-60 mph wind).
It failed by straightening out enough for
the rope to slide off. The screw anchors
were placed outboard enough, or they
would have unscrewed or pulled right
out of the ground. Figuring I'd found
the major flaw in the tiedown, I welded
the triangle so that it would not open
up. BOY, was I wrong.
My next tests were made with the tri
angle welded together. I then made a
fulcrum with a long beam and had a
rope on one end fastened to the tiedown
below. In just three short seconds, it
only took 400 foot-pounds for it to un
screw right out of the ground!
Over the years I have seen a lot of
things happen, and I remember many as
if they happened just yesterday. My first
visit to our municipal airport was when I
was about 11 years old. A buddy of mine
and I rode our bicycles out to what is
now the "downtown" airport at Spring

field, Missouri (SGF). It was a very pretty
day, and we made our way into the
hangar and explored all of the beautiful
airplanes. We knew almost all of them
from making models and reading maga
zines. Three years later, I was a regular
around the place and was hired on as a
line boy. There were many airplanes tied
down, for there was only one large
hangar on the "city" side of the airport.
One day, around 1944, we had a mi
croburst hit the airport. Back then they
didn't call it that, but in retrospect that's
exactly what happened. All we knew was
that a huge thunderstorm was coming out
of the southwest, and it blew like crazy.
Ted Burris, a fellow line boy, was out by
the gas pit holding down a Stinson 105 all
by himself. How he did it, I really don't
know, but he did it! Just a few yards away,
out in front of the hangar, was a loosely
tied-down Travelair 4000, and it was flying
about six inches off the ground, pretty as
you please. To the right of the Travelair
was a J-3 cub doing the same thing, except
that the stick was tied back. The main
wheels were off the ground. I saw the en
tire episode unfold in front of my eyes.
Then, all of a sudden, that little Cub
went flying up and over the airplane be
hind it, and then across Division Street,
landing upside down while going back
ward. When the storm abated, there was
not a straight piece of anything left on
that Cub. The airplane was so damaged,
it was almost impossible to disassemble.
We used a hacksaw in some places.
Behind the hangar, we had a row of
Taylorcraft L-2s tied down and they were
all sitting there nice as you please with
their tails about two feet off the ground.
The main wheels were not moving. Tay
lorcraft had a very good thing with the
L-2. It was a small retractable control
lock that was spring loaded to store itself
up under the instrument panel. When
you parked the airplane, you pulled the
little control lock down and it fit over
the top of the stick, which both locked

the ailerons and held the stick forward.
After seeing those L-2's ride out the
storm, I have always tied my stick for
ward. It isn't always easy, but for a ship
with tandem seating, you tie the rear
stick with the front seat belt. On a
Cessna 140, Chief, etc., I have tied a
small, soft rope around one control
wheel, and then around the throttle and
over to the right control wheel. That
way, the ailerons and elevators are held
fast. A rudder lock would be a good idea
too. Here's an example why.
Some years ago our C-140A was tied
outside, and a gale had been blowing for
a day or two out of the west, right up the
tail of that little 140. You will not believe
this. The rudder had been pushed to the
right so hard and for so long that the lit
tle gap seal fairing on the leading edge
of the rudder had come out and lodged
on the outside of the fin! That's when I
fabricated a rudder lock. It's a good thing
we found that on the walk around for
the next flight, huh?
Being into wind stories, I have an
other or so to qualify my creditability. In
1946, after most operators had moved to
the "new" airport at SGF, I still worked
for the city as a line boy. One bright
summer afternoon, the two large
hangars both had their doors wide open
and there were Cubs and Champs sitting
outside, untied . A fast growing cumulus
cloud sat just off the east side of the field
and it was moving west, a bad sign.
All of a sudden it was obvious that
something was about to happen. I was up
by the gas pit, near the terminal, and
quickly picked up on the action going on
around the hangars. People were scurry
ing around moving some airplanes into
the hangars, and tying the others down.
Then, as I watched, one of Roscoe
Prescott's Aeronca Champs, facing north,
was attacked by the gust front. When that
east wind hit it, it weather-vaned into the
wind and began rolling and bouncing
backwards across the airport. That was be
fore full swivel/steerable tail wheels, and
when that wheel would come down and
hit the ground, the rudder would jerk vio
lently to the side, and then the tail would
bounce up again. I jumped into our big
Ford dump truck and gave chase. By the
time I got close, the little Champ was al
most out to the runway.

I jumped out and grabbed the prop,
and with some sort of super strength
that I do not understand to this day, I
put my feet up on the cow lin g and
pulled that little bulldog down to the
ground. I held it until help arrived, and
we pushed it into the hangar. I received
a grateful "thank you" from Roscoe,
which was appreciated, but I sure could
have used a little stick time in the
Champ! While all this was going on, a
BT-13 without an engine rolled straight
backward, clear across the runway and
into a ditch.
If you will notice, all of my wind sto
ries are of conventional gear airplanes. It
is just natural for an airplane facing into
the wind to want to fly. A light, empty
Cub is a prime example. Now, if the stick
is tied forward, the tail will come up and
"unload/l the wing, which is exac tly
what we would want. Nosewheel air
planes will sit pretty tamely unless
they're on a slope where the wing would
be at a higher angle of attack.
Back in the 1940s, the stakes we used
were just old automobile rear axles,
driven into the ground at an angle, with
the differential gear on top . They were
heavy, and then of course, the sledge
went along too!
Today there are so many really nice,
well-engineered tiedowns on the market.
Most use three stakes driven into the
ground at different angles. That type of
setup gives very good protection. Good
heavy stakes, placed outboard of the wing
attach pOint, will probably hold your air
plane down in most cases. Be sure not to
put them directly straight down; they will
pull right out of the ground.
Finally, one more horror story. A
while back I heard about the damage
that tying down with chains can do to
your airplane. If the chains are attached
to a fixed, secure anchor, and if there is
the slightest looseness in the chain, the
airplane will sit and rock in the wind,
banging up and down against the air
craft structure. The chains have no shock
absorption capability, and the constant
yanking of the chain tided down to a
fixed point on the ground can actually
ruin the spar or what ever it's attached
to. If you should ever have to use chains,
make sure that they are very, very tight.
Many times you will find chains placed

along a cable on the ramp that has slack
built right in. That might help, but I still
don't li ke chains.
When you go to a fly-in, take a look
around at the airplanes parked near
yours to see how they are tied down.
Share any tips you might have with the
other owners. You may have your air
plane secured perfectly but if those
upwind are not, the airplane you save
may be your own!
During AirVenture 2003 I spent four
early mornings observing all the aircraft
tied down in the Vintage area. I found
that out of 496 aircraft, 164 were, in my
opinion, and I photographed them, not
tied securely. Of those 164, 24 were tied
directly to, and only to, the little "dog
gie" ring. It might hold your dachshund,
but not a big dog, and definitely not a
light plane. Disappointingly, eight air
planes were not tied at all.
In conclusion , and with many in
agreement with me, we must, number
one, outlaw the doggie stakes I'm always
disappointed to find there are vendors
who sell that type of tiedown right at
AirVenture.
I also believe that fly-in announce
ments, postings etc., should include
tiedown requirements, and they too
should clearly state that doggie stake
tiedowns are not acceptable. Even the trio
of reinforcing rods driven into the ground
will perform better in a strong wind than
the doggie ring tiedowns.
.......
For more information on better
tiedown methods, visit EAA's AirVenture
website at:
http://www.ai/venture.org/2004If!ying/t
ying down.html, and the FAA advisory
Circular AC 20-3SC, "Tiedown Sense./I
You can also visit the VAA website for an
article on constructing a set of tiedowns.
From the VAA home page at www.vin
tageaircratt.org. click on the bar heading
"Publications./I You ' ll see a tab for "In
formational Articles"; click on it and
you can naVigate to a listing that in
cludes the article published in the June
2003 issue of Vintage Airplane. For a lim
ited time, a direct link to that article will
be shown on the VAA home page.
This past year, another great tiedown
construction article was published on page
110 in the April 2004 issue of EAA Sport
Aviation. "Building a Better Tiedown," by
Stanley Mann, shows you how to con
struct a variation of the tiedown article
published in Vintage Airplane.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
BY H . G . FRAUTSCHY
APRIL'S MYSTERY ANSWER
some drawings missing, but they were reorganizing and said

that there might be more drawings that had not been cata
logued yet. There was certainly enough to build from. Getting
copies was a complicated process, but the TS-1 was also fea
tured in Skyways magazine several years ago, including
drawings made from the ones in the National Archives.
One thing that I remember from the drawings is a small
compmtment beneath the headrest that was labeled some
thing like"Pigeon Compartment," apparently for the carrier
pigeons that the designers thought that all naval aviators
would carry with them.
The onLy sun/ivor is ofcourse at the National Museum of
Naval Aviation at Pensacola, a TS-2 modified to TS-1 con
figuration. (It was on loan from the NASM, and while
unable to confirm its new location, Michael McCormick
wrote to tell us that it is now at the n ew Udvar-Hazy
Center at Dulles. -HGF) Also, "TS" stood for "Turret
Shipboard" from the early days when they Launched pLanes

from pLatfonns above the gun turrets on battleships.
Andrew King
Our April Mystery Plane was a favorite of a few of

you who wrote in. It was the first Navy fighter. From
the many letters we received, here's a sample letter from
a longtime member:
Glad to see the TS-1 (Curtiss or NAF) as this month's

Mystery Plane; it's one of my favorites. Like the Ryan M-1 , it
had a limited production, but has its own niche in history as
one of the first carrier-based aircraft. I've heard it said that it
was the first plane designed from scratch for the purpose of
flying from an aircraft carrier. I'm sure you'll get some more
informative replies, but I might be able to add some. I seri
ollsly considered building a replica TS-1 after the Ryan,
maybe some day I still will, but in any event, I found out
through the NASM that the National Archives, in College
Park, Mmyland, have drawings of the TS-1. I went there,
filled out the forms, was given white cotton gloves to wear,
and was allowed to examine original TS-1 drawings. Not
copies, but original linen drawings from 1926! There were
Don Harris, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, had an explana

tion regarding the markings on our Mystery Plane:
At one time, TS-1s sported a diving bird logo at the front
of the fuselage. When it was shown that the logo infringed
on one used by a commercial chocolate company, its use was
discontinued... which maybe can explain the bLackened circle
on the plane in your magazine.
Other answers were received from Orval Fairbairn,

Daytona Beach, Florida; William Mette, Campbell,
California; Michael McCormick, Houston, Texas;
Thomas Lymburn, Princeton, Minnesota; Jim Stubner,
Mercer Island, Washington; Clarence Hesser, St.
Augustine, Florida; Richard Ormsby, Phoenix, Arizona;
Charl es F. Schultz, Louisville, Kentucky; Wayne Muxlow,
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Wayne Van Valkenburgh,
Jasper, Georgia; and Russ Brown, Lyndhurst, Ohio.
A good source for more information on the TS-1 is
Curtiss Aircraft 1907-1947, by Peter Bowers.
......
THIS MONTH ' S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM THE ARCHIVES OF THE
EAA BOEING AERONAUTICAL LIBRARY.
SEND YOUR ANSWER TO: EAA, VINTAGE AIRPLANE,
P.O. Box 3086 , OSHKOSH , WI 54903-3086. YOUR
ANSWER NEEDS TO BE IN NO LATER THAN SEPTEMBER
10, 2004, FOR INCLUSION IN THE OCTOBER 2004 IS
SUE OF Vintage Airplane.
You CAN ALSO SEND YOUR RESPONSE VIA E-MAIL.
DON 'T FORGET, WE'VE GOT A NEW E-MAIL ADDRESS
FOR YOU TO USE WHEN SENDING IN YOUR RESPONSE.
SEND YO UR ANSWER TO mysteryplane@eaa.org. BE
SURE TO INCLUDE BOTH YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS
( ESPECIALLY YOUR CITY AND STATE!) IN THE BODY
OF YOUR NOTE AND PUT "( MONTH) MYSTERY PLANE"
IN THE SUBJECT LINE .
6
JULY 2004
My FLIGHT IN AN AEROPLANE
Lucerne, August 9, 1912
WALTER
c.
HILL SR.
SUBMITTED BY WALTER C. HILLJR.
here was quite a

number of specta
tors in the aero
drome, some stand
ing around as if
waiting for something to happen,
and others grouped around the
machine, intent on details of con
struction of this modern wonder
-the aeroplane. Donning the long
brown coat brought to me by an
attendant, and handing him my
hat in exchange for the cap and
goggles, sent through the crowd
knowledge that a man was going
to fly. There was just a tremor of
excitement, more felt than ex
pressed, save in the hasty
movements of the onlookers to
find the best points of vantage to
see the start. As I buttoned over
the long coat, a vest-like garment
padded 3 to 4 inches thick with ei
derdown, my mother thought I too
had caught a little of the "tremors"
and said that I was just a little pale,
but I vow it was either her excite
ment or the severe effect of this
deep brown raiment on my blond
complexion for I had no qualms
nor tremors, not even as I climbed
the ladder and took my seat behind
the engine and waited for the avia
tor, Monsieur Charles Ingold, to
settle himself behind me.
An attendant gave the propeller
a few turns, then the buzz of the
electric spark for a moment, an
other turn, and the blades whirled
smoothly, fanning back a mild
breeze. Thus the engine ran for a
few seconds and satisfied the avia
tor that it was in the proper mood
for a flight. A wave of the white
flag from the guard stationed
ahead showed the course was
clear, and with a roar the engine
swung the propeller into its invis-
ible speed. There was a terrific

beat of wind in the face, and then
I felt the great aerodrome sliding
behind me. It was hard to tell just
when motion commenced . There
was no jerk or unevenness, but
with incredible swiftness the great
doors swept by and then the
groups of onlookers, hardly dis
tinguishable one from another. I
was conscious all at once that the
roll of the wheels had ceased, and
I looked down to see the grass
sloping sharply away in the direc
tion we were going. My heart may
have been hitting it up just a few
licks extra, for with the realization
that I was flying I took myself in
hand to be sure I appreciated all
that was happening.
We were flying straight into a
light breeze and rising. The ma
chine was perfectly steady, and
just enough vibration to assure
me it was alive. The exhaust now
had a sharp, snappy drone, not
unpleasant. I remembered then
that the roar had ceased when we
left the aerodrome. The propeller
sent back a sharp breeze, but this
grew less as our speed increased
and is not more than is felt in a
rapidly moving automobile. As
these impressions were passed,
whatever fear I had departed . I
felt perfectly normal and began to
look about, a rapid survey around
and down. We were well up and
over Lake Lucerne, steering
straight across. The many hotels
that stud the deep slopes of the
north shore were coming rapidly
toward us. The great "Montana ,"
with its enclosed balconies, ap
peared to be bound for the very
nose of the machine. We were ap
parently standing still in mid air,
and the skyline was moving to
ward us. Another look down, then

I could get the sense of motion
for we were just over the long
Quay National, with its wonderful
double row of chestnuts and its
thousands of afternoon visitors.
The sight was fascinating . We
were well up and I had begun to
note the various hotels, tennis
courts, boathouses and other fa
miliar points when I noticed the
length of the Quay began to swing
away to the right-a dreadful
drop, and a side motion of the
machine startled me. We were
turning to the left and swinging
into a direction across the wind.
There was a slight cricking of the
plane, and we must have encoun
tered some of those air holes the
aviators tell us about for there
were several sudden drops of a
few feet, and you could feel the
cushions of the air under the
plane as it seemed to catch on
again. A few more of those
tremors, and for the first time a
slight feeling of insecurity. With
this I began to look about the ma
chine again-the regular drone of
the engine was reassuring-the
broad expanse of the solid-look
ing plane seemed ample and
secure. Then we swung further
around and more into the breeze.
The machine became steady again
and seemed to rest perfectly se
cure against a solid substance . We
were then headed up the long
reaches of th e lake, near the
southern shore. My confidence
had returned. We were still rising.
There was an indescribable thrill
as we sped along at about 4S miles
an hour. The air was delightfully
cool. The view was wonderful,
with rugged peaks of the Hold
ifeld Range straight ahead-the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
Rigi and Pilatus to the left and

right. The mountains looked
higher than when viewed from
the ground . I could see a number
of towns, both on the lakeshore
and inland. Looking down, the
motorboats and lake steamers
were like toy things. We were
about 1,000 feet up. The wind
played a perfect chord on the
tight truss wires. I had grown so
accustomed to the engine I had
ceased to notice it. The motion
was as smooth as could be-you
hardly have a sense of motion ex
cept when looking down, and
then it is slow, just as slow as the
aeroplane appears to move when
viewed from 1,000 feet below. We
passed over a village, the people
looking diminutive and the
houses misshapen. There were
long reaches of beautiful valleys
leafing back into the mountains,
and long string-like streaks for
roadways in every direction .
I felt that 1 would like to fly on
and on-I was enjoying myself.
We swung around again across
8
JULY 2004
the lake and took our course back

toward Lucerne. Again the air holes
and an occasional slight list as the
crosscurrents caught the windward
plane. This time I was not afraid. I
rather enjoyed the slight bounding
sensation. This time we flew high
over the waterfront of the city of
Lucerne. 1 could see the busy life
in the streets, but it was all on a
pygmy scale. I felt no dizziness at
looking down-but I do feel it
when looking down over the edge
of a cliff. The comfortable seat and
the high sides of the car coming
well under the arms give a perfect
feeling of security.
The descent was as gentle and as
free from anything harassing as
the ascent. In a wide descending
spiral we swept around over the
aerodrome, out over the lake, then
back to the starting point. The ac
celeration of speed was noticeable
as we planed down until the en
gine was shut off-then perfect
quiet for a couple of minutes,
touch of the wheels on the soft
turf, a slight bound into the air,
and we rolled right into the aero

drome doors. The experience was
at once thrilling and delightful.
Thrilling principally because of its
novelty, probably, and I believe the
sensation of flight will become as
commonplace as the motion of a
bicycle or motorcar. There is a cer
tain exhilaration in the upper air,
however, that should always be a
delight, and a feeling of freedom
from collision that I have never
enjoyed in an automobile. The
motion is very agreeable and free
from any jar. The slight bounding
when going across the air currents
is similar to the rise and fall of an
automobile over the crest of slight
hills on a perfectly smooth asphalt
road. One is impressed that the
aeroplane is no longer a dangerous
project but a new fixture in our
scheme of locomotion that is here
to stay.
The machine was a Bleriot
Monoplane, with a 45-hp engine .
The aviator, a Frenchman recently
an instructor of aviation in the
German army.
.....
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__
1
.
10
JULY 2004
.'
VlS4
'
95th Anniversary of the
Channel Crossing
Louis Bh!riot just prior to departing

Calais the morning
of July 25, 1909.
Special Cable to T h e Washin g

ton Post
London, July 25, 1909-
Bleriot's own account of his ex
ploit, which will appear in the Daily
Mail tomorrow, is graphic. He says:
''It is more important to be the
first to cross the channel by aero
plane than to have won the prize of
1,000 pounds. I am more than happy
that I have crossed the channel. At
first I promised my wife that I would
not make the attempt. Then I deter
mined that if one failed I would be
the first to come, and I am here.. .
"At 4:30 daylight had come ... A
light breeze from the southwest was
beginning to blow. The air was clear.
Everything was prepared. I was
dressed in a khaki jacket lined with
wool for warmth over tweed clothes
and beneath my engineer's suit of the
blue cotton overalls. My close fitting
cap was fastened over my head and
my ears.
"I had neither eaten nor drunk any
thing. My thoughts were only upon
the flight and my determination to ac
complish it this morning. At 4:35 the
signal is given, and in an instant I am
in the air, my engine making 1,200
revolutions, almost its highest speed,
in order that I may get quickly over
the telegraph wires along the edge of
the cliff. As soon as I am over the cliff I
reduce my speed. There is now no
need to force my engine. I begin my
flight steady and sure toward the coast
of England. I have no apprehensions,
no sensations, pas du tout. . "
"I am alone. I can see nothing at
all. For 10 minutes I am lost.
''It is a strange position to be alone,
unguided, without a compass in the

air over the middle of the channel. I
touch nothing. My hands and feet rest
lightly on the levers. I let the aero
plane take its own course. I care not
whither it goes. For 10 minutes I con
tinue, neither rising nor falling nor
turning, and then 20 minutes after I
have left the French coast I see the
green hills of Dover, the castle, and
away to the west the spot where I in
tended to land.
"What can I do? It is evident that
the wind has taken me out of my
course. I am almost west of Margaret's
Bay, and I am going in the direction
of the Goodwin Sands. Now it is time
to attend to steering. I press a lever
with my foot and turn easily toward
the west, reversing the direction in
which I am now traveling. Now, in
deed, I am in difficulties, for the wind
here by the cliffs is much stronger
and my speed is reduced as I fight
against it, yet my beautiful aeroplane
responds .. "
"Once more I turn my aeroplane,
and describing a half-circle I enter the
opening and find myself again over
dry land. Avoiding the red buildings
on my right, I attempt a landing, but
the wind catches me and whirls me
around two or three times. At once I
stop my motor, and instantly my ma
chine falls upon the land from a
height of 65 feet. In two or three sec
onds I am safe upon your shores .
Soldiers in khaki run up, and a po
liceman and two of my compatriots
are on the spot. They kiss my cheek.
The conclusion of my flight over
whelms me. I have nothing to say,
but accept the congratulations.
"Thus ended my flight across the
channel. The flight could easily be
done again. Should I do it? I think
not. I have promised my wife that af
ter a race for which I have entered I
will fly no more./I
.......
Carlson's
THULIN-BuILT BLERIOT
magine you have a rare

airplane, one that people
love to see fly, and you
love to share it with oth
ers. Now imagine you
want to show it to folks,
but the only way to get it
there is by freight con
tainer. That's what Mikael Carlson
must do whenever he chooses to dis
play his Bleriot XI. The logistics are
daunting enough when you look at
what he and his small crew must go
through to take the Bleriot to a site
on the European continent where he
lives, but what about overseas?
Undeterred, Mikael and his wife,
Gunilla, showed the airplane at
both Sun 'n Fun 2003, and later for
the Dayton Air Show.
What the admiring crowds got
to see was one of the oldest flying
airplanes still in existence, and
they were treated to the sounds
and smells of a rotary engine
powered airplane from the
pioneering days of aviation.
In 1989, Mikael found his avia

tion treasure in a barn in Sweden.
Fully intact (but not assembled), it
was in remarkably good condition.
All the parts were in one place,
and only a few (outside of the orig
inal linen covering and the
plywood pieces) of the parts
needed to be replaced during the
ensuing restoration. When com
pleted in 1991, 95 percent of the
original airframe remained, includ
ing the 50-hp Gnome rotary
engine. Since its restoration,
Mikael has logged over 35 hours of
flight time in the Bleriot, most of it
7-9 minutes at a time. That's over
260 flights in the Bleriot!
The Bleriot XI found by Carlson
was one of the many built in Eu
rope and the United States under
license from Bleriot. After Louis
Bleriot's epic flight across the Eng
lish Channel, the model XI became
a highly sought after aeroplane.
The XI was designed by Raymond
Saulnier, who would go on to even
Mikael Carlson
greater fame as an aircraft designer,
and in cooperation with the broth
ers Leon and Robert Morane they
would form Societe Anonyme des
Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier near
Paris and produce some of France's
most famous aircraft. The model
XI was seen as a great advance
ment in the art of aviation design,
with its single monoplane wing
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
11
producing less drag than its bi

plane contemporaries. The weakest
link in the early versions of the air
plane was the anemic 30-hp,
7-cylinder R.E.P. engine, or the 3
cylinder, 2S-hp Anzani engine,
which tended to overheat. Neither
engine was really up to the task to
adequately power the 700-pound,
high-drag airframe.
Early Swedish aviator Carl Ced
erstom bought a Blt~riot XI in 1910
and brought it home to Sweden. A
few years later, he sold the airplane
to Enoch Thulin, who founded the
AB Enoch Thulin Aero
planfabrik (AETA) in
1914, and went on to
build 23 license-built
examples of the Bleriot
XI, powered by the 7
cylinder, SO-hp Gnome
Omega rotary engine,
which was introduced
to the aviation market
in 1910. The airplane
bought by Mikael is the
18th Thulin Type A built, and
could have been constructed any
time between 1914 and 1918,
when the company stopped pro
duction on the Type A. Except for
the engine installation, the basic
design of the Type A mimicked the
design of the 1909 Bleriot XII,
piece for piece, including the obso
lete wing-warping used to control
12
JULY 2004
the airplane along the roll axis.

Bleriot had already been using
ailerons on earlier aircraft, so it is
unclear why wing-warping was in
corporated in this design.
Mikael found out about the
potential project during conver
sations with a model airplane
judge who had been judging
Carlson's scale models. He was
nearing completion of a full
scale, rotary engine-powered
Thulin Tummelisa when the
judge mentioned that he too
owned a Thulin aircraft.
It took a few years of gentle co

ercion, but in 1986, he was able to
buy the Type A, after the owner re
alized that Carlson had the talent
and the drive to restore the Bleriot
to flying status.
Its individual history is a story
of serendipitous survival. Serial
No. 18 Thulin Type A was flown in
a barnstorming role until 1919,
and then was sold at auction in

1920 or 1921. A couple of brothers
bought a pair of the Thulin-built
Bieriots at the auction, and a week
later they sold one of the pair to a
potential aviator in northern Swe
den. He would have attempted to
fly it, too, if the local police hadn't
put a stop to it because he didn't
have a pilot's license. At that, he
took the wings off and
stored it in a barn,
and left to work as a
carpenter in America.
When he returned
to Sweden a few years
later, he asked for
some help from a fel
low townsman to
dismantle the airplane
even further, and
store it in boxes. In
one can went the
bolts; in a box went
all the metal fittings.
The wood structure
was bundled up, and
the bracing wire coiled up like bail
ing wire. The engine, along with
its special tools, was disassembled
and stored as well. There it sat in
the barn, a pioneer airplane kit,
until the model airplane judge's fa
ther bought it for $50 in 1965.
They stored it on the second floor
of their barn until Mikael Carlson
bought it in 1986. Because he was
still working on his first homebuilt
project, the Tummelisa fighter
plane replica, the Thulin-built
Bleriot would have to wait.

Thanks to the completeness of
the project, and his good fortune in
having a solid, well-preserved en
gine to rebuild, the Bleriot's
restoration only took a year. He did
carve a new mahogany propeller,

and all the rubber and other "con
sumable" materials in the airframe
were replaced. The Swedish airwor
thiness inspector reminded Carlson
that he wasn't allowed to deviate
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
13
The wing-warping control is very evident In this snapshot of Carlson's thulin-built

from the drawings for the
Thulin/Bleriot, so it's quite exact,
right down to the 22 threads per
centimeter for the linen fabric cov-
14
JULY 2004
ering, and the nitrate dope covering.

So what's it like to fly? For one
thing, early aeroplanes were
meant to takeoff and land into
the wind. Period. Fighting a

crosswind with an airplane that
has roll control that is both slow
to react and fairly ineffective is
not conducive to a long service
life. As Mikael pOinted out during
our interview, light winds are
also the best, if for no other rea
son than the fact that there are
times when a wing drops due to a
gust, and no amount of wing
warping seems to bring it up in a
time period that the pilot would
be happy with!
There is not much range be
tween what is needed for cruise
power and for descent, and with
all the bracing wire, a drop in RPM
means the airplane will come
down. With twice the horsepower
available than the first models of
the Bleriot XI, it's not as fast a de
scent, but there's not much reserve
thrust. There are a lot of brace
wires and a high-drag airfoil, plus
the bedstead style landing gear
with a rotary engine nestled be
tween the posts.
Mikael's trust in the airplane,
tempered with the knowledge he's
gained over his hundreds of demon
stration flights, allows those of us
lucky enough to see the Bleriot in
flight to feel the tingle of watching
something historic happen. With
all we've seen over the past century
of flight, it's still a bit breathtaking
to see a pioneer era antique air
plane take to the sky.
.......
A grandfather's .
TOM MATOWITZ
Continued from last month's issue.
As it turned out, this was

only the beginning. One of
the men I met that day was
named Bill Neff, and he was a
partner in both Stearmans. I
think he looked at me and saw
himself 30 years earlier. In any
case, during the next six years
he was destined to become
one of my best friends, and
through his generosity I spent
many hours in the air. As for
Esther, she and I remained on
cordial terms, but she became
interested in a much older
man and eventually married
him, and afterward I seldom
saw her.
I was spending a lot of time
at the airport and didn't lose
any time brooding about that.
I didn't have much money, but
I was young, strong, and will
ing to work. I mowed the
runway with an Oliver tractor
and a brush hog, and cut and
split firewood through the
warm weather months to pro
vide fuel for the hangar's wood
stove during the winter. I
helped in every way I could,
and my new friend Bill was
quick to reciprocate with time
in the airplane. I learned a lot
from him. Bill was just turning
50 when I first knew him. After
serving in the Navy in the Sec
ond World War, he had learned
to fly on the G.I. Bill.
He owned several li ght
planes over the course of
time, starting with a J-3.
When I knew him, he also
owned a Piper Comanche and
flew it extensively. He was a

character, and probably one
of the most well-liked men
I've ever known. It wasn't any
wonder. He was approachable
and interested in others, and
gathered a remarkable group
of people around himself. He
was democratic about it, too.
His friends included day la
borers and CEOs and he
valued them equally.
We flew together often
enough for me to justify a trip
to the local Army-Navy store
where I bought an NOS WW II
military flying helmet. I
pieced together a serviceable
pair of AN goggles from parts
he gave me, and that was
about the extent of the equip
ment I had. I was taught how
to preflight the airplane, and
from then on when I flew with
him, it was my job to check
the oil and insure that the pro
peller was turned over by hand
before the engine started. I
cleaned the windscreens and
brought the parachutes out to
the plane for the first flight of
the day. They were normally
locked in the hangar in th e
hulk of an old refrigerator.
When Bill took up other pas
sengers, I was generally the
one who made sure they were
strapped in securely and
briefed them about what to
expect . Most passengers were
nonpilots. While they enjoyed
their rides, I don 't know that
the experience had any partic
ular meaning for them. My
reaction was different. I saw
the
Stearman
to take it
granted. I
by that
I had grown
enough to
that it couldn't last forever,
but no one could have
foreseen how it was about
to end.
By May of 1981, Bill and I
had been friends for six years.
Earlier that year he told me
he intended to become a CFI.
I figured the time for me to
get a private was finally at
hand. We laughed about how
the examiner would react if I
showed up for a checkride in
the Stearman.
May 25 was Memorial Day
that year. Since I worked driv
ing a truck for a swimming
pool company, it was a work
ing day for me and I spent 12
hours on the road. I came
home exhauste d and was
ready to go to bed around 9:30
p.m. My parents were behav
ing oddly, talking quietly in
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
15
Tom's grandfather, George K. Scott, stands by his Taylor Cub. His flights with his very young grandson would leave a lifelong legacy.
another room, and falling silent

when I entered. Finally, one of
them spoke up and said that the
television had aired a brief report
about a fatal airplane crash in the
area . They were afraid that it was
Bill. Offhand, I couldn't think of
anything that seemed more un
likely. I almost called his hom e,
but knew he was probably not ex
pected back until much later, and I
thought I would only alarm his
mother needlessly. I stayed up to
watch the 11 :00 news to satisfy
m yself that he was all right, and
learned that my parents' fears were
correct. Bill died eight hours earlier
in a crash that apparently resulted
from an engine failure on takeoff.
Reports were vague and conflicting
and wouldn't have changed the
outcome, so I never inquired very
closely. More than 20 years later, I
still don 't have adequate words to
describe how I felt. His mother was
wonderful to me. In fact, everyone
wa s, but I don't think an yon e
knew where to begin to try to con
sole me. I drifted through th e rest
16
JULY 2004
of the summer somehow, and went

on to graduate school as planned,
but I found it very, very hard.
Ten years passed before I visited
an airport again. Then I did some
thing I hadn't done in a long time.
I read the aviation classified ads sec
tion of Cleveland's The Plain Dealer.
It so happened that someone ran a
large ad that day advertising a share
in a Stearman for sale. Several days
later, I found myself standing on
the ramp of the Geauga County air
port waiting for a ride in the
airplane. The pilot and I had a long
phone conversation earlier, and he
was gracious enough to invite me
out for a ride. It was almost 18 years
to the day since my first ride in a
Stearman, and I felt pretty ambiva
lent about it. Just as I arrived, the
pilot returned from a hop with an
other passenger and proceeded to
make one of the worst landings I
have ever witnessed. I was tempted
to quietly get in my car and leave,
but for some reason I didn't. Soon I
was strapped into the front seat and
we were taxiing to takeoff. I wasn 't
sure how I felt about this for a num

ber of reasons, but it was too late to
turn back. Soon we reached a prac
tice area where for 10 minutes or
so I am sure I subjected this fine
old airplane to some of the clumsi
est handling it has ever received.
Then something happened. The
pilot spoke quietly in the inter
com, IlRelax-lead the next turn
with more rudder." It started to
come back to me. I made a series
of nicely coordinated turns to
headings, maintaining a constant
altitude throughout. After a half
hour or so, the pilot said, IlCan you
find the airport? " I' d had sense
enough to note several landmarks,
and set up a course to return . My
companion said, "That's a good
heading," and proceeded to let me
fly for the 20 minutes or so it took
to return and enter the pattern. He
took over and made a nice landing.
This brief flight represented an
other turning point , because I
made up my mind to take lessons
and earn a private certificat e,
which I proceed ed to do. I was
Tom and the Engelskirger's Cub, the airplane that brought him back to the sky.
trained in the now common mid

dle-aged Cessnas and Pipers to be
seen at any airport. I shouldn't dis
miss them lightly. I came to regard
them pretty highly, but learning to
fly these aircraft only heightened
my interest in the old airplanes.
Well, conditions had changed
pretty radically since I was a kid.
Now it was necessary to have a tail
wheel endorsement. This led to a
couple of major obstacles. I had to
find a suitable tailwheel trainer I
could rent, and a capable instructor
to teach me to fly it. Surprisingly,
the airplane proved to be the easy
part. An airport right down the road
from my parents put a ]-3 on line
late in the summer of 1998. That
was the intent, anyway, but various
logistical problems prevented it
from being reliably available until
early 1999. My luck continued to
change for the better. I was intro
duced to a tailwheel instructor
named Karl Engelskirger. Of all the
good men who figure in this story,
he and his father, Pete, would prove
to be among the very best.
From the day we met, Karl struck
me as positive and energetic. As
this story developed, he also

proved to be an outstanding com
municator endowed with superb
skills as a pilot. I couldn't have
asked for a better role model and
mentor. We began with a lesson
that taught me to manage heel
brakes, and the correct procedure
for hand propping an aircraft with
out an electrical system. With
limited visibility over the nose,
made worse by the tandem seat
ing, I quickly learned to keep my
eyes outside the airplane during all
ground operations. The airplane it
self proved to be a remarkable
teacher, and I quickly came to un
derstand the reverence for Cubs
felt by all pilots fortunate enough
to flyone.
Our timing was good . We were
blessed with several weeks of con
sistent good weather. We did stalls,
airwork, three-point and wheel
landings, crosswind landings, and
go arounds. On a beautiful morn
ing early in May, I found myself
alone taxiing to takeoff with a
brand new tailwheel endorsement
in my logbook . I completed my
pre-takeoff check, cleared for traf
fic, and taxied onto the runway

centerline. Holding the stick back,
I pushed the throttle smoothly for
ward and began the takeoff. As the
speed gathered, I pushed the stick
forward. The acceleration in
creased, and a moment later the
airplane was ready to fly. A little
backpressure was all it took, and
the Cub and I were climbing nicely
at 55 mph. I made the crosswind
turn, reduced the power, and en
tered the downwind leg. Soon it
was time to apply carburetor heat,
reduce the power again, and enter
the base leg. With another quick
look for traffic, I made the turn to
final. The descent was stable, and
with the runway made, I closed
the throttle. Moments later came
the flare and then it was just a
question of correcting any drift
and holding the airplane off. The
wheels touched down and I held
the airplane straight with the stick
all the way back. I had finally
soloed a taildragger.
There was still much to learn ,
though, and that is what I decided
to focus on. That first year I logged
50 flights in the Cub. In due
VINTAGE AI RPLANE
17
The Engelskirger's Waco UPF-7 brings back the pleasures of open-cockpit flying.
course, this led to other tailwheel

airplanes, and at one pOint I re
viewed my logbook and noted
experience in nine different types.
Certainly the greatest moment
came in the summer of 2002. Karl
and Pete purchased a 1941 Waco
UPF-7 from an estate sale in Day
ton. They flew the airplane home,
and one fine evening I drove
down to see it. There was a gath
ering of friends and the whole
thing turned into a sort of im
promptu party. I had never seen a
UPF-7 before, so I looked it over
pretty closely. At one point I stood
at a wingtip just trying to absorb
the reality of this new situation
when Karl's sister, Amy, ap
proached me and asked, "To m ,
have you ever flown in a bi
plane?" I simply said yes.
Various minor problems with
the airplane had to be corrected
before it could be flown routinely,
and of course Karl a nd Pete
wanted to become comfortable
with it th emselves. My turn came
in September. I had an extensive
briefing, a couple of familiariza
tion flights and then it was time
18
JULY 2004
to switch to the rear cockpit and

really fly it. My first takeoff as PIC
was an experience. If you want an
idea of the sight picture from the
rear cockpit of a UPF-7 in a three
pOint attitude, kneel on the floor
in front of a large dresser and then
try to see over it or around it. It
certainly shows why S-turns are
mandatory and why pilots used to
sayan airplane should never taxi
faster than a man can walk.
Getting back to my takeoff, it
was time to proceed. I taxied out
to the centerline and reached for
ward and to the right to lock the
tail wheel. I took one last look for
traffic and then smoothly acceler
ated the Continental 220 to full
power. Soon we had enough for
ward speed to make the large
rudder effective, so I raised the tail.
It was like turning on the lights in
a darkened room. Suddenly I
could see, and it wasn't difficult
to make the corrections necessary
to maintain directional control.
Karl said, "It'll fly now," and I ap
plied gentle backpressure and we
left the ground. Everything seemed
under control, and I had a mo
ment to take stock. I

was climbing steadily
at 70 mph indicated
and tracking the ex
tended centerline
perfectly. Then came
Karl's voice again,
speaking qUietly over
the in tercom, "See?
It's just like any other
airplane ." I reached
the pattern altitude
and departed to the
south.
I was fortunate
enough to log several
hours in the Waco. It
involved a lot of
landings, takeoffs,
and airwork. I even
got to fly it on a short
cross-country, and
started to feel like I
was really getting the
hang of it. We did have
one anxious moment
when one of us bumped the car
buretor heat control in flight and
momentarily killed the engine,
something we were very careful
not to repeat. All in all, it was a
great experience, and I wish there
was more to tell, but with very
good reason the decision was
made to dismantle the airplane
for a complete restoration.
All of this has caused a lot of
reflecting on my part. My appren
ticeship as a Waco pilot has been
temporarily interrupted, but the
airplane will be airworthy again
before too long, and there are
other great airplanes to fly in the
meantime. My goal was to be pre
pared if the opportunity to fly a
biplane was ever presented to me
again, and I feel that I was.
Of the many people who
worked to make the wish of the
child who stood in the hangar
door at Knoxville so long ago
come true, the foremost was my
grandfather. Wherever he is, he
must be fiercely proud to see that
his pup from 3S years ago went
on to fly an open cockpit biplane
into the next century.
...
A Brief History
of Stearman Aircraft
Company
A LAN LOPEZ
While attending the National
Stearman Wichita
The C-3B
Stearman Fly-In at Galesburg, Illinois,

in September 2000, I climbed up to
fuel my Stearman. From my perch
just ahead of the upper wing, I gazed
over acres of beautiful biplanes . A to
tal of 138 Stearmans had made the
annual pilgrimage to Galesburg. Of
these, only one aircraft, Tom and
Nancy Lowe 's C-3R, NC799H, was
manufactured by the original Stear
man Aircraft Company. Technically,
all the rest of us flew Boeings to
Galesburg. However, even Boeing
knew the value of a good name.
In the introductory section in Peter
Lloyd Steannan
Bowers' fine book Wings of Stear
man, there is a photograph of almost

one hundred PT-17s outside the Wi
ch ita factory awaiting delivery in
1941. Stearman Aircraft had been
part of United Aircraft and Transport
Corporation (which included Boeing)
since 1929 and part of Boeing Air
craft Company following a
re-organization in 1934. However,
the name Stearman Aircraft appears
in large lettering on the roof of the
plant, on the front of the hangar, and
even on the water tower. In smaller
letters on the factory roof you can
just make out the word ing Boeing Air
plane Co. So, if Boeing called them
"Stearmans ," I guess we can, too.
Origins
In 1924 Ll oyd St ea rma n , Wa lter
Beech, and Clyde Cessna got together
an d organized th e Travel Ai r Manu
facturing Company in Wichita . This
un ion was li ke Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth,
and Ted Williams getting together to
h old a cli n ic on hittin g. As is often
t he case with sup er ior talen t a nd
strong personalities, critical mass was
soon reached and Lloyd Stearman left
in 1926 to start h is own company in
Venice, California. He came up with a
so u n d aircraft base d on on e of h is
Travel Air designs, but it did not sell.
The next year so m e of h is Wichi t a
frie nds secured sufficien t financing to
lure him back to the" Air Capita l of
the World."
Th e first production aircraft from

t he Wich ita faci lit y was the C-2,
wh ich Stearman had designed while
in California. The earliest models
mounted th e time-tested OX-S en
gine. Soon this aircraft, now
d eS igna t ed C-3B, having received
ATC #55 (iss ued J uly, 1928) carried
t h e 220 -hp 9-cylin d er Wright J -S
Wh irlwind. These aircraft were desig
nated 3POLB (3 -place, open, land,
biplane) with provision for two pas
sengers in th e front cockpit and the
pilot in the rear. So me C-2s were re
registered as C-3s so as to become
certificated aircraft. As private compa
n ies took over flying th e mail in the
late 1920s t h ere was a demand for
ma il-carryi ng airplan es. The C-3MB
was designed with a mail pit in place
of the fron t cockpit.
Joseph J up t ner, in his U.S. Civil
Aircraft. had this to say of the Stear
man C-3B:
"As the an nals of bygone days in
aviation are written, the Stearman
C-3B will be remembered ... as one
of our all- time greats in early avia
tion .... The basic d esign was so
exce ll en t ... that it remained the
basis for every Stearman airplane
that was ever built.
"By nature, the Stearmans were
extremely rugged in character and
th eir unfailing dependability, espe
cially "when the chips were down,"
was a byword long known among
the folks that fly .... It's use on
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
19
many of the early short haul feeder

lines of our growing transcontinen
tal air mail system was more than
likely one of its greatest claims to
fame ... but it was also very popular
with the so-called sportsman pilot of
this day who could afford and loved
a good airplane with plenty of dash
and spirit."
The C-3B was a great success for
Stearman. One of the first compa
nies to order the C-3B was Varney
Air Lines. Walter Varney had been
the only carrier to bid on CAM-5
(Contract Air Mail Route 5), between
Elko, Nevada; Boise, Idaho; and
Pasco, Washington. Much of this
route covered sparsely populated
and mountainous terrain. Winter
flying was especially perilous along
this route and the attempt to pro
vide year-round service came with a
price. Weather-related accidents,
which occasionally included a pilot
fatality, inevitably occurred.
The Stearmans performed well
and, more important, proved to be
reliable. Air mail was here to stay.
Revenues grew 40 percent in 1928
over the previous year and Varney
claimed a 90 percent performance
record. In 1929, Varney expanded
his service, flying to Portland, Seat
tle, Spokane, and Salt Lake City. In
all, approximately 247 C-3B and C
3MB aircraft were built.
Stearman C-3R Business

Speedster
It must be remembered that this
period immediately followed Lind
bergh's historic crossing and flying
fever gripped the nation. In addition
to revenue operators, the late 1920s
saw many private individuals in the
market for a personal aircraft. There
was also an awakening to the possi
bility of u sing the aircraft as a
business tool. Although Stearman
continued to sell the C-3B, a varia
tion was designed for the business
market and the wealthy private
buyer. This model, deSignated the C
3R, was called the Business Speedster.
It was almost a foot longer than the
C-3B and sported the new Wright J
6-7 225-hp R-760 engine.
Although the C-3R (also a 3POLB)
was similar to the C-3B in perform
ance, it was successfully marketed as
an "upgrade," carrying a sleeker look
and outfitted with numerous refine
ments including an upholstered front
cockpit. The C-3R was also approved
for EDO floats and 10 of the total
production of 38 aircraft were sold to
the Peruvian army air force. If you
wanted to buy a C-3R in 1930 it
would have cost $8,500. Tom Lowe,
for many years the president of the
Stearman Restorers Association, has a
beautifully restored C-3R, NC799H,
which he regularly exhibits at the Na
tional Stearman Fly-In.
Steannan C38 Specifications

Steannan C3R Specifications
Fuel: 68 gallons
Oil: 8 gallons
Baggage: 52 pounds
Gross weight; 2650 pounds
Useful load: 1025 pounds
Wingspan: Upper 35 feet Lower 28 feet
Length: 24 feet
Height: 9 feet
Maximum speed: 126 mph
Cruise speed: 108 mph
20
JULY 2004
Fuel: 65 gallons
Oil: 7 gallons
Baggage: 60 pounds
Gross weight: 2754 pounds
Length: 24 feet 11 inches
Height: 9 feet
Stearman M-2 Speedmail

Walter Varney had succeeded
where all had predicted failure. He
had not only pioneered an air mail
route that many said was unflyable,
but he had made it profitable. In fact,
his sturdy and reliable Stearman C-3
aircraft were soon struggling to keep
up with the volume. Varney thought
a so lution might be found in Wi
chita. This excerpt from the Wright
company newsletter The Tradewind
(February 1930, p. 10) describes the
excitement surrounding the rollout
of a new airplane:
"Soon rumors leaked out that the
Stearman factory was building a new
plane, a "mystery ship," radical in size
and power. Just before dusk on Janu
ary 16, 1929, after almost every
spectator had left Wichita Airport, the
doors of the Stearman plant were
opened and a monster of a plane
wheeled out. Silver-Winged, and
trimmed in Varney Blue. It was twice
the size of any Stearman built previ
ously. It had a massive, newly designed
Wright cyclone motor in its nose.
Someone with abundant imagination
said this of its test flight: lilt went
through the air like a bellowing ghost,
tearing the twilight to shreds.""
Thus was born the legend of the
Bull Stearman. The M-2, known offi
cially as the Stearman Speedmail, was
powered by a Wright R-1750 525-hp
Cyclone engine . It was designed
specifically for increased air mail
loads and could carry 1,000 pounds
of mail. Deed Levy, chief test pilot for
Stearman Aircraft, put the new craft
through a series of flight tests. During
one test flight the plane was loaded
with bags of lead shot to simulate the
1,000 pounds of mail it would carry
in the northwest. Deed Levy noted in
his logbook: "Test-speed & Load-142
(mph)-lOOO Ibs."
Seven of these large aircraft were
manufactured. Of these, six went to
Varney Air Lines, and the seventh
was purchased by Cliff Durant. Du
rant's aircraft had a front cockpit in
place of the mail pit and was deliv
ered with a Pratt & Whitney R-1690
525-hp "Hornet" engine. Cliff Durant
was the son of Billy Durant, one of
the founders of General Motors. Cliff

designed and raced cars at Indianapo
lis and was fascinated with aviation.
Over the years he probably owned a
couple dozen airplanes-Fleets, Wa
cos, etc. Durant had earlier bought a
Stearman C-3B from the factory in
1928.
The M-2 was designed with a cen
ter section fuel tank in the upper
wing, which had a capacity of 136
gallons. Durant had an additional
fuel tank installed in the fuselage
with a capacity of 127 gallons. Why?
We don't know for sure, but probably
not for long cross-coun try fligh ts.
Cliff had built a pretentious home in
Roscommon, Michigan, known lo
cally as The Castle. This was the era
of Prohibition and Durant was known
for giving some of the best parties
anywhere. Durant's home had two
airstrips and was only a short flight
from Canada in the big biplane. The
extra fuselage tank in his Stearman
M-2 held 127 gallons-or 635 fifths.
Varney was excited about putting
these large airplanes with their in
creased cargo capacity to work and
Stearman believed that success in the
northwest would lead to orders from
other carriers. As the new Speedmails
were put into service they made quite
an impression on the Varney pilots,
not always favorable. Walter "Doc"
Eefsen, a Varney pilot, recalled:
"Then the company got larger
equipment-the Stearman M-2, all
mail 525 hp Wright engine, a much
faster plane but also a much more
troublesome one. I had several forced
landings with this type. I took off
from LaGrande [Oregon] Airport
where I had stopped to pick up a J4
Whirlwind engine that had been
brought out of the Owyhee Moun
tains where a Varney plane had
crashed and the pilot killed in a
snow storm. I had no more than got
ten up over Hot Lake Pass toward
Boise than my engine started to
backfire and I had to look for a place
to land the plane. Over toward the
Owyhee Mountains I saw what
looked like a stubble field. I landed
successfully and taxied up to a farm
house. I checked the engine to find
the guilty cylinder and finding the

coolest cylinder took the valve cov
ers off and found one rocker arm
broken. So I took the spark plugs out
and also the push rod and the bro
ken part of the rocker arm. I got two
farmers to crank the energia starter
and when engaged the engine
started at once on eight cylinders.
The plane took off easily; couldn't
tell from normal except holding the
RPM down some. At Boise they were
wondering what had become of me.
They finally heard something to the
northwest and within a short time
the Stearman was there on the field
and the thing itself told the story."
Doc Eefsen went on to describe
two other forced landings in the M-2
near Burley, Idaho. On another occa
sion when his SpeedmaiJ's engine
quit while flying in the Columbia
Gorge near Arlington, Oregon, Eef
sen checked over the motor but
could find nothing wrong. He got a
ride about five miles to a phone and
called Portland to learn what had
been done before the plane had been
dispatched. Told that a new gas cap
had been installed, he returned to
the plane, climbed on top of the up
per wing and found that the cap had
not been vented before it was in
stalled.
Problems continued with the big
biplane. No orders came in to Stear
man for the M-2 from other
operators and Varney soon began to
get rid of those remaining in his
fleet. Of the former Varney Stearman
M-2s, some wound up as working
aircraft in Alaska. Most were de
stroyed in crashes in the late 1920s
and early 1930s. One of the former
Varney Speedmails, NC9055, was on
its way to Alaska in 1939 when it
crashed near Teslin, Yukon Territory.
The wreckage of this aircraft was
found by Bob Cameron of White
horse, Yukon, in 1989. Bob wrote an
excellent article, "Stearman M-2
NC9055 A Yukon Adventure" in the
Stearman Restorers Association's
OUTFIT (April 1991) in which he
said he hoped to interest somebody
in restoring the only remaining
Stearman M-2.
Steannan M-2 Specifications
Fuel: 136 gallons

Oil: 15 gallons
Gross wt.: 5578 pounds
Payload :1026 pounds
Height: 11 feet 11 inches
Stearman LT-!
Light Transport
The LT-1 was a natural successor to
the M-2. A cabin provided seating for
four passengers in place of the cav
ernous mail pit. The pilot remained
in an open cockpit behind the pas
senger cabin. The LT-1 was a slightly
enlarged version of the M-2. It was
originally designed to mount the
same Wright Cyclone engine, but af
ter the many engine problems with
the Varney M-2s, the LT-1 was deliv
ered with the Pratt & Whitney R-1690
525-hp Hornet (the same engine that
was on Cliff Durant's M-2).
During this time the air mail oper
ators were beginning to think about
carrying passengers along with the
mail and Stearman hoped to capture
a piece of that market with the LT-l.
Stearman probably felt that Varney
Airlines would be a natural customer
for this aircraft. It is likely that, after
all the problems with the M-2, Var
ney was shopping elsewhere. In fact,
in 1929 Varney acquired its first Boe
ing 40B-4. This aircraft was similar to
the LT-1 with room for four passen
gers in an enclosed cabin and
mounted the same Pratt & Whitney
Hornet engine. The Boeing proved to
be a reliable aircraft and Varney later
acqUired several more.
Only three LT-1s were built (in
1929) and these were delivered to In
terstate Airlines for use on Contract
Air Mail Route 30 from Atlanta to
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
21
Chicago and to St. Louis via Evans

ville, Indiana. Interstate had already
been operating Stearman C-3s and
had evidently been satisfied with
their performance. All three of these
aircraft were subsequently acquired
by American Airways and were, in
turn, sold to the Canton Government
in China in 1933.
Steannan LTl Specifications
Fuel: 145 gallons

Oil: 15 gallons
Payload: 1190 pounds
Wingspan: Upper 49 feet
Lower 34 feet 6 inches
Stearman Model 4
"The Model 4 was the best airplane
I ever designed!" declared Lloyd Stear
man proudly. Forty of these aircraft
were manufactured during the period
1929-1931 and perhaps a dozen or so
remain. Juptner has this to say about
the Model 4: " ... the handsomest
plane that Stearman ever built... with
the N.A.C.A. low-drag engine cowling
as an integral part of the configura
tion, the Stearman 4 was the first
production biplane to utilize this
deep engine fairing with any measure
of success; the resulting performance
caused other heretofore skeptical
manufacturers to take a new look at
the advantages to be gained with this
type of air-cooled engine streamlin
ing." A few are still flying and by all
accounts this is a fabulous airplane.
Although it is smaller than the M-2
the Model 4 is larger than the Stear
man trainer and therefore has
occasionally been erroneously re
ferred to as a Bull Stearman.
The Model 4 was designed to be ei
22
JULY 2004
ther a Single-seat mail plane or could

be ordered with a two-passenger front
cockpit. This utility was meant to ap
peal not only to air mail carriers, but
also to corporations, which were be
ginning to use aircraft as promotional
platforms, sales aids and executive
transports. In spite of the fact that
this aircraft had the misfortune to ap
pear during the Depression, several
were sold to wealthy private owners
as well as corporations (particularly
oil companies) . Some mail plane ver
sions went to Canada. American
Airways bought the final ten exam
ples produced. The Model 4, known
as the "Junior Speedmail," was of
fered with a choice of three engines:
4C-Wright ]-6-9 Whirlwind 300
horsepower
4D-Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp
Jr. 300 horsepower
4E-Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
Sr. 420-450 horsepower
The mail plane carried the "M"
suffix and was known as the Senior
Speedmail. Three 4EMs were built for
Canadian National Airways.
There are several of these legendary
aircraft still flying, with a few more
scheduled to be restored in the next
couple of years. Ron Rex, who lives at
Leeward Air Ranch in Florida, has re
stored his Stearman 4D, c/n 4025,
N774H, in the livery of Western Air
Express. Ron flew his Model 4 to
Galesburg a couple of years ago.
Addison Pemberton has an out
standing Model 4 restored as an
American Airways aircraft and he flies
this aircraft to Oshkosh regularly.
(Addison is presently restoring a Boe
ing Model 40-it is similar to the
Stearman LT-1. When completed, this
will be the only one of these aircraft
flying.)
Ben Scott of Reno, Nevada, has
been flying his Stearman 4E, c/n
4005, N663K, for years. Ben's father,
Keith Scott, ordered this aircraft from
the Stearman factory in 1929 and
took delivery in February 1930. This
aircraft was named Grand Champion
Antique at Oshkosh 2003.
Stearman N489W, c/n 4037, origi
nally a 4CM in service with American
Airways, has been restored by Bud
Field as a 4E powered by a Pratt &

Whitney R-1340 AN-1 600-hp radial.
Bud is presently restoring a rare de
Havilland DH89 Dragon Rapide and
his restorations regularly appear on
the cover of EAA Vintage Airplane
magazine.
Jim Kimball and his son, Kevin, are
presently restoring a Model 4, c/n
4003, N665K to be powered by a 450
hp Pratt & Whitney R-985. This
aircraft is scheduled to be flying some
time in 2004. The Kimballs, besides
many other award-winning restora
tions, are noted re-creators of the
GeeBee Model Z, the first aircraft
built by the Granville brothers for the
purpose of racing and the fastest land
plane in the world in 1931.
Walt House informs me that the
Kansas Aviation Museum has ac
quired the Texaco 4D, c/n 4027,
N569Y, and will begin restoration of
this aircraft in the near future.
Another Model 4 restoration be
longs to Steve Hamilton of Carson
City, Nevada. Steve's 4E, c/n 4023,
N791H, was originally the Standard
Oil of Louisiana aircraft. It mounts an
original Pratt & Whitney R-1340 SC-1
4S0-hp radial engine. This aircraft has
been meticulously restored by Rick
Atkins, of Ragtime Aero in Placerville,
California. Rick also did the award
winning restoration of Ben Scott's 4E.
Perhaps the most legendary of the
Model 4 Stearmans were three 4Es
built for Standard Oil of California in
1930. They carried the registration
numbers: NC783H, NC784H, and
NC78SH and were deSignated by Stan
dard Oil as Standard of California Nos.
3, 4, and 5. Two of these aircraft,
NC784H and NC785H, c/n 4021-4022,
were certified as Stearman 4E Specials
under Group 2 Approval (#2-278
10/6/30). With their striking red, blue,
and silver paint schemes; speed fair
ings; exhaust bayonets; and wheel
pants they projected a sleek art deco
appearance reminiscent of the magnif
icently designed racing cars of the era.
Only two of these aircraft remain. One
has been restored as a Canadian mail
plane and is in the Canada Aviation
Museum in Ottawa. The Museum has
continued on page 29
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Invulnerability
DOUG STEWART
I once had a client who owned a straight
tailed Cessna 150. His airplane, although
not a show winner, was in rather decent
condition. The owner was contemplating re
locating to Arkansas where he was hoping
to buy some property with enough acreage
to put in a runway, albeit a short one . In an
ticipation of his potential operation out of a
short runway, he decided to put a STOl kit
on his airplane.
The STOl kit certainly improved the
short field performance of the 150. Pulling
up the Johnson bar to get 40 degrees of
barn door flaps gave a fairly short landing
as it was, but with the addition of the droop
tips and vortex generators to the wings it
was possible to land this airplane and clear
the runway in less than 350 feet, without
much effort.
One day this client decided he would do
an experiment to see another way in which
the STOl kit affected the airplane ' s per
formance. Without consulting anyone on
the ground he took off and began to climb
up over the airport. And he climbed ... and
he climbed . After a while he was barely visi
ble from the ground. This airplane, although
able to land and take off in rather short dis
tances , was not a rocket ship in climb .
Slowly the airplane's best rate and best an
gie climb speeds converged as he got
closer and closer to the service ceiling of
his little aircraft. Determining the increase
in service ceiling and then finally the ab
solute ceiling was his self-imposed mission .
Who knows how long it took him to climb
above 12,500 feet (any time spent above
this altitude beyond 30 minutes requires
oxygen for flight crewmembers, per regula
tion) , or above 14,000 feet (oxygen all the
time) before he finally reached that point
where the airplane would no longer climb. I
do know, however, that he did not have oxy
gen on board his airplane. Not only was he
demonstrating the hazardous attitude of
anti-authority, but he was also risking his
life as he demonstrated the hazardous atti
tude of invulnerability.
After hearing of his foolish exploit I sadly
had to admit to myself that I had failed in
trying to foster safe flying habits in this pi
lot. This same person, as a student pilot of
mine, had demonstrated the very same
hazardous attitude of invulnerability on a
dual cross-country flight we had taken . It
was a winter day, and there were scattered
snow showers about. One of these snow
showers lay directly in front of us as we
flew towards our destination. I waited for
him to turn and deviate around the snow

shower, but instead he penetrated right into
the snow. As the forward visibility immedi
ately dropped to less than a mile , he turned
to me , and with a huge grin said, " Don't
you just love flying in the winter?"
I was astonished. He had seen the
snow in front of us, and rather than deviate
around it, had flown right into it. My re
sponse to his question was , "Tell me , what
the h ... are you going to do now? " To which
he responded that he would just continue
straight ahead and we should come out the
other side, hopefully, in just a little while.
My questioning about the mountains, some
of which were not much below our altitude
and laying to either side of our route did
nothing to impress upon him the danger of
our current situation .
Taking charge I had him enter a lBO-de
gree turn, which at this point had to be
done on the instruments , as our forward
visibility had dropped to almost nothing al
though we could still see down . As we
exited the snow squall I entered a disserta
tion on the risks that he had just exposed
us to. But apparently this fell on deaf ears.
Although this pilot was in his late fifties , his
mentality was that of a teenager. A mental
ity that says: " It can 't happen to me! I' m
immortal! "
Whereas I was able to teach this pilot
good stick and rudder skills , I was unable
to convey upon him the requirements of
good aeronautical decision making .
Throughout the rest of our training together
I would attempt to reinforce the lessons we
had learned that snowy day in the moun
tains of New Hampshire , but apparently I
was unsuccessful. As the saying goes: "you
can lead a horse to drink .. .but you can 't
make him water " or something to that ef
fect. So it is with many pilots . No matter
how hard one tries it is sometimes impossi
ble to teach good decision-making habits.
As I have said in the three previous arti
cles, the difficulties with hazardous
attitudes are threefold . First we must recog
nize the fact that we harbor the attitude in
the first place. Second we must learn the
antidote for the hazardous attitude , and
then, finally, we must apply the antidote.
The antidote for the attitude of invulner
ability is: " It could happen to me ." But if
you carry feelings of omnipotence and in
vincibility within yourself you will probably
have a real hard time convincing yourself
that yes, it certainly could happen to you.
I can 't help but think of another pilot I
knew, the owner of an old Mooney M20 ,

who departed on his first flight after obtain
ing his instrument rating into known icing
with three passengers on board. I heard
how he had received the lecture of his life
from his instructor, after exposing not only
himself, but also three innocent and oblivi
ous passengers to great risk on that flight.
But that lecture was to no avail, for not
long after that flight he proceeded to fly
across the Sierra Mountains at altitudes
above 14,000 feet without oxygen. He re
lated to me how he "knew everything was
OK, because I was able to do very complex
mathematical equations in my head , and
come up with the right answer. " Right. I' ll
agree that at least he thought he had the
right answers.
For this particular pilot the problem was
not that he could not apply the antidote to his
attitude; he couldn 't accept the fact that he
had a serious hazardous attitude in the first
place. Even with numerous people telling him
of the risk to which he exposed himself, he
continued to do it. What finally saved his ba
con was a woman he fell in love with.
When my ex-wife said to me , "It's me or
the airplane ." I had to say, "Gee , I sure am
gonna miss you! " But when the ladylove of
the aforementioned pilot gave him the same
ultimatum, his old Mooney quickly went on
the auction block. Since he had refused to
accept the fact that he had some hazardous
attitudes that were seriously threatening his
safety, this was probably the best thing that
could have happened to him .
I certainly hope that all of you reading
this article are not of like character. We all,
including myself, harbor at least one, if not
more , hazardous attitudes within our being.
learning to recognize that fact , then learn
ing the antidote to the attitude, and, most
importantly, applying that antidote will keep
us flying a lot longer. If you are one of those
people who feel invulnerable, you need to
remind yourself that th e truth of the matter
is: It can happen to you! Applying this anti
dote to your attitude will be one of those
things to help you transition from being a
good pilot, to being a GREAT pilot. I hope
you are up to the task!
Doug flies a 1947 PA-12. He is the
2004 National Certificated Flight Instruc
tor of the Year . Visit his website:
www.dsflight.com.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE
25
FLY-IN CALENDAR
Tile fol/owing list of coming events is fllrnished to Ollr readers as a matter of information only and does not
constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction of any event (fly-ill, seminars, fly mar
ket, etc.) listed. To submit an event, send the information via mail to: Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Or e-mail the information to: vintage@eaa.org. Information should be received
four months prior to the event date.
JULY 17-Zanesville, OH-Parr Airport. EAA Ch. 425
Fly-In, Drive-In. 8 am pancake, sausage and egg
breakfast. Lunch served 11 am-2 pm. Info: 740
454-0003
JULY 17- Henning, MN-Henning Municipal Air
port (OSY). 21 st Annual Fly-in, Drive-in
Breakfast. 7am-1 pm. Adu lts $5, Children 6 &
under $1.50. Free breakfast to PIC. Friday Night
Pilot's BBQ at 6pm. 100 LL fuel available. Clas
sics, ultralights, warbirds, vintage. Airplane
rides donation $12/person. Door prizes 8
noon. Info: 218-583-2270 or 218-583-9092.
JULY IS-Algona, lA-Algona Municipal Airport.
Algona Pilots Association Fly-In. 6 am-I pm. Info:
Dean 515-332-4012.
JULY 2S-0shkosh, WI-Vintage Aircraft
Association Picnic during AirVenture 2004.
Wednesday evening. The tram will start taking peo
ple from the Red Barn over to the Nature Center at
5:30 pm. Tickets must be purchased in advance at
the VAA Red Barn. Each year has been a sell-out,
purchase your tickets as soon as you arrive on site!
The meal will be catered by the same great cook as
the past few years. Type Clubs may purchase tickets
for their group and we will reserve tables for those
clubs who wish to sit together. Info: Theresa Books,
920-420-6110 or tbooks!!;Vaa.org.
JULY 30-0shkosh, WI-US Moth Club Annual
Dinner during AirVenture 2004. Pioneer Inn near
Lake Winnebago. Cocktails 6:30 pm, dinner 7:30
pm. Directions distributed during Moth Forum
Friday morning or by email. Please RSVP to:
Steve Betzler, sbetzler@elllpireievel.colII.
AUGUST 13-1S-Alliance, OH- Alliance-Barber Airport
(2Dl). 6th Annual Ohio Aeronca Aviators Fly-ln.
Breakfast Sat 15: Sun. 7-11 am by EAA Ch. 82.
Primitive camping on field, local lodging avail
able. All welcome. Info: 216-337-5643,
bwmatzllac@yahoo.colII, or www.oaafly-ill.ClJI1l.
AUGUST 14-Cadillac, MI- Wexford County Airport
(CAD), F1y-In/Drive-In Breakfast, EAA Ch. 678.
Info: 231-779-8113, ;ilpashad@hotlllail.com.
AUGUST 21- Newark, OH-Newark-Heath Airport
(VTA). EAA Ch. 402 Fly-In Breakfast. Info: Tom,
740-587-2112, tm((iila/illk.colII.
AUGUST 21- Broomfield, CO-jefferson County
Airport. 8th Annual jeffCo Aviation Assoc. Fly-In,
7am-noon. Trophies awa rd ed in 9 classes.
Drawing for a free flight in Dick jones T-6. Info:
Daril 303-423-9846.
AUGUST 22-Madison, WI-Blackhawk Airport (87Y).
Brat & Bean Feed. 11 am - 3 pm. Info: jim,
zflier@aol.colII.
AUGUST 27-29-Mattoon, IL-Coles County Airport
(MTO). 2004 Luscombe Fly-In. Forums,
Luscombe judging, shower, camping, electrical
hook-ups. $50 distance award. Info: jerry 217
234-8720.
AUGUST 27-29-Sussex, Nj-Sussex Airshow.
Experimentals, Ultralights, Warbirds. Info: 973
875-7337 or www.slIssexairportillc.colII.
AUGUST 2S-Niles, MI- jerry Tyler Memorial Airport
(3TR). VAA Ch. 15 will host its annual Corn and
Sausage Roast, l1am-3pm. Coffee and donuts for
early arrivals. Rain Date: 8/29. Info: Len, 269-684
6566 or tripacerlen@yahoo.colII.
26
JULY 2004
SEPTEMBER 4-Marion, IN- 14th Annual Fly-In Cruise

In, Marion Municipal Airport. Event features
antique, classic, contemporary, homebuilt, ultra
light, & warbird aircraft and vintage cars, trucks,
motorcycles, and tractors. Pancake Breakfast.
Info: ray;olmsoll@FlyIIlCruisdll.col1l or
www.FlylnCruiselll.coIIl
SEPTEMBER4-Prosser, WA-EAA Ch. 391's 21st
Annual Labor Day Weekend Posser Fly-In. Info:
509-735-1664.
SEPTEMBER 4-Zanesville, OH-Parr Airport. EAA Ch.
425 Fly-In, Drive-In. 8 am pancake, sausage, egg
breakfast. Lunch served II am-2 pm. Info: 740
454-0003.
SEPTEMBER 4-Bremerton, WA- Bremerton Nat'!
Airport (PWT). 8th Annual Fly-In. Held concur
rently with the City of Bremerton's Ann ual
Blackberry Festival (free shuttle to/from). Pan
cake Breakfast 9am, Blackberry pie all day at
the renown Airport Diner. Flightline display.
Prizes for: Best Antique; Warbird, homebuilt;
classic; greatest distance flown for the event;
People's ChOice, people voting eligible for $100
drawing. judging: Noon-2pm.
SEPTEMBER 4-6--Cleveland, OH-Burke Lakefront Air
port. 2004 Cleveland Nat'l Air Show. Exciting air
shows and displays. Finish line for U.S. Air Race
Inc's Nat'l Air Race and Air Cruise (CA to Cleve
land) celebrating the 75th Anniversary of
Cleveland's Nat'l Air Races of 1929. Info: 216-781
0747 or www.cleveialldairshow.colll.
SEPTEMBER 6-12-Galesburg, ll,-Galesburg Municipal
Airport (GBG) Drd Nat'l Stearman Fly-In.
Everything Stearman! Fun and camaraderie.
Aerobatic, formation, short-field takeoff and
spot-landing contests. Aircraft judging and
awards. Technical seminars. Aircraft parts & sou
venirs for sale. Dawn patrol and breakfast.
Lunch-time flyouts. Pizza party. U.s.O. show.
Anual banquet. Info: Betty 309-343-6409,
stearmal1@5tearman(1yin.co11J, or
www.stearmall{lyin.col1l.
SEPTEMBER IS-Middletown, OH-Middletown

Municipal Airport[MWOI "Chris Cakes" Pan
cake Breakfast Fly-in, 8am - 12n. Sponsored by
the Middletown Aviation Club. Info: Bob 513
422-9362.SEPTEMBER 18-19--Rock Falls,
IL-Whiteside County Airport (SQI). North Cen
tral EAA "Old Fashioned" Fly-In. Forums,
workshops, fly-market, camping, awards, food &
exhibitors. Fun for the entire familv. Free admis
sion for all. Sunday, Sept. 19th Sup~r Country
Breakfast. Pancakes, ham, sausage, eggs, fruit cup,
juice, coffee, and milk. Info: IVwIV.nceaa.org.
SEPTEMBER 23-26--EI Cajon, CA-Gillespie Field.
22nd Annual West Coast Travel Air Reunion.
Info: Harry, 619-583-0758.
SEPTEMBER 2S-Hanover, IN-Lee Bottom Flying Field
(641). Wood, Fabric, & Tailwheels Fly-In. The
name says it all ... come and see us, you'll be
amazed how friendly and lai d back "our family"
is. Food and camping available. A certified half
fast aircraft asylum (certificate #1). Info: 812-866
3211 or www.leebottom.com.
SEPTEMBER 2S-Topping, VA-Hummel Air Field.
Wings & Wheels. Car & Air event featuring the
Hardee's Air Team, antique cars & planes, plus
fire apparatus, tractors & engines, arts & crafts
of all types. Awards. Grounds open at 6am.
Parking $5. Special gift for first 200 entries. Call
for registration costs. Info: 804-758-4330,
itl(o@willgsoI1dwlleei.lIs, or IVWW.willgsalldwlIeeis.lIs.
SEPTEMBER 25-2S-Nashua, NH-Boire Field, adjacent
to the College. Daniel Webster College 2004 Avia
tion Heritage Festival. Aircraft, speakers, activities.
Adult admission is $15, children 6-12 are $7, and
children under 5 get free admission. Special dis
counts for families, seniors, veterans, and groups_
Info: 603-577-6625 or www.dwc.edll.
SEPTEMBER 26--Simsbury, CT-Simsbury Airport
(4B9). 20th Annual Simsbury Fly-In sponsored
by Simsbury Flying Club and EAA Ch. 324. The
largest aviation event of its kind in New Eng
land. Live music, a contingent of restored
military vehicles, flybys of interesting aircraft,
judging of aircraft in 15 categories. No admis
sion fee. Info: Bill Thomas 860-693-4550,
wdtl70I1JaS@SI1et.I1et.
OCTOBER 1-3--Pottstown, PA- Pottstown Municipal
Airport (N47), Bellanca-Champion Club East
Coast Fly-In. Info: 518-73 1-6800,
Robert@bellallca-ciwmpiorIclllb.col1l, or
www.bel/arIca-ciwmpionc/llb.col1l.
OCTOBER I -3--Darlington, SC-VAA Ch. 3 Fall Fly
In. All Classes welcome, BBQ Friday, Aircraft
judging/Banquet Sat. Info: jim WilSOll 843
753-7138 or eiwilsol1@IIOmexpresswIIy.l1et.
OCTOBER 2-3--Midland, TX- Midland Int'I Airport,
AIRSHO 2004, Commemorative Air Force HQ.
Info: 432-563-1000, est. 2231 or
p"blicreiatiolls@cafl1q.org. \
OCTOBER 13-17-Tullahoma, TN-Beech Party 2004, A
Bonanza. Sponsored by the Staggerwing Museum
Foundation, Twin Beech 18 Society, and
Bonanza-Baron Museum. Owners and enthusiasts
welcome. Info: 931-455-1974.
NOVEMBER 4-Madison, WI- Blackhawk Airport
(87Y). EAA Ch. 93 Annual Chili Fly-In. 11 am
2:00 pm. Info: jim zflier@aol.colll.
SEPTEMBER 10-12-Van Wert, OH-Van Wert

County Regional Airport. Festiva l of Flight
2004, Sentimental journey. This year's festival
is a celebration of the heroes of WWll. Vintage
planes, airshows, music, tlea market} demon

strations, exhibits, contests, food. Info:
419-232-4500 or ;ersons@msI1.com.
SEPTEMBER 11-12-Bayport, NY-Brookhaven Calabro
Airport. Annual Fly-In of the Antique Airplane
Club of Greater New York. Awards for various cat
egories, flea market, hangar party. Info: Roy
631-589-0374.
SEPTEMBER 12-Mt. Morris, IL- Ogle County Airport
(C55). Ogle County Pilots and EAA Ch. 682 Fly
In Breakfast. 7am-noon. Info: 815-732-7268.
SEPTEMBER IS-Bartlesville, OK-48th Annua l
Tulsa Regional Fly-In. Info: Charlie Harris 918
622-8400.
SEPTEMBER IS-Ghent, NY- Klinekill Airport
(NY1), EAA Ch. 146 Fall Fly-In Pancake
Breakfast, 8:30-noon, $5. Fly-in or drive-in, all
welcome_ (Gas available at Columbia County
Airport, IBI.) Rain date 9/19. Info: 518-758
6355 or www.eaa146.org.
JULY 27AUGUST 2
EM AirVenture Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI (OSH)
www.airventure.org
SEPTEMBER 18-19
Virginia State EM Fly-In
Petersburg, VA (PTS)
www.vaeaa.org
OCTOBER 1-3
Southeast EM Regional Ry-In
Evergreen, AL (GZH)
www.serfi.org
OCTOBER 7-10
Copperstate EM Regional Fly-In
Phoenix, AZ (A39)
www.copperstate.org
~ss IT TO BUCK
BY E.E. "BUCK" HILBERT, EAA #21 VAA #5

P.O. Box 424, UNION, IL 60180
A sticking valve
How many of us have had a
rough-running engine when we first
start? Maybe it lasted only a short
time, two or three minutes at the
most, or maybe even up to the time
we do our run-up and magneto
check. Extra throttle seems to cure
the problem, and we came out here
to fly, so let's do it!
Could be we had a sticking valve.
When was the last time you flew?
How long has the engine been sitting?
This could be critical in diagnos
ing the reason for the roughness. A
little rust or maybe some varnishing
on the valve stem? Both of these can
occur when the engine has been idle
and not run for a period of time.
And this can happen in as little as a
week or 10 days.
Clearance between the guide and
the valve stem is critical. Any debris
that fouls up that clearance can in
hibit proper operation.
Today's super-refined oils help a
lot. The old straight weight mineral
oils didn't have the fancy additives
we have nowadays, and these mod
ern oils do minimize the tendency
of stem and guide contamination.
They also assure that the oil does its
three jobs. We all know oillubri
cates, that the circulation helps
cooling, and that oil suspends con
taminates, keeping the engine
interior clean. The black you see af
ter eight or 10 hours of running is a
sign that the oil is doing its job.
Back to the sticking valve. Usually
it's an exhaust valve sticking. If you
detect the problem, you can some
times head it off by changing the
oil. Keeping that oil doing its job is
your responsibility. If you have a
full-flow filter, you should change
oil about every 50 hours or less if it

looks really dirty, you've worked it
hard, or you're flying off a dirty,
dusty field. Keep that air filter clean,
too; sucking in dirt through the in
duction system can do nasty things.
With a pressure screen filter, like
most of the older engines, don't go
past 25 hours.
A good practice is to change the
oil every four or five months
whether you have reached the time
limit or not. The cleaning function
of the oil is abrogated by long-term
inactivity. The dirt precipitates out,
lying in the bottom of the case and
in all the little cavities in the engine,
and a cold start will see this gunk
chasing all through the engine.
What does oil cost? Not much
when you consider the cost of an
engine overhaul along with the
downtime or, even worse, a forced
landing someplace you didn't want
to be.
Back to the sticking valve. A
worst-case scenario is to have that
valve stick closed. When that hap
pens, something's got to give. The
pushrod may bend trying its best to
open that valve. When it does, it'll
take out the pushrod shroud or tube.
Oh man! Now we have a bad oil
leak. That pushrod tube is the oil re
turn line from the rocker arm lube
system. Break that and you'll lose
quantity. You won't have pressure
loss, at least not until the quantity
gets real low.
A valve sticking closed will some
times put an extraordinary load on
the cylinder head. This can cause
cracking, and we don't want that
happening either. Sticking open will
cause roughness. The pushrod will
rattle around, and you'll be looking

for an airfield.
The old early Wright Whirlwind,
Kinner, and Warner radials didn't
have overhead oiling . Prior to
every flight it was standard proce
dure to grease the rocker arms, oil
up the valve stems, cross your fin
gers, and go!
They got oil and grease all over
the airplane: the windshields, the pi
lot, and anything and everyone in
the propwash. When the oil and
blobs of grease stopped slobbering,
you'd better be near your destina
tion or an aUXiliary field because
sure as shootin' a valve was soon to
start sticking.
If you were lucky, it stuck open.
The pushrod would fall out, and you
were short one cylinder and getting
some popping back through the in
duction system. Land, get the oil
can and lube the devil out of it and
all the rest of them, shoot some
grease into the rockers, and you
were on your way again.
So much for the old days. Now
we have pressure-Iubed valve trains,
sophisticated oil, and if you're using
100LL fuel, plenty of lead to help
lube those valve stems.
If your engine tells you it has a
bellyache, do something about it.
Check out the possible ailment.
Maybe it isn't a valve; maybe it's just
a lead- or oil-fouled spark plug, an
ignition lead, or the magneto points.
In any event, since we can't just pull
over to the curb and open the hood
to look for the problem make sure
that engine checks out and keeps
you in theak
~
Over to you, ((
-;Bt1..c,}.,
VINTAGE A IRPLA NE
27
NEW MEMBERS
Mick Roberts . ... . ............... Canberra, ACT, Australia
John C. Paul ..... . ... ... ....... Romsey Victoria, Australia
Nigel D. Ca rter ........ . . . . .. .. Slough Berks, Great Britain
Andrew DowIe .. ... .... .. ......... . . Tonbridge, England
Richard Audren ....... . ... . .... .. Les Essarts Ie ROi, France
Bernard Black ..... ............ .. . .. . Surrey, Great Britain
Takeyuki Yamashita . . ...... .. .. . . ... . . .. .. Gunma, Japan
Richard Bould .. ... .. . .......... . . Auckland, New Zealand
Paul Finch ...... . . ... ........ .. . Ashburton, New Zealand
Tony Payne . ........ ........ .... . Auckland, New Zealand
Jim Chapman ....... Ch ristchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Norman Giles .............. .. .. . ....... . Albertville, AL
Gary Meldrum ........ . ... . ... . .. ..... . Chino Valley, AZ
Lawrence]. Portouw . ... .. . . ... . . ...... Fort Huachuca, AZ
Bruce E. Estes ............ ... ...... ... . .. Foster City, CA
Roger 1. Hunter ..... . .... . . ... . . .......... Millbrae, CA
Steven Leisch ........ . .. . . ....... .... .. Morgan Hill, CA
Bob Lotter . . . ... . .. . . . . . . ... . .. . San Juan Capistrano, CA
Bob F. Oliver . . ... . ......................... Alamo, CA
Gerhard Schapp....... .. .. . ....... . .... . .. Riverside, CA
Harold Schooler ... . ... . ........ . . . . . ........ Chico, CA
Walter Wofford . . .... . ... . ... . ... . ... . ..... Auburn, CA
Barry]. Hicks .................. . .. ... ... . Parachute, CO
Robert E. Newhall .......................... Boulder, CO
Victor W. Whitehead .... . ........ .. .... .. .... Parker, CO
Karl Wiemer ........ ....... . . . ... . . ..... Greenwich, CT
Fred C. Brown ...... . ... . ... . ......... Treasure Island, FL
Sterling R. Brown ................ . .. ....... Lakeland, FL
Charles J. DiPardo............ . ... . .. . ...... Parkland, FL
Jam es R. Gibson .... . ....... . . .. . . .. ..... .. Polk City, FL
Warren 1. Hall ............ . . ... . . .. . .. .. Okeechobee, FL
Jim Layman ......... .. .......... . ....... Lauderhill, FL
Jam es M. Rinehart ... ..... ...... . . . .. .. .. . . .. Tampa, FL
Maurice Rivenbark ..... . . . . . . ... . ... . . .. .. Floral City, FL
Robert Roknick ..... . ... ........... . .... Summerfield, FL
Calvin Smith . .. ... ..... . ...... .. ....... Orange Park, FL
W. Marsh Smith ...... .. .... . . . ... . . . ... ..... Miami, FL
Robert H. Trumpolt ......... . ... ... ...... Port Orange, FL
Michael Uzlik .............. ..... .. ........ Mulberry, FL
Charles Willard .. .. .. . .. .. ... . ... . ...... . Vero Beach, FL
Jim E. Wilson ...... ........ ... . ... ..... . .. Key West, FL
Philip Winkler ..... . ... . ... . .. . . .......... .. Tampa, FL
Gary D. Austin ... . ... . ... . . .............. Kennesaw, GA
Charles H. Bowser ..... . ........... ... ..... Newnan, GA
Paul V. Kelley .. ..... . .. . . .................. Atlanta, GA
Rebecca Krengel ....... .. . .. .. . .. ..... ... .. Marengo, IL
William G. Parrillo ... . . ... . . ...... . . . .. . .. Westmont, IL
Christopher Sellers . .. .. . .. . . . ..... . .. . ... Woodstock, IL
Michael Vonic .......... ... ..... . . .. ..... Hampshire, IL
Ken Ward .. . ........................ .... .. Chicago, IL
Einer Freeburg ....... ... . ... . ... ... .. . ... New Castle, IN
Dennis A. Harmon.......................... Sullivan, IN
David R. Ward ...................... . . ... .. Tell City, IN
Matt Hall ....................... . .. ....... Garfield, KS
Weeden R. Nichols ........... ................. Hays, KS
Lynn Norton .... ... . ... . ... . ........ .. . . . Leawood, KS
Dwayne E. Hargrove .. . .. .. ... . ... . . ....... Louisville, KY
Shannon Elliott .... . ... . ... . .. ..... .... ... Lafayette, LA
James M. Fitch ... .. ............. . . . .. St. Francisville, LA
Loyd Mitchell. . . .. .. .. . ... ........... .. Baton Rouge, LA
Tom E. Whiting ......... . . ...... .. Greenwell Springs, LA
Stephen Gordon Kent .... .. . .............. Wenham, MA
Theodore C. Southworth ...... ... ... .. . South Orleans, MA
Sharon Tinkler ................ . ... . . .... Edgewater, MD
Thomas Botsford .......... . .. ....... . .. Eaton Rapids, MI
Bill Conway ..... . . . .. . ............. ... New Buffalo, MI
Larry Hoffman ...... . .... . ... ........... . Coldwater, MI
Chris C. Erickson .. .. .. ..... .. . . .. .... . Coon Rapids, MN
Darwyn R. Haveri ..... ... . ...... . . ....... .. Finland, MN
Jeff Ingebrightson ................. Columbia Heights, MN
Richard P. Smith .. . ... ............ . . .. Gravois Mills, MO
Charles Wayn e Brown ...................... . Helena, MT
28
JULY 2004
Charles Fligel .......... . . .. . . . . . .. .. ........ Butte, MT
Margaret Denmark ... .. .. . . . ..... .... ...... Raleigh, NC
David F. Durham ........ .. .. ... . ....... Mooresville, NC
Donald Harvey . ... ... ... ...... ........... Concord, NC
Matthew King ................. . ... . . . ... .. Willard, NC
John W. Miller. ... . . . ..................... . Raeford, NC
Clarence D. Hergert ... . . . ..... . . .. ....... Scottsbluff, NE
Dr. Jack Shuler ........ .. . . ..... .. ..... Londonderry, NH
John A. Zanchi, Jr.... .. ..... ... .......... Wolfeboro, NH
Eugene Bunt . ... .. ... . .. ..... .. ............ Keyport, NJ
Paul Duffy .. .. .. ... ... ...... .. ... ... .... Woodbury, NJ
David Vasend en ......... . . ..... .. ... . ...... . Reno, NV
]. B. Allred ........ ... ..... .. ........... Skaneateles, NY
David Brennan ..... . . .. . .. ... ... . .. ... .. . Craryville, NY
Neil 1. Loveless ... ..... .... . . .... . ...... Fair Haven, NY
Kurt Lozier .......... . ... . ....... . ... . Ballston Lake, NY
Joseph Walker .......... . ........ ... ... ... Lancaster, NY
Konrad K. Balunek .......... ..... . . . . . . ...... Avo n, OH
Steve Dalpra ... .. .. .. . ... . . ........ . ...... Sylvania, OH
Kenneth R. Hagen ... . .... . . . . .. ....... Lewis Center, OH
James 1. Wilson ........ . . .... ... . . . .. . ... .. Galena, OH
Charles Baker ..... . . .. . ... .. . .... . ... . . .... . Grove, OK
Jeremy Harris . .... . ......... . ... . .... . ... . .. Sandy, OR
John B. Bendig . . .. ... .. ... ... . ........... Waterford, PA
William Peblenik....... . .... . ... . . . .. ... ... Erwinna, PA
Jaime Maya . ... .. ..... .. .. . . ....... .. Sabana Grande, PR
James Phillip Terry . .... . ......... . . ...... Cum erland, RI
Lewis Myers ................................. Pelzer, SC
Charlie Sidenstricker .. .. . ............. ... Mt Pleasant, SC
Shope Z. Conley ... . ............. . ... . .. .. Maryville, TN
Tom Roush ......................... . ..... Tallassee, TN
Paul Blanton ....... . ....................... Austin, TX
John Cyrier .. .. .......... . .... . .......... Lockhart, TX
Gene Di Fonso ...... . .... . ... .. ... . ...... Arlington, TX
Robert Ewing ................... . ........... Jasper, TX
Richard]. Filip .......... . ..... ... .... .. . FayetteVille, TX
Robert Kraft .. . ... .... .. .. . . .. . . .. ... ... Fort Worth, TX
Johnni e Smith .... . .. ... ... .. . ... ... .. . Montgomery, TX
Richard P. Wingfield ......... . . ... .. . ..... McKinney, TX
Joe Allman ................... . ......... Blackstone, VA
Nolen Dean ........ . . ..... . ........... Harrisonburg, VA
Michael Henderson .......... . ............... Fairfax, VA
Greg Llafet . .. ... . ......... ...... .. ...... Arlington, VA
John Magyar . .. .. .... . .... ..... . ...... . .... Lorton, VA
Mike Martin .... .... ................... Martinsville, VA
Peter Schare .... . .... ... . . .... . .... .... Barboursville, VA
Andrew G. Shorter .......... . ... . . ...... Woodbridge, VA
Richard Sloop ....... . . .... . ......... .. .... Leesburg, VA
Bryon R. Stewart .. .. . . .... . ....... ....... Warrenton, VA
Pieter F. Wielinga .. ...... . ... . .... .. ......... Hayes, VA
Walter F. Schwarz .... . ...... .. ........... Brattleboro, VT
Roland W. Smith, MD ...... . .. .......... Bennington, VT
Mynders R. Woodruff ...... ... ... .. . ..... . Waitsfield, VT
Charles 1. Zue ......... . . . .. . .. . . . . ........ Vershire, VT
Eric Gourley .. ... .. . .. . .......... . ...... Eastsound, WA
Jim Lang . ............... . .. ............ .. Buckley, WA
Mike Lavelle . ................. ........... Issaquah, WA
Roy E. Palmer .. .. . . . . ... ... .. ........ Mercer Island, WA
Daniel N. Pearson ...... . ... .. ... ........ . . Brewster, WA
Eric C. Taylor ............. .. ... . .. . . Port Townsend, WA
Jeff Whitlatch .. . ......... ............... Redmond, WA
Edward O. Brannon ..... . ................... Racine, WI
John Cutting...... ... ..... . ....... . ....... Belgium, WI
Earl E. Janikowsky ..... . .. . . .. .. . .. ...... Milwaukee, WI
William D. Lothman .. .. ............... . . . Greendale, WI
John]. Lumley ................ . . ... . . ... Eagle River, WI
MaDonna 1. McMahan .......... .. . ......... Wausau, WI
Charles Stephenson . .. ... . .......... ......... Plover, WI
Lawrence H. Hawkins .. .. . ...... ........ Parkersburg, WV
Lawrence Stahl ..... . .. .... .. ...... . ..... Petersburg, WV
James Thrush .. .... . . ...... . ........... Burlington, WV
A Brief History of Stearman Aircraft Company continued from page 22

this to say about the 4E: "The Stear
man 4 is considered by some to be the
ultimate civil biplane in North Amer
ica. The Stearman 4 was the first North
American production aircraft to use
the new aerodynamically efficient
NACA engine cowl. In their heyday,
Stearman 4s were the fastest aircraft in
Canadian skies . . ." (Canada Aviation
website (www.aviation.nmstc.ca).
The only Stearman 4E flying of
those built for Standard Oil of Cali
fornia is NC785H. It was restored by
Posey brothers at Pitcairn Aviation
in Robbinsville, New Jersey (1999
2003). Extensive research combined
with Mike Posey"s painstaking at
tention to detail make this an almost
breathtakingly beautiful example of
1930 design brought back to fly once
again.
more than a year after United Aircraft

took over, Stearman resigned as presi
dent of Stearman Aircraft. He
continued to serve on the board of
directors until June 1931.
Stearman Aircraft, as an independ
ent concern headed by Lloyd Stearman,
lasted less than two years, from Sep
tember 1927 to August 1929. In this
brief time Stearman designed several
models of aircraft that saw service with
American and Canadian air mail carri
ers, corporations, and also private
owners. The Model 4 aircraft, particu
larly those built for Standard Oil of
California with speed fairings and
wheel pants, represents the pinnacle of
biplane design. As antiques, some
might deem them obsolete today-in
the manner one might consider a Due
senberg or Bugatti obsolete. The
Stearman name and legend fly on.
Stearman 4E Specifications
(w/420hp Wasp)
Fuel: 106 gallons

Oil: 10 gallons
Payload: 629 pounds
On August IS, 1929, Stearman Air

craft was acquired by United Aircraft
and Transport. Stearman stayed on
while his favorite design, the Model
4, was delivered to private, corporate,
and air carrier owners. He was also at
work on several new designs for the
company. However, the Depression
was taking a tremendous toll on
American business and the aircraft
industry was no exception. Further
more, Stearman began to chafe in the
unaccustomed role of corporate em
ployee. In December 1930, a little
Bibliography
Stearman Aircraft Order and Delivery
Ledger (courtesy of Walt House,
Kansas Aviation Museum)
Walter ""Doc"" Eefsen Memoirs
(courtesy of Marie Eefsen)
Bruce Bissonette, The Wichita 4:
Cessna, Moellendick, Beech & Stear
man, Aviation Heritage 1999
Peter Bowers, Wings ofStearman, Fly
ing Books International 1998
D. D. Jackson et ai, Flying the Mail,
Time-Life Books 1982
Joseph Juptner, u. S. Civil Aircraft Se
ries, vols. 1-3 Aero Publishers 1962
The Tradewind, February 1930, p. 10
Stearman Aircraft Company advertis
ing pamphlet
Aero Digest October 1930, p.28
Biplane Odyssey, Flying the Stear

man to Every U.S. State and
Canadian Province in North Amer
ica, by Alan Lopez, 382 pages with
co lor photographs is available
from Mountain Press, P.O. Box
507, Princeton, NJ 08542 or
www.BiplaneOdyssey.com for $25,
plus $3 shipping per copy. New
Jersey residents add 6% tax. The
author will autograph the book
on request.
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A Website With The Pilot In Mind
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Warner engines. Two 165s, one fresh O.H. , one
low time on Fairchild 24 mount with all acces
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project. Find my name and address in the
Officers and Directors listing and call
evenings. E. E. "Buck" Hilbert.
Fl yin g wires ava i lable. 1994 pri cing . Visit
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE
29
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30
JULY 2004
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31
Jerry Coates
Goodyear, Al
Retired Boeing engineer

Licensed pilot since July 195Q
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Vintage Airplane - Jul 2004

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Vintage Airplane - Jul 2004

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JULY 2004

VOL. 32, No. 7

LUCERNE, AUGUST 9, 1912

10 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE

15 FLIGHT STORY - CONTINUED

Executive Director, Editor

Gnome Omega rotary engine . Recovered from a barn in Sweden in

ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE

EAA AirVenture Opportunities

your aircraft and personal prop

wish to ride around the VAA area

Printed EAA AirVenture

Breakfast and a Briefing

VAA Volunteer Opportunities

to the northeast of the Red Barn.

Call jeannie Hill (815-943-7205),

If so, be sure to check in at the

The annual fly-out to Shawano

VAA Message Center

VAA Red Barn Store

If you would like to leave a mes

The VAA Red Barn Store, chock

Are You a Friend of the

To h'" m,mb,,' who fly

Other EAA AirVenture

Please stop in to say h ell o, e njoy a

Designated Smoking Areas

thi s, Operation Protect Our Planes

Red Barn Contributors

Thoughts on Proper Aircraft Restraint

of any airplane, and to the airplanes and

now the "downtown" airport at Spring

the top of the stick, which both locked

most out to the runway.

Many times you will find chains placed

APRIL'S MYSTERY ANSWER

some drawings missing, but they were reorganizing and said

Shipboard" from the early days when they Launched pLanes

Our April Mystery Plane was a favorite of a few of

Glad to see the TS-1 (Curtiss or NAF) as this month's

Don Harris, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, had an explana

Other answers were received from Orval Fairbairn,

Lucerne, August 9, 1912

SUBMITTED BY WALTER C. HILLJR.

here was quite a

ible speed. There was a terrific

ward us. Another look down, then

Rigi and Pilatus to the left and

the lake and took our course back

and we rolled right into the aero

CHOOSE UNIVERSAL FOR

You can find our products carried

by the following distributors:

Aircraft Spruce & Specialty

Flight Control Cables

Each Cable is Proo f Load Tested

McFarlane Aviation, Inc.

95th Anniversary of the

Louis Bh!riot just prior to departing

Special Cable to T h e Washin g

unguided, without a compass in the

magine you have a rare

In 1989, Mikael found his avia

producing less drag than its bi