Vintage Airplane - Aug 2009

GEO FF ROBI SON
PRES I DENT, VI NTAG E AI RC RAFT ASSOCI ATION

Oshkosh 2009 is now in the history books
t's nearly mid-July here in
the Midwest, and my trip to
Oshkosh is now only days
away. All early indicators for
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2009
being successful are very positive
at this point. This year's event
clearly has the potential to be
EAA's finest convention yet.
I hope everyone who had the
opportunity to join us in Osh­
kosh this year had a wonderful
experience. And for those of you
who followed the show on EAA's
AirVenture website from afar, I'm
sure you were wishing you cou ld
have been there. I cannot remem­
ber a year when we had so many
newly restored aircraft come out
of restoration with plans to ar­
rive in Oshkosh. Then add to the
formula that these aircraft and
their custodians will arrive to the
splendor of a totally new atmo­
sphere in the middle of Wiscon­
sin. It's going to be a special event
for 2009. I look forward to the ex­
perience, and I hope I get the op­
portunity to see you all there .
By now many of you have had
the opportunity to see the Vin­
tage Aircraft Association's newest
member benefit, Vintage Aircraft
Online. This new electronic news­
letter gives us another way to
communicate with the member­
ship. Coupled with EAA's new avi­
ation community website, www.
Oshkosh365.org, we're working to
enhance the world of recreationa l
aviation. Many thanks to the staff
at EAA for providing us the infra­

I

structure and expertise to de li ver
such a product to the member­
ship. (Th is is no sma ll task!) From
the vintage perspective, this elec­
tronic news letter is intended to
accomp lish a couple of things.

This new electronic
newsletter gives us
another way to
communicate with
the membership.
The primary intent is to keep
the membership better informed
about the latest and greatest in
information and deve lopments
within the "vintage movement."
Secondarily, Vintage Aircraft On­
line will prove to be yet another
vehicle to keep the membership
abreast of recent issues and devel­
opments in t h e daily activities of
your organization.
I also want to recognize our ex­
ecutive director and editor, H.G.
Frautschy, for his efforts in this re­
gard. It is no small task to develop
feature materia ls and then get
them professionally edited and
formatted . H.G . has always prided
himself in developing quality ma­
terial for the magaZine, and now

we've handed him yet another
cha llenge that I know you will
find not only interesting, but also
profess iona ll y presented and of
h igh quality. Thanks, H!
If you have not had the plea­
sure of perusing the new vintage
e-newsletter, you can find it at
http://w ww. ea a. 0 rg/v i ntagea ircraft/
issues/

The Yin tage Hangar is now
complete as I write this month's
column. It stands as testament
to the Spirit of EAA and its vol­
unteers, as well as to those who
gave generous ly of their dollars to
support this sometimes seemingly
mountainous effort. I have stood
in front of this structure in com­
plete awe as to what has been ac­
complished in such a short time .
Anyone can throw large sums of
money at a project , but often­
times all you get is a shell. Albeit
a nice she ll , but nonetheless, a
shell. Then you have to muster
your people to assist in the finish
work. It is with great pride that
I can now report that more than
2,000 hours of volunteer labor was
poured into this project by more
than 60 of our key volunteers who
put the finish ing touches on this
beautiful addition to the Vintage
area. This association is forever
in your debt. Each of you has dis­
played the true Spirit of EAA.
One of the key volunteers to
these efforts I speak of was our
own VAA Director Bob Lumley.
When this project was but a mere
continued on page 38

VOL. 37, NO.8

2009

AUGUST


CONTENTS
I Fe

Straight & Level
Oshkosh 2009 is now in the history books
by Geoff Robison

2

News

6

Bring on the Clown: Kent Pietsch

and His Cadet Court Jester

by Budd Davisson


12

The Finest of Them All-The Fairchild Parasol

After 14 years, Charlie Bell fulfills his flights of fancy

by Sparky Barnes Sargent


20

Light Plane Heritage

The search for perfection

by George A. Hardie, Jr.


26

Care and Maintenance of Wooden Propellers

Tips on propellers from one of the U.K.'s leading

lightplane designers

by Arthur w.].G. Ord-Hurne


28

The Vintage Mechanic

My thoughts on radial engines

by Robert G. Lock


34

The Vintage Instructor
Flight review
by Doug Stewart

36

Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy

38

Classified Ads

STAFF
EAA Publisher
Tom Poberezny
Director of EAA Publications Mary jones
Executive Director/Editor
H.G. Frautschy
Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman
Photography
jim Koepnick
Bonnie Kratz
Advertising Coordinator
Sue Anderson
Classified Ad Coordinator
Lesley Poberezny
Copy Editor
Colleen Walsh
Director of Advertising
Katrina Bradshaw
Display Advertising Representatives:
Specialized Publications Co.
U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Northeast: Ken Ross
609-822-3750 Fax: 609-957-5650
[email protected]

COVERS
FRONT COVER: Kent Pietsch 's comedy and dead-stick airshow routines have long
been recognized and some of the best airwork in the business. A 1942 Interstate Ca­
det has proven to be the nearly perfect air show airplane for his act. Read more about
Kent and his Interstate in Budd Davisson's story beginning on page 6. EAA photo by
DeKevin Thornton.
BACK COVER: One of the prettiest of the high-wing parasol monoplanes, this is
Charlie Bell's restoration of a Wright Gipsy powered example. Read more about it in
Sparky Barnes Sargent's article starting on page 12. Photo by EAA's chief photogra­
pher, Jim Koepnick.

U.S. Eastern Time Zone-Southeast: Chester Baumgartner
727-532-4640 Fax: 727-532-4630
cballml11 @mindspring.com

U.S. Central Time Zone: Gary Worden
800-444-9932 Fax: 816-741-6458
gary,[email protected]

U.S. Mountain and Pacific Time Zones: john Gibson
916-784-9593 Fax: 510-217-3796
[email protected]

Europe: Willi Tacke
Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012
willi@(lying-pages.col1l

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

FAA Issues New Advisory
Circular for Vintage Aircraft
The FAA has issued new Advisory
Circular, AC 23-27, Parts and Mate­
rials Substitution for Vintage Aircraft,
dated May 18, 2009. The AC, cre­
ated by the FAA's Small Airplane Di­
rectorate in Kansas City, Missouri,
was a joint effort by the FAA in
consultation with industry repre­
sentatives including EAA and EAA's
Vintage Aircraft Association.
The publication gives guidance
to both owner/restorers and FAA
aviation safety inspectors when col­
lecting information needed for an
FAA approval when parts or materi­
als used in the original construction
of the type-certificated airplane are
no longer available, or newer, more
appropriate materials are now com­
mon and would be more appropri­
ate to be used when repairing or
replacing components.
The advisory circular details the
level of information needed to doc­
ument a part or material substitu­
tion, and while it is not intended
as a IIhow to" manual, it does give
specific examples of the types of
changes that can be made with a
simple logbook entry. Examples
shown in appendix 1 include the
use of ANSI specifications for bear­
ing substitutions, or the use of gen­
erator or alternator belts made to
an SAE specification .
In appendix 2, clear guidance is
also given regarding the substitu­
tion of 4130 steel instead of older,
milder steel specifications in both
non-structura l and structural ap­
plications. Of course, structural
modifications or repairs are still
considered major repairs requiring
FAA approval, typically done via an
FAA Form 337.
Only gliders, or fixed-wing air­
craft powered by reciprocating
engine(s) which are unpressurized
and have a certificated weight of
12,500 pounds or less, and which
were certificated before January I,
2

AUGUST 2009

1980 (and follow-on type certifi­
cated models of the same aircraft)
as well as those certificated under
Group 2 Memos, (and ATC aircraft
certificated by the Department of
Commerce) are eligi ble for parts
and material su bs t itutions using
AC 23-27 as approved data. Also,
the change cannot cause a percepti­
ble change to the certification basis
for that particular airplane.
If you have suggestions regard­
ing the incorporation of other parts
and material substitutions, send
them to (please copy t h e Vintage
Aircraft Association at vintageaircra(t@
eaa.org):
FAA Small Airplane Directorate
Attn: ACE-100/AC23-27 comments
910 Locust
Kansas City, MO 64106-2641
DHs Inspector General:
GA Operations Pose No
Homeland Security Threat
General aviation (GA) operations
do not present a serious homeland
security vulnerability requiring the
Transportation Security Adminis­
tration (TSA) to increase regulatory
oversight of the industry, according
to a report released by the Depart­
ment of Homeland Security's Office
of Inspector General (OIG) in June.
The report, IITSA's Role in Gen­
eral Aviation Security," was drafted
at the request of Representative
Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), chair­
woman of the Subcom mittee on
Transportation Security and Infra­
structure Protection, House Com­
mittee on Homeland Security.
According to the OIG, the study
objectives were to identify TSA se­
curity requirements for GA airports;
threats to GA; measu res already
taken to secure GA; steps nonfed­
eral stakeholders have taken to en­
hance the security of GA; and any
lIincidents of concern" with secu­
rity at GA airports.
The OIG visited a number of
large and small, public and privately

owned GA facilities in metropoli­
tan areas where people could be per­
ceived to be at risk in the event of a
terrorist attack launched from the
airports. IIWe determined that gen­
eral aviation presents only limited
and mostly hypothetical threats to
security," the OIG stated. "We also
determined that the steps general
aviation airport owners and manag­
ers have taken to enhance security
are positive and effective ... cou­
pled with voluntary measures taken
by the owners and operators of air­
craft based at general aviation sites."
The report goes on to state that
significant regu lation of the indus­
try would require considerable fed­
eral funding and that no additional
regulation is being recommended
at this time.
"This report confirms what EAA
has been telling Congress and gov­
ernment agencies concerned with
aviation security for years," stated
Doug Macnair, EAA vice president
of government relations. IIOur po­
sition, which is based on known
facts and other government and in­
dustry studies, has always been that
general aviation does not pose a se­
rious homeland security threat that
would require any additional regu­
lation of the industry, that there are
no indications of plots to use GA
aircraft in an attack, and that vol­
untary measures, implemented by
the community to address the most
significant potential vulnerabilities,
have been efficient and effective.
"The study just released by the
DHS inspector general is yet an­
other credible voice adding to the
preponderance of evidence that
general aviation does not pose a
significant security threat and that
heavy-handed regulation of the GA
community is unwarranted," stated
Macnair. "We are sharing this study
with members of the newly formed
House General Aviation Caucus in
an effort to continue to build a bet­
ter understanding of general avia­

tion from a security standpoint on
the Hill and help dispe l the stub­
born perception by some in Con­
gress that GA poses an undue risk
to homeland security."
While GA has once again been
shown not to be a significant secu­
rity risk, all pilots and aircraft own­
ers should continue to be aware
of the potential for misuse of GA
aircraft and remain vigilant for un­
usual or suspicious activity at air­
ports and report anything ou t of
the ordinary to the Airport Watch
reporting facility at 866-427-3287.
General aviation accounts for 77
percent of all domestic flights and
includes air cargo transport, emer­
gency medical flight operations,
flight school training, and corpo­
rate and private aviation.

EAA Halls of Fame
Celebration Set
EAA will again honor and recog­
nize a group of individuals for their
accomplishments and contribu­
tions to aviation during the annual
EAA Halls of Fame ceremony set for
October 16, 2009, at the EAA Air­
Venture Museum in Oshkosh.
Open to the public, the dinner
and award ceremony offers a who's
who of aviation notables . While
the National Association of Flight
Instructors, Warbirds of America,
and International Aerobatic Club
have not yet announced their in­
ductees, the following honorees
have been confirmed:
Homebuilt Hall of Fam e­
Lance Neibauer
Ultralight Hall of Fam e­
Roy Pinner
Vintage Hall of Fame­
Steve Pitcairn
For more information about the
halls of fame ceremony, visit www.
EAA.org/halioffame.

Biplane Expo's Grand Finale
Something about biplanes
catches our fancy. Maybe it's be­
cause they represent our aviation
heritage and aviators of the past
who flew them. Many of these
planes exude the brute force of ra-

EAA's Ford Tri-Motor Stars With Depp
EAA p lanes, staff part of Public Enemies
The major motion picture Public Enemies opened in theaters around the country July 1, and
EAAers were finally able to see the organization's 1929 Ford Tri-Motor and parts of Pioneer Airport
on the silver screen . EAA staffer Zachary Baughman was one of the first to see the film and gave it
abig "thumbs up" .. ..
Director Michael Mann'snew film, Public Enemies, revolves around the final year of Depression-era
bank robber John Dillinger's life. Throughout the film Dillinger, captured flawlessly by actor Johnny
Depp, plays acat and mouse game with Melvin Purvis, portrayed solidly by actor Christian Bale.
Mann has captured the look and feel of the 1930s perfectly with beautiful cinematography,
well -designed costumes and sets, and a great musical score. Scenes filmed in EAA's hometown,
Oshkosh, playa large part in the movie-EAA's own Pioneer Airport plays asmall part, as does the
Museum's 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, which can be seen about an hour into the 143-minute film . If you
look closely at the Tri-Motor, you will be able to see EAA's own director of aircraft operations, Sean
Elliott, looking out of the copilot's window.
The film flows at a methodical pace interspersed with intense action and hot lead from Dill­
inger'sTommy gun. If you've had your fill of transforming cars, mutant superheroes, and killer robots
from the future, then this nicely done period piece with good, solid acting is just for you (and any­
thing with a Ford Tri-Motor in it has to be good)!

dial engines and the presence of
large stature, while others are di­
minutive and perform maneuvers
with the flick of a wrist. Whatever
trips your trigger, the fascination
with biplanes has been epitomized
for the past 23 years at Bartlesville,
Oklahoma, during the National Bi­
plane Association's (NBA) annual
Biplane Expo.
However, the Biplane Expo held
June 4-6 was different. Earlier this
year, the NBA board of directors de­
cided, for numerous reasons, that
2009 would be the last Biplane
Expo in Bartlesville. When Char­
lie Harris, NBA chairman and presi­
dent, announced the decision to
end the Expos, he said, "This will
be a grand finale, not a somber
event." They asked Dick Rutan to

be the honored guest for the event
and got ready for the final goodbye.
And a grand finale it was! When
asked about the good fortune of
having great weather, Harris said,
"I talked a little with the Almighty,
and he said not to worry." By Satur­
day morning Harris estimated about
120 biplanes were on the field, and
more than 150 other planes had ar­
rived to join in the festivities . (A
temporary control tower was es­
tablished to handle the air traffic.)
Hundreds of people listened to Ru­
tan's program, and the Friday eve­
ning dinner was oversold.
Biplanes of all types attended:
antiques, classics, homebuilts, and
one-of-kind stacked-wing won­
ders that made the green, closely
trimmed grass look like a multicolVINTAGE AIRPLANE

3

ored field. Pilots flew their biplanes
from the four corners of the coun­
try to attend the finale. Both fly­
in and drive-in spectators had the
chance to take a biplane ride. The
event was packed with educational
forums, but it was not unusual to
see a biplane owner simply taking
a traditional afternoon nap under
the shade of his lower wing.
Over these past 23 years, some
2,500 bipes and 7,000 other aircraft
have drawn approximately 75,000
fans to the Biplane Expo. The NBA
was formed as a nonprofit organiza­
tion in 1987 to educate the general
public on the history and devel­
opment of biplane aircraft and to
promote their preservation. Their
mission continues, and member­
ship is open to anyone interested
in biplanes and in preserving them.
To view a photo gallery of im­
ages from the final expo, visit www.
EAA.org/Photos and click "Biplane
Expo Finale."

Tax Relief in Florida
In 2008, the Florida Department
of Revenue began collecting a 6
percent tax on any airplane-in­
cluding those from out of state­
that has been purchased within six
months of being flown into Florida
for any of a variety of purposes.
EAA and the Aircraft Owner and
Pilots Association have been urging
for clarity on the guidelines and limi­
tations of the current law. That ad­
vocacy has now shown results; new
out-of-state aircraft owners no longer
need to pay tax for short-term recre­
ational visits. The Florida Department
of Revenue clarified the use-tax law,
stating, "a brief, recreational use of
property in Florida will not, by itself,
subject an aircraft owner to use tax."
General aviation attracts mil­
lions of visitors to Florida annually
and accounts for more than $2.3
billion in revenue. The highly an­
ticipated clarification gives relief
to new out-of-state aircraft owners
who may participate in aviation
events like the U.S. Sport Aviation
Expo, Sun 'n Fun Fly-in and other
EAA chapter events.
.......
4

AUGUST 2009

CALL FOR VAA

HALL OF FAME

NOMINATIONS

Nominate your favorite aviator for the
EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of
Fame. A huge honor could be bestowed
upon that man or woman working next to
you on your airplane, sitting next to you
in the chapter meeting, or walking next
to you at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. Think
about the people in your circle of aviation
friends: the mechanic, photographer, or
pilot who has shared innumerable tips
with you and with many others. They
could be the next VAA Hall of Fame in­
ductees-but only if they are nominated.
The person you nominate can be a
citizen of any country and may be living
or deceased, and his or her involvement
in vintage aviation must have occurred
between 1950 and the present day. His
or her contribution could be in the areas
of flying, design, mechanical or aerody­
namic developments, administration,
writing, some other vital and relevant
field, or any combination of fields that
support aviation. The person you nomi­
nate must be or have been a member of
the Vintage Aircraft Association, and pref­
erence is given to those whose actions
have contributed to the VAA in some way,
perhaps as a volunteer, a restorer who
shares his expertise with others, a writer,
a photographer, or a pilot sharing stories,
preserving aviation history, and encour­
aging new pilots and enthusiasts.
To nominate someone is easy. It just
takes a little time and a little reminisc­
ing on your part.
•Think of a person; think of his or
her contributions.
• Write those contributions in the
various categories of the form.
•Write a simple letter highlighting
these attributes and contributions. Make
copies of newspaper or magazine arti­
cles that may substantiate your view.
• If you can, have another person
complete a form or write a letter about
this person, confirming why the person

is a good candidate for induction.
Mail the form to:
VAA Hall of Fame
Charles W. Harris, Chairman
7215 East 46th St.
Tulsa, OK 74147
Remember, your "contemporary" may
be a candidate; nominate someone today!
Find the nomination form at www.
VintageAircraft.org, call the VAA office for
a copy (920-426-6110), or on your own
sheet of paper, simply include the follow­
ing information:
•Date submitted.
•Name of person nominated.
•Address and phone number of nominee.
•Date of birth of nominee. If deceased, date
of death.
• Name and relationship of nominee's clos­
est living relative.
• Address and phone of nominee's closest
living relative.
•E-mail address of nominee.
•Time span (dates) of the nominee's con­
tributions to aviation. (Must be between
1950 to present day.)
•VAA and EAA number, if known. (Nominee
must have been or is aVAA member.)
•Area(s) of contributions to aviation.
• Describe the event(s) or nature of activi­
ties the nominee has undertaken in avia­
tion to be worthy of induction into the
VAA Hall of Fame.
• Describe achievements the nominee has
made in other related fields in aviation.
•Has the nominee already been honored for
his or her involvement in aviation and/
or the contribution you are stating in
this petition? If yes, please explain the
nature of the honor and/or award the
nominee has received.
•Any additional supporting information.
•Submitter's address and phone number,
plus e-mail address.
.Include any supporting material with your
petition.

VAA and EAA Launch New

Online Initiatives

If you're a VAA member and have given
us a valid e-mail address when you signed
up or renewed your membership, then you
received the inaugural issue of Vintage Air­
.
- - - - - - - - - - - - _. - - - - - - - ­
craft Online, the VAA's new monthly elec­

tronic newsletter. If you've not seen it yet, feel free to view it online at www.EAA.org/vintageaircraft/issues.

This new member benefit is in addition to our monthly magazine, and it gives us another way we can share in­
formation among one another, and gives you an opportunity to visit with fellow members. We'll be able to share
more about the aircraft of yesteryear and the great people who enjoy them using the multimedia resources of
EAA and the Internet. Vintage Airplane magazine will continue to be your printed member benefit, bringing you
the full-color glory of the great airplanes of yesteryear.
Vintage Aircraft Online is intended to be an interactive newsletter in the sense that we not only encourage your
input, but also need the collective brainpower of all of you out there to keep us posted on the latest happenings
in the world of vintage aircraft. We'll be reading what you post within Oshkosh365, and of course we'll gather
input from various sources, but the best and most informed group of reporters within aviation is you! Drop us an
e-mail at [email protected] and let us know how we're doing and what you'd like to see; most importantly,
feel free to contribute material you think would be of interest to your fellow VAA members.
H.G. Frautschy

Editor, Vintage Aircraft Online

Editor, Vintage Airplane magazine

Executive Director, VAA

-

-

EAA's Oshkosh365

Is Now Live

Withthe introduction of Oshkosh365, EAA's
online community, w~'lI be able to bring together
thousands of enthusiasts who restore, fly, and just
plain enjoy great old airplanes. EAA members are
aviation's most passionate community of enthu­
"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii~' rM
siasts. We dedicate ourselves to actively partici­

pating and sharing our common love of aviation with each other through chapter meetings, at regional fly-ins, and of

course, one week a year, during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. But wouldn't it be nice to stay connected with the people you

meet in Oshkosh, your fellow chapter members, and the aviation community at large on a daily basis?

Enter Oshkosh365. It's EAA's newest way to share your passion for flight, and it has changed the way we provide
news and information to the aviation community. Oshkosh365 is a free online social network available to anyone with
a computer and Internet access. "When people come to Oshkosh, they interact and share knowledge and inspiration,
and we believe that spirit shouldn't go away when those thousands of people leave Oshkosh," said Adam Smith, EAA
vice president of membership. "We're trying to capture what happens at AirVenture one week each year and continue
that magic 365 days a year."
With Oshkosh365 you can search for people, post pictures of your favorite aircraft, share knowledge and information
through message boards, join special-interest groups, start your own group, e-mail others, search for an aircraft, build a
network of your friends, follow your favorite aviation blogs and podcasts, access detailed local weather reports, and flip
through the pages of the digital edition of BAA Sport Aviation.
For more on Oshkosh365 and to sign up, visit the website at www.Oshkosh365.orgor see the article in the August issue
of EAA Sport Aviation magazine. You can start sharing your passion for flight at Oshkosh365 today. Signing up is free and
effortless, and you can start participating right away!

OSHKOSH

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

5

600Z

.lSn~n'v'

9

by Budd Davisson

no!" the an­
nouncer cries
over the PA sys­
tem: "Not only
does he not know how to fly, but
. . . look! He's lost an aileron! This
is very, very serious. He's up there
in a 60-year-old airplane and has
had a control failure. How can he
possibly survive?" You can almost
hear him wringing his hands.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is
Captain Pietsch speaking. We're at
our cruising altitude, the seat belt
light is off, and you're free to get up
and move about the aircraft." You
know the rest of the spiel. You've
heard it a thousand times. What
you may not know, however, is
that until he took early retirement,
the court jester and the Airbus cap­
tain were one and the same. When
he wasn't flying the high-altitude
jetways in an Airbus, he was either
en route to an air show at 100 mph
or performing in one. To say Kent

Pietsch was leading an aeronautical
double life is putting it mildly. As
the demands of both careers built,
push came to shove and Kent had a
serious decision to make .
"I was flying about 21 air shows
a year all over the western half of
the U.S., and I'm strictly a one-man
operation," he says. "l have to ferry
my own airplane, do my mainte­
nance, my scheduling, my advertis­
ing, and marketing, and it finally
got to where I just couldn't get ev­
erything done. So, four years short
of normal retirement, I opted out
of the airline. Flying air shows was,
and is, just too much fun."
For those who have never seen
Kent's show, it is the Flying Farmer
routine with a twist. Partially into
dipping and skidding his way
through the air show box, an aileron
mysteriously departs the airplane
and flutters to the ground amid his­
trionics from the announcer and
"oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

7

of many aviators-model
airplanes, working at the
airport from junior high on,
the usual stuff-there is a
basic, underlying difference
in Kent's upbringing that
left him no choice but to be
doing what he's doing. Yes,
he worked at the airport,
but it was at his dad's fixed
base operation and Mooney
dealership in Minot, North
Dakota, a business that
has been in operation for
nearly 40 years (www.Pietsch
Aircraft.com).
"It's easy to be the air­
port kid when your family
has an operation on the air­
port," Kent says. "I would
haunt the place and even­
tually soloed a Mooney on
my 16th birthday.
Having a family in which
aviation is the central
theme is one thing, but the
direction his dad went with
his personal aviation meant
that Kent was going to get
a really early introduction
into the air show business
and sport aviation.
Kent's father and friends ,
who included Jim McDon­
ald, Jim Bergo, Gary John­
son, and many others ,
built what was to be the
first customer-built Stolp
Starduster Too in five and
a half months during 1967.
"My dad was really into aer­
obatics, so he started flying
the Starduster in air shows
around the area , and ac­
tually flew in the air show
at the EAA convention in
Rockford that year. (Editor's
Note: pre-Oshkosh for you young'uns.)
I couldn't wait until I had my own
aerobatic airplane. In fact, in archi­
tecture class in high school, I drew
up a mid-wing, elliptical planform,
aerobatic special. One of the char­
ter/flight instructor/spray pilots I
was friends with decided to build it
for real, but got as far as some mi­
nor tubing components before de­
II

Later, during another flight in the
same show, Pietsch the clown puts
on his serious pilot hat and lands
his airplane on a moving truck in
the crowd-pleasing "world's shortest
runway" scenario.
Pietsch's show is unique in many
ways, but certainly one of the more
notable factors is that he isn't flying
the traditional air show clown, the
8

AUGUST 2009

Piper Cub. Instead, he's flying a 1942
Interstate Cadet, which, for many in
the crowd, is the first they've seen.
Better yet, he has the perfect spon­
sor for his whimsical air show act:
Jelly Belly Candy Company.
Kent and his Cadet go back a long
way together, but Kent and aviation
go back even further. Although his
childhood is almost a carbon-copy

ciding to build a clipped Cub with
T-craft wings instead.
"My dad was also a Citabria
dealer, so I started doing aerobat­
ics almost as soon as I started fly­
ing and in '69 started giving a little
aerobatic dual in a 7KCAB Citabria,
plus I went along and helped at air
shows. During that time I was lucky
enough to meet ait show greats
such as Harold Krier, Frank Price,
Bill Barber, Art Scholl, Bob Lyjack,
Danny Clisham, and many others.
Needless to say, I wanted to be fly­
ing in that arena, and my family
put me in the right place."
It seems the family that "ac­
ros" together stays together, be­
cause Kent's father, Alfred, and his
brother Gary started doing a dual
Starduster/Citabria act.
"Then Dad and my other
brother, Warren, were doing a
dual act, including head-to-head
inverted ribbon cuts. I started do­
ing a comedy act and left the aero­
batics to them. That's when I got
my first Interstate, which I bought
from my uncle Leonard, my dad's

brother, who happens to be dat­
ing my mom now./I Kent affection­
ately refers to Leonard as "Uncle
Daddy./I Kent's father and his un­
cle's wife are both deceased.
"He had the airplane tied down
on the line at our airport, and I got
to looking at it while the clipped
Cub was going together. Here was
a tandem Cub-like airp lan e that
already had a 23012 airfoil like
the T-craft and was basically really
strong. So, I bought it and started
using it for my comedy act.
"It was actually a pretty tired old
airplane. The structure looked okay,
and the engine ran well, but the
cover was heading south, so I flew
it in shows for a couple of years,
then put it down for a rebuild.
"When we opened it up, we
found that the tubing was surpris­
ingly good, considering it had [sat]
out for a lot of years. The same
couldn't be said about the wings.
The spars were fine, a lth ough
they needed a complete refinish­
ing, but the ribs were in need of
rebuilding. They are made of riv­

eted hat-sections and, besides being
cracked and bent, were a real p'ain
to work on. So, I started looking for
replacement ribs. The Artic Tern,
a bush version of the Cadet, used
the same ribs and someone had the
STC for using them in Cadets, but I
couldn't track it down and wound
up rebuilding the originals.
"I started dropping the aileron in
1974. It is made of foam and Mo­
nokote model airplane covering,
and it's fixed in a level position. I
pull a cable, which pulls the pins,
and it's gone. It's so light that it
hardly ever gets damaged when it
hits the ground. With only the one
aileron still working, the roll rate is
still much better than you'd expect,
but I have to remember that I don't
have the usual amount of roll rate
when I'm flying the routine./I
Inasmuch as his Cadet is a certifi­
cated airplane, he can't fly around
dropping ailerons off without some
considerations to the legalities in­
volved. And therein is the seed to a
certification drama that took more
than a little persistence and creativVINTAGE AIRPLANE

9

ity to work out. This was especially
true when he built up a second air­
plane so he could station airplanes
around the country, to cut down
on long cross-countries.
liThe problems involved in get­
ting to the shows far outweigh the
problems and risks of actually fly­
ing the shows. Since I'm always
VFR and not moving very fast, it's
a major problem making sure I'll
be there when the announcer starts
his pitch. The pressure to get there
is enormous." With two airplanes,
Kent can spot one in each part of
the country he'll be flying that year.
Still, I wind up flying some really
long legs," he says. "This past year,
for instance, I'd routinely fly legs
like California to Wichita, then back
to California the next week. Having
two airplanes makes this easier, but
getting both airplanes certified was
harder than I'd expected.
"On the first airplane, in 1973,
the FSDO had a problem letting
me dual-certify it. I wanted it in
restricted exhibition when flying
shows, but normal category when
flying it cross-country. The local
GADO said dropping the aileron
was out of the question, and it had
to go restricted or experimental
only, but I knew it was possible be­
cause it had been done before. That
being the case, I let it be known that
I was going to be talking to my sen­
ator about it, and they somehow
came up with a method whereby
an A&P-me-simply makes a log­
book entry before and after each
show, changing the category.
liThe real problem came when I
wanted to do the same thing to the
second airplane. That's when they
put their foot down and said the
airplane had to be in Experimen­
tal category if I was going to rig it
to drop an aileron. They dug their
heels in and said they'd let me have
one airplane like that, but not two.
So, I went FSDO shopping.
lilt didn't take too much digging
to come up with a FSDO inspector
who knew how to make things hap­
pen, while still keeping everything
legal and above-board. He pOinted
II

out a box on the application form
labeled 'Other' that gave an offi­
cial, and recognized, solu tion for
guys like me who had a problem
that couldn't be easily fit into the
other pigeon holes. So, then I had
two airplanes in the same dual cat­
egories and life was good.
"I started landing the Cadet
on top of a moving RV at Abbots­
ford, British Columbia, Canada. It
was sort of a rushed decision, and
I wanted to get it going in time for
the show. I bought a '79 Ford RVon
Monday, and Les Knight, owner of
K-Line Trailers [a worldwide business
from Abbotsford] spent Tuesday and
Wednesday building a rack and land­
ing platform on the top. Jim Franklin
made the first landing on it-a long,
but good, story. Then, I made three
or four practice landings and then
did the show that weekend.
"The Cadet works out really well
for the car-top landings. It's a little
better than a Cub because it has a
better roll rate so I can do aerobat­
ics between each landing attempt.
The problem with the In terstate is
the door, and I only have 8 inches
on each side of the platform to see.
The Cub has a big door and the pilot
sits further back in the airplane for
a good view of the tire, when you're
right there a foot or so over the plat­
form and trying to nail it on.
"The Interstate is also really
good for my dead-stick act. I start
at 6,000 feet and do aerobatics all
the way to the ground, and coast
to a stop with the spinner in the
announcer's hand . It's really pre­
dictable in the glide and isn't af­
fected by thermals quite as much
as the Cub is."
The universal appeal of old air­
planes doing unique things, and es­
pecially Kent's special brand of aerial
buffoonery, became evident when he
was asked to do shows in the United
Arab Emirates. This required ship­
ping not only the airplane, but also
his "world's shortest runway" truck.
No small task, especially given the
compressed time frames.
"It was obvious I wasn't going to
be able to get the disassembled air­

plane and the RV in the same con­
tainer. Doing it in two containers
was prohibitively expensive, so at
the last minute I bought a '99 Chevy
Silverado at the Spokane auto auc­
tion. Rick Davis from Everett, Wash­
ington, and I had two weeks to get
the airplane and the truck on the
boat." Once again, Kent's friend Les
Knight jumped in and built the rack
in two days. Kent continues: "Then
Rick, Bud Granley, Charlie Wright,
and I shoehorned it-and the air­
plane-into the container. It was so
tight that I flipped the rack around
on the truck and put the tail of
the airplane up in the bed. We had
about an inch to spare but we made
it on the boat.
"When we got to the Emirates, it
was another 'rush, rush, rush' deal,
and we barely got the last screw in
the airplane in time to fly the man­
datory practice. It's a testament to

the simplicity and durability of the
Cadet and the number of times I've
taken it apart that we were able to
get it all done in time and still have
zero mechanical glitches.
"I can't imagine doing anything
else with my life," he says. "I've been
doing this now for over 34 years
and 400 shows, and I still love it. I
love flying the little airplane, and
I'm surrounded by great people. The
air show people and the audiences
are absolutely the best. I'm having a
ball and intend on continuing to do
this as long as anyone is willing to
stand and watch."
At the rate he's going, he'll
have to find another Cadet as a
spare, while he rebuilds one. Af­
ter all, a man can never have too
many Interstates.
P.S. Kent says he has yet another
Interstate in pieces at his home, so
he must agree.
~

The Interstate Cadet: The What?
Considering that an Interstate Cadet bears more than a passing Similarity to
most other tandem two-place aircraft of the 194Os, the truth is that it's anything
but a warmed-over Cub, even though the construction methods are identical.
The basic fuselage structure benefitted from the decade that passed after
the Cub's design, and the landing gear is a compression spring/oleo system
that allows its rebound characteristics to be damped, so it's ideally suited to
rough field work.
The airfoil is a semi-symmetrical 23012, which helps contribute to the air­
plane's relatively high speed (for the power) of 1OO-plus mph.
Interstate Manufacturing Company (EI Segundo, California) built approxi­
mately 320 Interstate Cadets in 1941 and 1942. The airplane was originally
powered by an A-50 Continental but, as with all other airplanes of the period,
quickly adapted the 6S-hp Continental A-65.
In recent times, the type certificate was resurrected, along with the tooling,
by Arctic Aircraft. It was slightly upgraded and equipped with an 0-320 of 160
hp, eventually evolving into the Arctic Tern as a highly modified and modern­
ized bush bird.
Capacity:

2 (1 pilot, 1 passenger)

Engine:

Continental A-50 (S-1), Continental
A-65 (S-1A)

Wingspan:

35 feet, 6 inches

Length:

Cruise:

23 feet, 5.5 Inches
98 mph

Fuel capadty:

15 gallons

Range:

380 miles

Payload:

480 pounds

Maximum Takeoff Weight:

1,200-1,250 pounds

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

eventy-six years after roll­
ing off the production line
in Hagerstown, Maryland,
NC9479 ambled down
the runway and gently
levitated into the air, slowly lift­
ing free of its lingering shadow on
the ground. Its silver wings, buffed
to a luminous luster, glinted in the
Florida sun, and its fuselage glowed
cherry red, warmly ensconcing its

S

12 AUGUST 2009

pilot-restorer. The ancient Wright
Gipsy performed flawlessly, ignit­
ing fuel and air into 90 reliable
horses. After 14 years of restora­
tion, Charlie Bell had successfully
breathed new life into his 1933
Fairchild 22-C7D.

Taking to the Sky
Though Charlie didn't grow
up with airplanes, he did hear

his father's tales of flying an OX5-powered Jenny, and his older
brother flew a B-17 during World
War II, later becoming an Air Force
pilot. Quite naturally, Charlie's in­
terest in aviation was piqued, yet
his own pathway to the sky was
delayed until he was married and
in his mid-30s. Finally, he was able
to start taking flying lessons at the
Sheboygan airport in Wisconsin

in 1966. About the same time, his
wife, Donna, decided to overcome
her fear of flying.
"I went out to the airport by my­
self and took a lesson," says Donna,
smiling, "and then went home and
said, 'Guess what I did-I took a fly­
ing lesson, and spent my weekly
waitress' check to do it!' I kept tak­
ing lessons, and I started to learn to
like it. And he was happy I did it, be­
cause it put us together in a hobby."
They both soloed a Piper Cher­
okee and took their checkrides in
the Piper Tri-Pacer that he rebuilt.
Charlie joined EAA (49475) and
started attending the fly-in while it
was in Rockford. Donna currently
flies a converted Piper Pacer that
her husband restored, and when
asked how she helped him with the
Fairchild 22 restoration, she laughs
and says, "Money!"

The Antique Bug

"Even on the ground
[the Model 22-C7D] seemed
to radiate a feeling of friendliness,
and in the air its manner was
completely charming."
- Aviation historian Joseph Juptner

Charlie has restored a variety of
airplanes through the years, and
he became smitten with antiques
when he purchased a partially re­
stored Fairchild 24W in 1980. He
finished NC77655 in a couple of
years' time and first flew it on Janu­
ary I, 1983 . When the Bells took
it to EAA Oshkosh that summer,
Donna fortuitously saw to it that
it was registered for judging. It was
selected as Grand Champion. The
following year, Charlie himself be­
came a judge for antique airplanes
at Oshkosh, and only recently re­
tired from that role.
He discovered the Fairchild 22
project by word of mouth in 1986.
It apparently had not flown since
1945, yet it was still a viable proj­
ect, and even had logbooks dating
back as far as 1936. It was a rare
find, and soon he and his child­
hood friend Ed Wegner drove down
to Cassidy Aero just northwest of
Chicago and hauled it back to She­
boygan. At that point, the Fairchild
components were carefully tucked
away in storage-with the excep­
tion of a few small parts that Char­
lie worked on intermittently. For
the most part, the project remained
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

13

Donna and Charlie Bell.

One beautiful wooden wing!

Charlie Bell made the all-new cowling
for the Fairchild.

Note the wooden vertical stabilizer.

dormant until 1994, when the Bells
moved to Woods and Lakes Airpark
in Florida.

Fairchild Parasol

The Fairchild 22 is taking shape nicely.
14 AUGUST 2009

To restore the open-cockpit,
parasol monoplane, Charlie had to
learn more about it . NC9479 was
manufactured in 1933 by Kreider­
Reisner Aircraft Company, which
was a division of the Fairchild Avia­
tion Corporation in Hagerstown,
Maryland. The headline on a 1930s
company sa les brochure boasted:
"Fairchild's advanced engineer­
ing endows a famous design with
matchless performance and ef­
ficiency." The brochure also em­
phasized the value, quality, and

utility of "the famous Fairchild
fleet." Both students and sports­
man pilots enjoyed the 22's doc­
ile flying characteristics and gentle
aerobatic capabilities. Fairchild 22s
were built under a succession of
approved type certificates (ATCs)
from about 1930 to 1935, and they
were powered by a variety of en­
gines (see sidebar).
With a wingspan of 32 feet 10
inches, the fabric-covered Fairch­
ild 22-C7D stood 7 feet 10 inches
tall and measured 21 feet 8 inches
from prop to tailskid. It had a gross
weight of 1,550 pounds and an
empty weight of 992 pounds, with
a fuel capacity of 21 gallons and 2.4
gallons of oil. Its robust fuselage
was built from round and square
steel tubing, faired to a slender pro­
file by wooden stringers and form­
ers. The wings were constructed of
spruce spars and truss-type ribs, and
the full-span, interchangeable strip
ailerons were built of steel tubing­
as well as the tail group. An inter­
esting note on the type certificate
data sheet states that the Fairchild
22 had "either the two piece wing
or continuous spar type." Another
noteworthy feature is the convexly
cambered rib at the outboard wing
strut attachments.
Aviation historianJosephJuptner
(U.S. Civil Aircraft, Vol. 6) wrote of
the Fairchild 22-C7D: "Even on the
ground it seemed to radiate a feel­
ing of friendliness, and in the air

its manner was completely charm­
ing." It cruised about 95 mph for a
range of 350 miles, and its 42 mph
landings were cushioned by Fairch­
ild spring-oil shock absorbers. Its
flight and engine controls glided
smoothly over ball bearings, its
rudder was balanced, and trim con­
trol was provided by an adjustable
horizontal stabilizer.
Built under ATC No. 503 (April
1933), the 22-C7D was powered by
a four-cylinder, upright, air-cooled
Wright Gipsy L-320. The inline
Gipsy, a "greaser" engine with ex­
posed rocker arms, developed 90 hp
at 1950 rpm, and a hand starter was
standard equipment at the time. A
1929 advertisement touted Wright
Aeronautical Corporation's vision
and engineering skills: "In decid­
ing to manufacture the famous
'Gipsy' engine in America, Wright
is again looking ahead and taking
into consideration the next great
development in aviation .. . the
era of the small motored, but fast
'sports plane' ... the run-about of
the air lanes. In securing the rights
to manufacture the 'Gipsy,' Wright
has acquired the world's best small
engine ... an engine with a bril­
liant history as its birthright. The
first engines of the type were manu­
factured by the de Havilland Com­
pany in England early in 1927.
There followed a series of triumphs
that attracted world wide attention
... A 'Gipsy' won the great English

air classic-the 1100 mile race for
the King's cup ... Another estab­
lished a new class record by climb­
ing 20,000 feet in 70 minutes ...
Still another broke the world's light
plane record by remaining aloft for
24 hours."

The Restoration
The smoothly cowled Gipsy per­
fectly complemented the Fairchild
22's aesthetically pleasing profile
of parasol wings perched atop a
tandem fuselage, gracefully stream­
lined all the way to its statuesque
rudder. The 22-C7D turned heads
in its heyday, and Charlie wanted
it to do the same after a personal,
hands-on restoration. Following are
the highlights of how he accom­
plished just that.
Just before moving to Ockla­
waha, Florida, Charlie heard from
his good friend Ed, who had pre­
viously helped him gather up the
Fairchild project . " Ed was recov­
ering from an operation," recalls
Charlie, "and he called me and
said, 'Charlie, I need something
to do; can I rebuild your wings?' It
took me two seconds to say, 'Yes!'
In short order, he had the wings in
his shop."
That was the jump-start Char­
lie needed. After moving south, he
worked on the 22 at a steady but
leisurely pace from 1994 to 2008,
fitting it in between various other
projects. Ed built new wing ribs but
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

retained the original wing spars,
which were in very good condi­
tion, along with the metal ailerons
and tail feathers. The steel tubing
fuselage was, according to Charlie,
in "real good shape. I had it sand­
blasted, and primed and painted it.
It only needed very minor welding
repair-there was no rust or pitting.
It was in beautiful shape."

Gipsy Power
Charlie was fortunate enough
to obtain a Wright Gipsy manual,
16 AUGUST 2009

which helped considerably with
the engine work. He says his friend
Bob Hitchcock of Citra, Florida, "is
a round-engine 220 Continental
man, and I did all assembly under
his watchful eye. I had two engines
and used one for parts; it took us
two years to complete this engine. I
also built the exhaust system."
The American-built Gipsy is a
mirror image of the British-built
de Havilland Gipsy, according to
Charlie, who explains, "The man­
ual tells you not to interchange the

parts, because they won't fit."
Then, removing a panel from
the neatly contoured engine
cowling to reveal an immacu­
lately painted engine and engine
room, he further describes the
Gipsy: "This engine feeds oil to
the main bearing with an out­
side line. It's got two Scintilla
magnetos, and they are intercon­
nected with the throttle-the
timing varies with the throttle
position. That's very unusual.
With full advance on the throt­
tle, you have full advance on the
timing, which is 35 degrees be­
fore top dead center. With the
throttle pulled all the way back,
the timing is back to zero."
The Gipsy needed a wood
prop, and Charlie located a pro­
peller, previously owned by Joe
Araldi, now deceased, inside a
restaurant at the Lakeland air­
port. He took it over to Jim Kim­
ball, who was able to use it as a
pattern to make a new one. Since
the Fairchild 22 has no electrical
system, Charlie hand-props it.
There is an impulse coupling on
the right mag, which helps a bit,
but sometimes the Gipsy extracts
its toll in perspiration before
it settles into a steady rhythm.
Charlie typically has a neighbor
climb in the rear cockpit to con­
trol the throttle and stand on the
brakes while he's on the busi­
ness end of the engine. They also
tie the tail down and chock it.
Pleased with the engine, Charlie
says it "runs surprisingly good!
But getting out with the airplane,
since it has to be hand-propped,
you almost need two people."

Hands-On Labor
Charlie used to own an auto­
motive mechanic repair shop and
also did body work, and those skills
helped him with various aspects of
the Fairchild 22 project. He did all
the sheet metal work himself and
made the windshield frames, en­
gine cowlings, and headrests. He
even learned to make five-tuck
splice cables (15 of them) and two

Fairchild 225 and

Their Powerplant5*

Prototype Kreider-Reisner Fairchild

22-Genet 80 hp, five cylinder, radial

Fairchild 22 C7:

ATC #408 (March 1931)-Michigan

Rover 75 hp, four cylinder, inverted

inline


endless trim cables. Charlie retained
the original instrument panel in­
set (in which the instruments are
displayed) but fabricated its new
perimeter panel. The original alu­
minum nosebowl was dinged and
dented, but he patiently brought it
back into form by hand.
When he formed the cowlings,
Charlie paid special attention to a
couple of details in particular. One
was the large, concave contour on
each side of the fuselage, located
over the fuselage fuel tank. He
made an oak former, then clamped
the sheet metal on top of it, and
worked the metal until it con­
formed smoothly to that concave
shape. And he took the time to fin­
ish the edges of the cowlings, in­
stead of leaving them plain. "All of
the edges on the engine cowlings
are wrapped over against them­
selves, and I made those here," says
Charlie, gesturing to a bench in his
hangar shop. Elaborating on the te­
dious process, he laughs and says,
"Oh, it was a son of a gun! I actu­
ally did it with two pieces of 3/4­
inch plywood. I started forming the
edge around the plywood and then
did it by hand the rest of the way.
I just kept working it and hammer­
ing it until it was smooth."
When it came time for covering
the airframe, Charlie says he "used
Ceconite, instead of cotton, with
Randolph dope on the fabric and
lacquer on the sheet metal. I used
a high-volume, low-pressure paint
system. I believe I have the origi­
nal colors that this airplane used to
have, because when I disassembled

and stripped the parts, this is what
we came up with. And the interior
is pretty close to original colors."
Throughout the project, Char­
lie restored components as closely
back to original as he could. "The
only change I made was to add
a tail wheel and horn for steer­
ing, but it can easily be changed
back to a skid. I built the left-hand
gear; it was broken due to an ac­
cident in 1945," he says. "I think
they were doing some instructing
yet for Civilian Pilot Training, and
it looks like they were running
this thing about six to eight hours
a day. Those old engines weren't
going to take that, and one day it
blew a piston, landed, and broke
this gear off."

Fairchild 22 C7A, C7AM, C7AS:

ATe #438 (July 1931 )-American Cirrus

Hi-Drive Mark 11195 hp, four cylinder,

inverted inline

Fairchild 22 C7B:

ATe #483 (May 1932)-Menasco C-4 Pi­

rate 125 hp, four cylinder, inverted in­

line (fuel capacity for the C7B increased

from 21 to 30 gallons)

Fairchild C7C:

De Havilland Gipsy III inverted inline

Fairchild C7D:

ATe #503 (April 1933)-Wright Gipsy 90

hp, four cylinder, upright inline

Fairchild C7E:

ATe #515 (September 1933)-Warner

Scarab 125 hp, seven cylinder, radial

(fuel capacity for the C7E was increased

to 30 gallons, and the fuselage was con­

toured to mate with the round engine)


Attic Treasure
Speaking of landing gear, Char­
lie has a wonderful little story to
share about the wheels. "These are
Warner straight-axle, magnesium
wheels, which are very rare to come
by," he explains. "The ones that
were with this airplane were junk­
the backing plates and mechanical
brakes were in sad shape."
After locating a second set of
wheels that were found to be
cracked, and spending hours at­
tempting to rebuild them to airwor­
thy condition, Charlie was in for a
delightful surprise. "Somebody had
called my late friend Dick Gates
and told him that they were tearing
down a house in the City of Sheboy­
gan, and there were airplane parts
up in the attic," he recalls with a
big smile. "Lo and behold! Guess

Fairchild C7F:

ATC #517 (September 1933)-Warner

Super Scarab 145 hp, seven cylinder,

radial (fuel capacity for the C7F was

increased to 30 gallons, a bumped

cowling was added, and the fuse­

lage was contoured to mate with the

round engine)

Fairchild C7G:

ATC #564 (April 1935)-Warner Super

Scarab 145 hp, seven cylinder, radial

(fuel capacity for the C7G was increased

to 60 gallons, and the fuselage was con­

toured to mate with the round engine)

*Compiled from the following sources:

Type Certificate Data Sheets, Juptner's
U.S. Civil Aircraft series, and Bill Han­
nan's Scrapbook of Scale, 3-Views and
Nostalgia, Vol. 2.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

17

what was up there? Two sealed
boxes of brand new wheels-they
were new old stock. What a find!
Everything was there-two com­
plete wheels with bearings, back­
ing plates , shoes, washers , and
even hubcaps. The only thing that
wasn't on them was the tires. That
was just amazing, after all of the
work and hunting that I did, to find
them just a mile away."

Finished and Flying
Through his years of judging
antiques, Charlie acquired some
knowledge about the historical ac­
curacy of certain details of which
many folks aren't even aware. For

18

AUGUST 2009

instance, he knew that instru­
ment markings (such as green and
white arcs) have not always been
required, and that an aircraft's air­
worthiness certificate was issued on
a temporary basis up until the mid­
1950s, after which the certificate
became a permanent issue.
Fortunately, he dealt with an
FAA inspector who surprisingly had
that knowledge. "I waited almost
a year for Al Kimball to inspect it,
and he gave it a permanent airwor­
thiness certificate because it didn 't
have one previously. He was a nice
guy," reflects Charlie, "and it was a
real pleasure to have him inspect it.
The other part about this plane is it

doesn't have a weight-and-balance
envelope. It just states that max
gross is 1,550 pounds, and you can
have 34 pounds of baggage."
On January 27, 2009, some 63
years after it last flew, NC9479
climbed back into the sky. "The
first flight was great," Charlie smiles
broadly, "and the Gipsy performed
well. The 22 is super light on the
controls, because it's all ball-bearing
controls. I was surprised by the full­
span ailerons; the control input
isn't quite as touchy as I thought
it would be. During my first land­
ing, I gave it tail trim-it's up and
down, and has no indicator on it­
until I thought it felt about right.
Of course, I'm coming in over the
trees, and then I pulled a little bit
more trim, and wow! It started to
porpoise on me. Well, I got down
on the ground, and I really was feel­
ing like I was way too light on the
controls, so I punched the power
and got out. I came around the sec­
ond time, and I trimmed it more
forward. Then I had a real nice
landing for the first one, and that
felt good. I landed right next to the
paved runway on the grass . The
gear is soft and straight, and the
brakes are sufficient. It's been cold
and windy this winter in Florida, so
I want to get out of the cockpit be­
fore too long. So I've really only got
about five hours on it so far."
Finally, after 14 years of perse­
verance, patience, and tedious la­
bor, Charlie has fulfilled his flights
of fancy in the Fairchild 22-C7D.
He'll continue flying it when the
weather is fine. As for its future, he
says, "I'm going to sell it. I really
think it needs to go in a museum­
I mean it's one of the last ones left."
Indeed, there are only five Fairch­
ild 22-C7Ds currently listed on the
FAA Registry. Of those, only two
have Wright Gipsy engines. And
though NC9479 mayJind a mu­
seum home sometime soon, in the
meantime it certainly is a treat to
hear that Wright Gipsy singing its
90-horse song and to see the lovely
Fairchild parasol ascending to its
ultimate home in the sky.
......

John Parish Sr. ,-'
Tullahoma, TN

• Founder and chairman of the board
of Beechcraft Heritage Museum;
president for 20 years
• Past board member EAA Aviation
Foundation and EAA Aviation
Assoc. for over 30 years

• Commercia/' instrument, mu/ti­
engine land and sea; 5,000+ hrs
• Three sons also pilots and satisfied
clients of AUA

"AUA is responsive, professional, competent, competitive
and friendly. Plus it is nice to do business with good friends
who are also avid sport aviation enthusiasts ­ a valued
long-term experience."

- John Parish, Sr.

I

Tk,(f 421-41
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Light Plane Heritage
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN

EAA Experimenter JULY

.


1987

-­; .­

,). ~

Personal flying as created by a mid-19th century artist.

The search for perfection

BY GEORGE

he history of aviation is a
fascinating subject for study.
It's a continuing account of
the aspirations and frustra­
tions of thousands of dissatisfied in­
dividuals, all searching for the perfect
machine to carry man through the
air with the ease and freedom of the
birds. For centuries men looked to
the skies to free them from the plod­
ding existence they were bound to
on earth. Sometimes we forget that
this freedom finally was obtained a
little more than an average lifetime
ago. December 17, 2009, will mark
the 106th anniversary of the first
powered flight of the Wright broth­
ers, an event that went unnoticed at

T

A.

HARDIE, JR.

the time but astounded the world af­
ter they made their first public flights
five year later.
From the beginning the popular
concept of man-flight was usually
centered on a machine to carry a sin­
gle individual. Note the details of the
"flying machine" as conceived by an
imaginative artist of a century ago in
the accompanying illustration. Per­
sonal flying has been the ambition of
everyone who desired to learn to fly.
Remember the thrill of your first solo?
At last you were no longer earth­
bound and were free to soar above
into the blue in a machine respond­
ing to your will.
Little airplanes have held a fascina­

tion for pilots since the earliest days.
The diminutive Demoiselle built by
Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1908 in­
spired many a would-be flier to get
into aviation. Other small machines
appeared as aviation developed, but
the pressures of the first World War
turned designers to the use of more
power rather than aerodynamic re­
finement as a means to improve the
performance of their aircraft. The lit­
tle airplanes seemed to be forgotten.
All this was changed, however,
when war-trained pilots returned to
civilian life and looked around for
an aircraft for their personal use. The
surplus war machines, while cheap
to buy, were expensive to operate. In

Editor's Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA's Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts
related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se­
ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!-HGF
·20

AUGUST 2009

~~­
\

.............

Details From Lympne ­
(1) Gloucester Gannet,
interplane strut termi­
nal. (2) RAE. Hurricane,
nose and undercar­
riage. (3) Avro biplane,
center section struts. (4)
Avro biplane, Douglas
engine and chain-drive
arrangement. (5 and 6)
Gannet, wing-folding
and locking gear. (7)
Gannet, nose and un­
dercarriage. (8) Ponce­
let, celluloid fairing to
aileron gap. (9) Handley
Page pilot's office with
lid off. (10) Poncelet, ai­
leron control.

+

""';1... I

-'-'t

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'(~
~ ~
-'

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, "­
Germany particularly, the restrictions
on powered aircraft forced the devel­
opment of the glider as a means to
get into the air. The results of glider
meetings held at the Wasserkuppe in
the Rh6n mountains of Bavaria be­
ginning in 1920 revived interest in
personal flight. At a meeting in the
summer of 1922, a total of 53 enthu­
siasts competed, and a remarkable
endurance record of three hours, 10
minutes was established.
The English, too, encouraged by
the German experience and the work
of the French, had turned to gliding
as an outlet for an interest in flying.
In October 1922 a contest was held
at Itford Hill near Newhaven for a
prize of $5,000 offered by the London
Daily Mail newspaper for the longest
glide of more than 30 minutes dura­
tion, with the landing not more than
800 yards from the starting point.
The rules stipulated that a qualifying
flight had to be made between sunrise
and sunset on one of the days of the
contest period. The only restriction
was that no lifting gas was to be used
to assist in keeping the machine air­
borne, but the pilot was allowed to
employ any personal motive power
he could devise, exclusive of a fueled
engine. The contest attracted a total

of 35 entries and aroused much pop­
ular interest . Many of the entrants
failed to meet the deadline, but a re­
spectable number managed to get
into the air. The prize was won by the
French pilot Maneyrol, who set a new
endurance record of three hours, 21
minutes in his Peyret glider.
The natural next step was to add
power to these light machines-thus
the birth of the "motorglider." Stimu­
lated by popular interest, the Duke of
Sutherland, recently appOinted Under
Secretary of State for Air, announced
in April 1923 that he was offering a
prize of $2,500 for a competition be­
tween low-powered airplanes of Brit­
ish manufacture, the contest to be
conducted under rules drawn up by
the Royal Aero Club. Again the Daily
Mail provided additional incentive by
offering a prize of $5,000 for the same
competition, open to anyone in the
world. Thus the stage was set for the
first light airplane contest that was to
influence greatly the development of
personal private aircraft.
The rules were definite in their re­
strictions. Engines of more than 750
cc were not allowed. Emphasis was
to be on low fuel consumption. The
pilot covering the greatest distance
around a triangular course on a gal-

/'

Ion (British Imperial) of fuel was to
be declared the winner of both prizes.
A reserve was allowed to enable the
pilot to return to his starting point.
Included was a transport test, which
consisted of a demonstration of pre­
paring the aircraft for towing on the
road, with a width not to exceed 7
feet 6 inches in towable condition. To
enlarge the scope of the contest other
prizes were added to the list. The Ab­
dulla Company offered $2,500 for the
highest speed over two laps of the
course with no fuel restriction. A total
of $1,500 was offered by two associa­
tions for the greatest number of cir­
cuits around the 12-l/4-mile course
completed during the contest, a mini­
mum distance of 400 miles being re­
quired to qualify, and no alterations
to either aircraft or engine allowed
during the contest. A prize of $1,000
was offered for the highest altitude
obtained, and a landing competition
offered a prize of $500. These were
restricted to British machines and pi­
lots. The enlarged prize list assured
the success of the contest and aroused
wide interest.
The competition dates of October
8-13, 1923, were established, and the
site chosen was the airfield at Lympne
(pronounced to rhyme with "slim")
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

ILIGHT PLANE HERITAGE I
~

- - I'EET - -

AVRO.

D.H.53.

AVRO.

A.N.E.C.

VIICIKIER§.

POHCELET.
-GANNET"

15
[" :ZYRi:T .

HAHDLEY PA«I.E.

13
HANDLEY PAGE.

HANDA§YDE.

Side elevation views, to same scale, of English light planes at Lympne meeting.
22 AUGUST 2009

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More Details From Lympne-(l) D.H.53, nose, cockpit, and wing-bracing. (2) D.H.53, undercarriage. (3) Peyret, engine cowl­
ing with air-scoop, and undercarriage. Note petrol tank in front of pilot. (4) Poncelet, petrol tank as fairing for pilot's head.
(5) Poncelet, engine cowling showing cooling air intake and outlet. (6) Gnosspelius Gull, airscrew shaft and chain-drive. (7)
Peyret, fabric and elastic-band fairing of aileron gap. (8) Parnall Pixie, cockpit, wing-bracing, and engine cowling.

in Kent. The Royal Aero Club offi­
cially named the contest The Motor
Glider Competition, which brought
forth strong critiCism, especially from
the caustic e.G. Grey, editor of The
Aeroplane, the aeronautical weekly.
He contended that when a motor
is put into a glider it ceases to be a
glider and becomes an ordinary air­
plane. It is significant that when the
1924 contest was held it was called
The Light Aeroplane Competitions.
Of the 28 entries, 21 appeared at
Lympne to compete. Of these, 18
were British, two were from Belgium,
and one from France. It is interesting
to note that three of the British en­
trants had been designed and flown
before the contest was announced,
an indication of the growing interest
in a type that later became known as
ultralight airplanes. The first of these
was the Wren, designed and built
by the English Electric Company as

an experiment in flying with very
low power. In April 1923, it dem­
onstrated its ability to fly with only
3-1/2 hp. Two of the type were built
especially for the competition, Nos. 3
and 4, with a slight modification of
the original design.
The second design was the
Gnosspelius Gull, designed and
built at the famous Short Brothers
factory by Maj. O.T. Gnosspelius,
a pioneer designer of seaplanes.
It first flew on May 26, 1923, and
made flights at Lympne before the
competition. The third design,
known as the A.N.E.e., was that
of WS. Shackleton, built at the Air
Navigation and Engineering Com­
pany. It was originally designed as
a light training and sport aircraft
to be powered with the Bristol
Cherub engine. However, a Black­
burne motorcycle engine was sub­
stituted in the competition because

the Cherub exceeded the capacity
specified in the rules. Duplicates of
both of these designs were also en­
tered in the contest.
A detailed description of each of
the airplanes entered is beyond the
scope of this article. An examination
of the sketches reprinted from the
British magazine The Aeroplane will
give some idea of the variety of types
entered. Designers were limited to
some difficult choices. The require­
ments of a machine for the economy
contest, for example, were in con­
flict with those for the speed contest,
so the builder was faced with a chal­
lenge to his skills. A table of specifica­
tions shows the chief characteristics
of the entrants, revealing the various
approaches made by the designers to
the problems posed by the rules of
the competition.
An interesting entry was the Par­
naIl Pixie, designed by Harold BoVINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

6

I Avro, Type 560

36

0

21

0

138

285

471

3.41

17 & 18

I A.N .E.C

32

0

15

7

145

289

465

3.21

3& 4

I E.E.C "Wren"

37

0

24

3

232

408

36

3

19

6

142

402

500

3.52

18

0

16

8

103

283

460

4.47

8& 12

30

1

19

8

120

310

490

4.08

10

25

0

17

3

200

395

575

2.88

21

36

8

21

7

214

22

32

9

22

11

160

13

30

0

19

2

135

2&19

9

Pamall "Pixie I"

29

0

24

Pamall "Pixie II"

18

0

14

R.A.E. "HUI

23

0

17

8

80

520

6.5

23

Handley-Page

36

0

18

6

168

480

2.86

36

0

17

0

157

430

2.74

20

I0

1 17

I0

I 500

I 8.06

25

I Handley-Page

26

I Handley-Page

Monop!.
Tractor
Monopl.

I 698 c.c.
Blackbume

las of George Parnall & Company,
of Bristol. It was a low-wing mono­
plane designed for the economy
contest, using wings of large area
and powered with a Douglas engine
of 500 cc, entered as Pixie II . The
same machine, with wings of smaller
area and powered with a Douglas of
750 cc, was entered as Pixie II for the
speed contest, which it won with a
speed of 76.5 mph.
The two grand prizes for greatest
distance flown on 1 gallon of gaso­
line were divided between Flight Lt.
W.H. Longton, who flew the English
Electric Company Wren No.4, and
].H. James, who flew the A.N.E.C.
monoplane No 17. Each attained
a mileage of 87.5 miles per gallon!
This astounding figure no doubt was
the result of some skilled piloting,
for the rolling countryside along
the course provided many updrafts
for soaring flight. Even this figure
could have been bettered in ideal
conditions, for on a favorable day
24

AUGUST 2009

Tractor
Monop!.

100

I 62

before the contest the A.N.E.C. had
turned in an unbelievable 127 miles
per gallon over a measured course at
Brooklands. This was true economy!
The two prizes for greatest total
mileage flown were awarded to Bert
Hinkler. He flew 80 laps of the course
in the Avro monoplane for a total
of 1,000 miles. The prize for greatest
height went to Maurice Piercey, who
took the A.N.E.C. monoplane to 14,400
feet. The prize originally intended for a
landing competition, which could not
be held because of weather conditions,
was awarded as consolation to Capt.
Hammersley, who took the Avro bi­
plane to 13,850 feet in altitude.
Overall the 1923 competition can
be regarded as a complete success. In
spite of typically disagreeable Eng­
lish weather, the low-powered light
airplane came into its own by dem­
onstrating conclusively that it could
perform reliably and safely in ad­
verse conditions. The aviation world
was stimulated by this remarkable

I

exhibition of ingenuity and perse­
verance by the deSigners, builders,
and pilots in overcoming seemingly
insurmountable obstacles to achieve
these creditable performances. Even
50 years later these records remain
worthy of challenge.
It is interesting to note the Ameri­
can reaction to this event. Lester D.
Gardner, the distinguished editor of
Aviation magazine, wrote, "We be­
lieve that this meeting has proved
beyond doubt that the light plane is
here to stay and that its usefulness is
beyond any question. Light planes
can be used for private touring, as
they have a low landing speed, their
operation is not difficult or danger­
ous, and their upkeep is inexpen­
sive ... if the British can build light
planes capable of the excellent per­
formance shown at Lympne, we
certainly can do at least as well ...
what we need now is encourage­
ment that will bring forth some
American light planes./I
......

Drive one.


Drive Smart

I

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Care and

Maintenance

of Wooden
Propellers
Tips on propellers

from one of the

U.K.'s leading

ligh tplane designers

BY ARTHUR

W.J.G.

ORD-HuME

"Your propeller is vital! If you have
ever been stranded miles from
home because you have
accidentally damaged your prop
... you know what I'm getting at."
wooden propeller is a
beautiful thing to behold,
a fascinating thing to
make, and represents the
vital link between a sta­
tionary, lifeless airplane and a sleek,
fast-moving machine. Without the
propeller, all is useless. Although
the prop is of such enormous value
as regards service (and initial cost),
many private fliers sadly neglect
this vital part and know it purely
as the bit to be avoided when the
engine is running or the thing they
strike their heads on in the han­
gar when it is dark. Oddly enough,
these people usually are only too
keen to hang an old prop on the
wall for spectators to admire. When
hand-swinging an engine, the pro­
peller comes in for much abuse

A

that should righ tl y be directed
elsewhere. On an airplane with a
starter, even this albeit dubious per­
sonal contact is lost.
Your propeller is vital! If you
have ever been stranded miles
from home because yo u have ac­
Cidentally broken or damaged your
prop, had it come loose in flight,
or stripped the leading edge in a
hailstorm, you know what I'm get­
ting at and you need read no fur­
ther. You have obvious ly learned
your lesson!
A wooden propeller has three
main enemies when it is being
used-grass, stones, and hail. Each
of these can cause damage-some­
times severe damage-to a light­
plane propeller. Each can thus
cost you a new fan, a long delay

FIRST PUBLI SHED DECE M BER 16 , 1986, IN

26

AUGUST 2009

far from home, and possibly, as a
result of indirect causes such as a
forced landing in rough terrain,
your airplane.
Taxiing through long grass, the
prop cuts into the weeds. Each
blade of grass, each heavy grass
head offers resistance to the passage
of the prop. In the same way as a
soft wax candy can be fired through
a thick wood door or a straw driven
through a telegraph pole by a hur­
ricane, the grass virtually bombards
the tips of the propeller blades. The
varnish is rapidly worn off, leav­
ing the bare and vulnerable wood
denuded of its hard varnish sheath.
Many airplanes are started and
run up on hard stand or wasteland.
Any small stones, nuts and bolts,
or similar loose material can easily

Light Plane World

be sucked up by the propeller vor­
tex. If the prop blade has a metal
sheath, the object, acting as a mis­
sile, can severely damage the cov­
ering, loosening and distorting it
and putting the whole fan out of
aerodynamic balance. This can set
up vibration that in time might
shatter the prop, crack the engine
mount, or damage the motor itself.
If the blade is not sheathed, the ob­
ject will bite deeply into the wood,
splintering it locally. Your propeller
blade is virtually a little wing. Any
irregularities in the leading edge are
detrimental to efficiency and will
set up turbulence and shock waves
around the area of damage.
The third evil is hail. A flight
through a storm can finish an un­
sheathed prop very quickly. The
damage will be noticed by a gradual
slowing down of speed and chang­
ing engine noise as the engine has
to work harder to drive the dirty"
blade through the air. A sheathed
prop will survive-a fabric-covered
propeller may sustain damage to the
varnish but little else. The droplets
of ice act as shot-blast; remember
that the tip speed of the blade is not
very far short of the speed of sound.
Commercial wood propel­
lers invariably have a protective
sheath that can take the form of a
metal-capped leading edge, fabric­
covering, or a process whereby a
moldable plastic finish is applied
and bonded to the wood. Addition­
ally, large commercial wood props
are made either of very hard, dura­
ble wood or compressed wood that
is so tough a blow from a hammer
will not dent it. The whole point is
that an unsheathed propeller must
be carefully maintained.
A damaged prop cuts your
speed, diminishes your airplane's
performance, and increases your
takeoff distance.
How can the amateur preserve
his wooden prop? The points are
simple and easy to follow. Three
rules are:
1) Never run up the engine on
loose earth, broken-surface con­
crete, wasteland, or sand. Try always
II

to run up on a clear
asphalt surface or,
just as good, short
grass. As a corollary
to this, avoid stand­
ing in line with a
propeller whilst the
engine is being run
in case anything
should be thrown
out by the blades. A
small pebble could
blind a person 20
yards from a run­
ning prop.
2) Where pos­
sible, avoid pro­
longed taxiing
through long grass.
If you do have to,
take it slowly and
try not to gun the
throttle too much.
3) If you meet
hail on flight,
throttle back as
much as you can
and try to get out
of it-hail will
fetch the finish off
a metal-skinned
wing leading edge
at speed as we ll as
stripping the prop.
For general pro­
peller maintenance
and in addition to the points in
CAA Technical Manual No. 101,
there are five points to watch:
1) Inspect your prop after every
flight through hail or heavy rain.
Make good any chipped varnish.
If the wood itself is showing or has
become roughened by hail, let it
dry out naturally, sand it smooth,
and give it at least three coats of
clear seaplane varnish.
2) Clear your prop between each
flight. This makes for best efficiency,
and defects are detected easily.
3) If you have damaged the lead­
ing edge of a blade by picking up
an object in the prop vortex that
has done more than just bruise the
blade, repair it before attempting to
fly again. If in doubt, have an en­
gineer look at it. A little wariness

costs nothing and could save the
insurance company from having to
payout to your wife.
4) Don't fly with an unsheathed
bare wood propeller. Save yourself
work and cover it with fiberglass at
the next check.
S) Check the security of the hub
nuts at every engine inspection. Ad­
ditionally, after fixing a new prop,
check the nuts after your first trip.
If you fly from a very damp climate
into a very hot area, your prop will
contract and could work loose. Al­
ways use a torque wrench on hub
nuts-even if it is only a spanner,
a lever, and a spring balance-to
avoid crushing the wood . Over­
tightening effectively shears the
wood fibers and materially reduces
the strength of your prop. l ......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

BY ROB ERT G. LOCK

My thoughts on radial engines
s an FAA airframe and powerplant mechanic,
I have been around single-row radial engines
such as the Wright J-6-7 (R-760), Continental
W-670 (R-670), Pratt & Whitney R-985, and Ly­
coming R-680 for many years. I will attempt to pass
along some of my experiences, most recently main­
taining and operating three Wright R-760-8 and two
Continental W-670 engines.
Many older single-row radial engines were certifi­
cated on 73-octane fuel. They were low-compression
engines and operated at low rpm, and manifold pres­
sure was not boosted. When 73-octane fuel was no
longer available, the next higher grade, 80/87, was
used. This fuel worked well with low-compression en­
gines, but has become another good product that has
been added to the "disappeared" list. So now opera­
tors must decide whether to use 100LL or auto fuel.
During the late 1980s and into the early 1990s I had
the opportunity to operate a Wright R-760 installed
in my 1929 Command-Aire biplane on 80/87, both
leaded regular and unleaded regular automotive fuel.
I found the leaded automotive fuel to be a suitable
replacement for the more expensive grade 80/87, but
when leaded fuel became extinct, I switched to un­
leaded auto fuel. I found it to be a dirty-burning fuel
that sooted up the exhaust collector of my Wright and
sent exhaust residue down the side of the fuselage. So
I immediately quit using unleaded fuel and switched
completely to lOOLL. That engine now has about 400
hours since major overhaul (SMOH), but I haven't
flown the Command-A ire much in the past six years.
Now I am flying behind a Wright on an everyday ba­
sis. My son, Rob, owns two 1929 New Standard D-25
biplanes equipped with the Wright R-760-8. There are
two of only seven that are airworthy. Which leads us
to a discussion of low-lead avgas and the radial engine.
Having spent time maintaining Wright and Continen­
tal radial engines that total 5,OOO-plus hours of opera­

A

28 AUGUST 2009

tion, the following are some tips I've learned to keep
the engine operational as the hours SMOH build.
After more than eight years, the two Wright­
powered New Standard D-25s have more than 4,000
hours of operation. I have done much of the mainte­
nance on the airframe and powerplant and can report
the following information.
First, the engines now operate about 250 hours per
year and are installed in ships used specifically for
giving rides; therefore, I use full power for takeoff,
climb at 1750-1800 rpm to 1,000-1,500 feet above the
ground, cruise at 1650-1725 rpm, gradually reduce
power, and land. Each flight is actually in the air for
slightly more than 15 minutes. There are, of course,
ferry flights where the engine runs constantly at 1700­
1750 rpm. That's the type of operation the engines
have endured. And they are operated specifically on
lOO-octane low-lead aircraft fuel.
The engines have regular 25-hour inspections,
which includes oil change, screen inspections, and
spark plug maintenance, plus a generous inspection of
the engine compartment and a solvent wash-down. At
the even inspections (50- and 100-hour), I inspect and
gap the spark plugs, then rotate their installation from
the front bank to the rear, being sure to place spark
plugs from lower cylinders into top cylinders. This
automatically cleans the plugs because rear plugs tend
to run hotter, will erode quicker, and tend to acquire
chemical deposits. I attribute this routine to getting
700 hours of foul-free spark plug operation. New plugs
were installed at this point. So, if you don't change
plugs from front to rear, I suggest you institute this
procedure. It really works! We rarely have a magneto
drop due to a fouled spark plug caused by chemical de­
posits from lOOLL fuel.
I was conducting a cylinder leakage test each 100
hours of operation, but when an engine reaches about
75 percent of the service life, I do the check every 50

The Wright R-760 engine also has no lower rocker drains, so all rocker arms below the horizontal will not drain back to
the sump to be scavenged into the oil tank.
hours just to keep tabs on cylinder leakage. With the
engine warm and at 80 psi of air pressure, a cylinder
normally will hold 72 to 78 psi. When cylinder leak­
age drops below 70 psi, I "stake" the exhaust valve (if
that is leaking) by removing the rocker cover to tap
the valve with a wood block and hammer. Avgas of
100LL puts an unbelievable amount of chemical de­
posits into the combustion chamber, on the piston
top, and around the exhaust valve that sometimes
causes the valve not to seat properly. You can usually
hear where air is escaping around the rings or around
the exhaust valve seat. It's when you have leakage at
both locations that things get interesting.
At the 600-hour SMOH mark of operation, one en­
gine began acting a little strange. Since I have flown
behind Wright engines for more than 1,500 hours,
they "talk" to me. I thought I could hear a cylinder
either not firing or running a little rough on takeoff
power, but the engine seemed to develop power and
performance seemed otherwise normal. The problem
was intermittent, which made troubleshooting even
more difficult. I leakage-checked the cylinders, and
everything was normal. However, the problem per­
sisted. Finally I caught the culprit! It was the number
four cylinder; the leakage check showed that at 80 psi
it was holding only 10 psi. I removed the cylinder and
piston, but there appeared no obvious damage other

than blowby around the rings because the ring gaps
were almost lined up. I re-staggered the ring gaps and
replaced the cylinder and continued on.
At the 910-hour SMOH mark the number five cylin­
der decided to do the same thing. At 80 psi the cylin­
der would hold only 50 pSi, which would slowly drop
to 44 psi and stabilize. So I removed the cylinder, and
it appeared exactly as the number four did 300 hours
earlier. There was blowby around the rings (which
could be heard coming out of the crankcase breather)
and a lot of chemical buildup from the low-lead fuel.
I inspected the piston and cylinder, roughed the walls
with a hone, and reinstalled the cylinder with new
seals and gaskets. That was 20 operation hours ago,
and a leakage check shows at 80 psi the cylinder holds
76 psi. For the present, problem solved!
The number five cylinder can cause other problems.
Overnight, oil will seep around the suction inlet check
valve in the oil pump, and since it's located directly
above that cylinder, oil will flood the combustion cham­
ber and fill the intake pipe causing "hydraulic lock." I
always drain any oil from the number five induction
pipe by removing a lI8-inch pipe plug before pulling
the prop through at least 14 blades. I also make sure that
the number five piston is at top dead center on the firing
stroke when I leave the engine overnight. I line up the num­
ber one propeller blade with the centerline of the numVINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

A New Standard D-25A with nicely spun
Townend cowl surrounding the Wright
R-760-8 engine.
Arrival at the Reedley, California, airport in 1989 after 31 -112 hours of
flying. That's my oldest grandson, Joshua Lee, coming up to greet me
with a welcome balloon. He is a young man now!
ber five cylinder on the compression stroke. It works!
The cylinder problems we've experienced on the
Wrights have been on number four and number five ,
the two lower cylinders. All the other cylinders are still
the original overhauled parts and have 930 total hours
of operating time. Wright R-760s have always had an
oil control problem with the lower cylinders, and this
could be the root cause.
The Wright R-760 engine also has no lower rocker
drains, so all rocker arms below the horizontal will not
drain back to the sump to be scavenged into the oil
tank. During engine operation, condensation forms
in the oil tank and works its way to the lower parts of
the engine. This water from condensation will eventu­
ally seek the lowest level and form sludge in the rocker
bosses of cylinders number four and number five and
in the lowest rocker bosses of cylinders number three
and number six. I remove the rocker covers to drain
this static oil every 50 hours of engine operation. The
new silicone rocker cover gaskets make this job easy
but messy.
A valve clearance of 0.010 inch cold should be set
30 AUGUST 2009

and checked on the 100-hour inspection. I rarely find
that the clearance has gotten out of limit, but I do oc­
casionally have to readjust the clearance on one or
two valves. I rotate the engine through three com­
plete firing revolutions and check the clearance on
each cylinder. If the spark plugs are removed, turning
the engine through three rotations is relatively easy.
Here again, the silicone valve cover gaskets make this
task easy but messy. Re-torque the rocker cover retain­
ing nuts to about 20-25 inch-pounds, no more. After
a flight around the patch, the leaking covers will be
readily seen. I carry a 7/16-inch socket and ratchet in
my pocket, and after the flight I "snug" the nuts until
the cover quits leaking.
Engine power output and gauge readings plus listen­
ing to the engine are helpful to long life. We have been
using AeroShell SAE 120 (60 weight) oil here in Florida,
even in the winter. Oil pressure is a constant 70 psi,
while I occasionally see the operating temperature at
65°C to 80°C. AeroShell tech reps have told me that I
can operate the oil to slightly more than 100°C (213°F)
with no breakdown of the oil. The oil should run hot to

help boil off water accumulations caused by condensa­
tion. The Wright is red lined at 88°C inlet oil tempera­
ture. I set operating oil pressure at mid range, 68-70 psi
(the Wright oil pressure is 50-80 psi). It has been cold (!)
here in Florida, and the temperature gauge reads below
30°C when I start the engine. So I warm the oil for 15
minutes before taking off.
My primary concern in operating this engine has
been the use of lOOLL fuel. The aromatics used to boost
octane rating and whatever chemical is used to replace
the lead cause a large buildup of deposits in the com­
bustion chamber, on the piston top, and on the valve
stems and seats. There are chemical deposits showing
up on the leading edge of the right lower wing just
behind exhaust tail pipe that no cleaner will remove.
These deposits appear as small black specks that you
can feel when running your hands over them. Your
fingernail will flake them off. This chemical buildup is
also inside the exhaust system and appears as a light
tan to a yellow color. I've seen it in this engine and
inside exhaust systems of opposed engines. I have a
series of colored photographs taken of a Lycoming
0-320 in New Hampshire that was operated on lOOLL
fuel. The chemical buildup is very heavy. So we can ex­
pect changes in radial engine operation and even over­
haul life if this fuel is used on a regular basis.
I have used no fuel/oil additives; however, I did use
some Marvel Mystery Oil in the fuel for a time . We
cannot operate the engine on automotive fuel because
the airplane is flown commercially. However, if I could
use auto fuel, I'd try to use a mixture of 75 percent
auto and 25 percent lOOLL. I'll bet the engine would
LOVE it! (Editor'S Note: We concur here at EAA. The 75/25
mix seems to have just the right amount of lead for valve
lubrication, while minimizing the deposits and staining
mentioned by Bob.-HGF)
So, it is my belief that if one stays on top of engine
operation and does regular maintenance along with
good preventive maintenance measures, engine life
should be enhanced. I am absolutely "sold" on Aero­
Shell ashless dispersant oil, with changes every 25
hours (with no filter system installed). In fact, Aero­
Shell is now an official sponsor of Rob's barnstorming
business, Waldo Wright's Flying Service.
Cylinder leakage checks on a regular basis, spark
plug gapping and reversing every 50 hours, and per­
haps oil analysis will keep that radial engine oper­
ational for a long time. I pay close attention to oil
consumption. This engine has used 4 quarts of oil over
a IS-hour span of operation. However, oil consump­
tion increases as operating times go above the 600­
hour mark. I'm sure that prolonged engine life is due
to the improvements in lubricating oil. And a good
understanding of how best to operate and maintain
the engine over a long period of time will always pay
dividends in the end.
The overhaul manual for a particular engine will

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normally contain sections on
troubleshooting and inspec­
tions, including daily, 25-hour,
and 50-hour checks, which can
be easily added to the 100-hour
and annual inspection checklist.
Something that is intrigu­
ing to me was overall engine
expansion when operating
temperature has been reached.
For a period of time we ran a
Townend ring cowl on the
New Standard D-25A, but it
soon cracked around the at­
tachment points. I also no­
ticed that the cowl was very
tight when the engine was
hot, so I loosened the attach­
ment clamps until there was
a small amount of looseness
with the engine at tempera­
ture. When the engine cooled
there was quite a bit of clear­
ance between the cowl and engine. This eliminated the cracking problem. To my
amazement, the Wright Whirlwind engine must
have grown at least 1/2 inch or more in diameter
when it came up to temperature! Now, on the pre­
flight inspection I can shake the cowl, but when the
engine is hot there is no movement. Amazing!
In 1928, Fred Weick (pronounced Wyck), an engi­
neer from the National Advisory Committee for Aero­
nautics (NACA), led the development of what was to
become known as the NACA low-drag engine cowl­
ing. Weick had access to the NACA Propeller Research
Wind Tunnel at Langley, Virginia. Weick and his team
won the 1929 Collier Trophy, the first of five Collier
awards for NACA. Their wind tunnel experiments led
to many discoveries as to how to fair in an engine and
how to control cooling of the engine. But I don't recall
reading anything about cowling fit to the engine when
at operating temperature. Oh, well, book this one to
experience and a little trial and error!
There is something to be said about looking over
an exposed or cowled engine on final approach to
landing. It is much easier to see without the cowling
around the cylinders, as the photographs show.
Ring cowls, commonly called Townend cowls,
only covered the circumference around the cylin­
ders. In many cases the engine did not cool as ef­
ficiently as if it were completely exposed to the air.
The cylinder heads ran cool enough, but oil temper­
ature would rise to near or above redline. The Wright
engine oil temperature in my Command-Aire always
ran very hot, particularly in hot summers in central
California, sometimes approaching 94°C. The final
answer was to install a small oil cooler in the system,

which lowered the oil inlet
temperature to a respectable
82°C. The tech reps at Aero­
Shell told me that an inlet oil
temperature of at least 80°C
was needed to boil off water
1
condensation from the oil
system. And it in fact does
that! The Wright R-760 en­
gine installation is very reli­
able, and I am not afraid to
take the ship on a coast-to­
coast cross-county flight.
I would have to say it was a
successful flight with 19 fuel
stops and seven days and six
nights of travel. Consider­
ing the airplane had only 15
hours of flight time and the
pilot had the same number in
type, I encountered just two
problems. First, the base seal
on the number one cylinder
decided to leak (badly), and
second, the throttle control broke on takeoff from the
Blythe, California, airport, resulting in some anxious
moments, as the engine was turning only 1200 rpm.
But that problem was overcome, and the trip contin­
ued as if nothing had happened. But enough of the
flying stories; back to the subject at hand.
The Wright cylinder base seals are a constant prob­
lem with leakage as engine time builds. It seems at
about the 600-hour mark oil will begin seeping around
the cylinder base area of cylinders number one, num­
ber two, and number seven. The solution is to loosen
each cylinder and raise it off the power case about 1-2
inches (do not remove the cylinder completely). Us­
ing gasoline on a rag, wipe all metal-to-metal surfaces
clean and pay particular attention to the O-ring area.
Apply a small amount of high-temperature sealant to
the chamfer on the power case and the O-ring on the
cylinder base. Do not get the sealant on the metal-to­
metal surfaces, or the base nut torque will be compro­
mised. Slide the cylinder back down, install the base
nuts, and torque. The base nuts on the Wright engine
were originally safetied using 0.041-inch safety wire,
that too must be completed. that must be completed.
Then install the intake pipe and push rod housing
with new gaskets and seals. Finish by installing the
rocker arms and check the clearance to 0.010 inch. You
should be good for many more hours of operation.
So, as the owner, operator, and mechanic of a single­
row radial engine, my best advice is to read and under­
stand how the engine operates and pay attention to
its idiosyncracies. If you do, it will last for many years
between expensive overhauls.
Good luck and happy flying.

My primary concern in


operating this engine has


been the use of OOLL fuel.


The aromatics used to boost


octane rating and whatever

chemical is used to replace


the lead cause alarge buildup

of deposits in the combustion


chamber, the piston top, and on

the valve stems and seats.


32

AUGUST 2009

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BY DOUG STEWART

Flight review
After clearing the runway and
crossing the hold-short line, my cli­
ent cleaned up the flaps, opened the
cowl flaps, and switched the tran­
sponder to standby. Looking at me
with a question in her eyes as to what
was next, I said that I felt I was done
and that we should taxi back to my
office. Silence ensued as we taxied,
save for the throaty rumble of the big
Continental hanging on the front of
my client's 1962 Cessna 205.
As we came to a stop in front of
the office I told her to shut down.
Again those questioning eyes of
hers scanned mine. We had only
been flying for about 45 minutes,
whereas most of our previous ses­
sions were closer to two hours. To
be honest, I was delighting in what
was to come, especially in light of
the fact that I could tell that my cli­
ent really didn't know.
We had been flying together for
several months, although between
weather problems and the challenges
of a busy schedule it hadn't always
been on a regular basis. That, com­
bined with the fact that she based
her airplane about 65 miles away
and had to rely on her husband to
fly her up for the training, made it
difficult at times to keep the training
consistent. Sometimes there would
be a two- or three-week gap between
sessions, and sometimes those gaps
would result in a slight retrograde
of the training, but all in all we had
been making steady progress.
"Well, there's no sense in dragging
this out any further," I said with a
big grin on my face. You're probably
thinking I was getting ready to solo
34

AUGUST 2009

her. In a sense I was, for she would be
taking to the skies alone in her Super
Skylane (the name Cessna gave the
C-205, a precursor to the Centurion,
but with fixed gear and struts) as soon
as I got out of the airplane. I was sign­
ing off her flight review, after she had
taken a lO-year hiatus from flying.
She had originally soloed this air­
plane as a student pilot back in 1963.
She and her husband bought the air­
plane brand new from the factory,
and she had learned to fly and got her
private pilot certificate in that very
same airplane. In fact, she confided to
me that much of her initial training
had been conducted with her three
children piled in the back. It is diffi­
cult to fathom that a young woman
had learned to fly in such a heavy and
powerful airplane, but the fact of the
matter is that she has never flown any
other airplane.
She then went on to gain her in­
strument rating and commercial cer­
tificate, and was soon entering races
with some of her friends from the
Connecticut chapter of the Ninety­
Nines International Organiza­
tion of Women Pilots, of which she
was a founding charter member. In
fact, when I visited her house I was
amazed to see the mantle of her fire­
place lined with trophies, and she
proudly confessed that there were
many more trophies stored away in
the attic. Looking at the trophies I re­
alized that she had flown her airplane
in virtually every state in the country.
Then, around 10 years ago, a
combination of factors caused her
to stop flying. Her love and pas­
sion for aviation, however, did not

~,leave her. She still remained very
active with the Ninety-Nines and
never missed her annual trip to the
Sun 'n Fun Fly-In. I would often see
her, together with her husband, in
attendance at many of the safety
seminars that I present. At the con­
clusion of one of these seminars, she
approached me and asked me if I
would be willing to fly with her, and
provide her with some training.
I was reluctant at first, so I dragged
my feet. For starters, her mobility was
somewhat hampered by arthritis,
and I really wasn't sure if she would
be able to pass a third-class medical
exam. But whether or not she could
pass a medical exam shouldn 't be
reason for me to not get started fly­
ing with her. I knew that this was not
going to be a simple and quick pro­
cess, but the persistence and enthusi­
asm that this wonderful octogenarian
woman possessed was incredible mo­
tivation for me. How could I refuse to
conduct a flight review with her?
I knew that this was not going to
be a typical flight review, which by
regulation is only one hour of flight
training and one hour of ground
training and must include "a review
of the current general operating and
flight rules of Part 91" of the FARs, as
well as "a review of those maneuvers
and procedures that, at the discretion
of the person giving the review, are
necessary for the pilot to demonstrate
the safe exercise of the privileges of
the pilot certificate." This was going
to take many hours. When one is in
her 80s and hasn't flown in 10 years,
the accumulation of "rust" can be
quite excessive.

We began with the basics, just the
four fundamentals: straight and level,
climbs, descents, and turns. Not only
was it a process of removing oxida­
tion, but of removing the anxieties
that had accumulated after years of
being away from the controls of the
airplane. Since she held a commercial
certificate, I wasn't easy on her, and
told her that we would strive to fly to
commercial standards. I was a hard
taskmaster, but she was eagerly up to
the challenge. It took some time, but
there was consistent progress.
As we progressed, we added in
slow flight and a variety of stalls,
both power on and off, in different
configurations-in turning flight
as well as straight ahead. Once she
was proficient and comfortable with
these, it was time to start with our
pattern work. This is where the real
challenge came.
The Cessna 205 is not a light air­
plane, and if you don't use trim to
help in managing stick force, it can be
a difficult airplane to flare and land­
especially when you are a woman in
your early 80s and not in the best
physical condition. She claimed that
her primary instructor had never told
her about using trim to help in the
flare. Giving her the benefit of the
doubt, I figured that in her younger
years her physical strength matched
her intense determination. But now
that she no longer had the strength,
without using trim, the landings were
rather elusive.
There were a couple of other prob­
lems as well. One was her determi­
nation, which seemed to prevent her
from making the go-around decision
in a timely manner. I told her that
there was no way I would ever sign
her off until she proved to me that
she had the ability to activate a go­
around when needed, on her own,
and without my prompting.
As an aside, I have never forgotten
the words of my aviation safety guru
when he said, "The go-around is the
least-used and most under-practiced
maneuver we have in flying." My
years of observation both from inside
as well as outside the cockpit can tes­
tify to the truth of those words.

The other problem was her anxi­
ety. On the days when things weren't
going well, my challenge was to get
her to relax. Of course if one isn't us­
ing trim properly to alleviate con­
trol pressure, it doesn't take much
to create a "death grip" on the con­
trols, and there isn't a pilot alive who
can fly well unless she is relaxed as
she manipulates the controls. Thus
it was not uncommon for me to be
saying, "Sit back, relax, and enjoy the
flight," as we descended on final ap­
proach. Upon saying this, I would see
the whiteness leave her knuckles, see
her shoulders loosen up, and see her
sit back in her seat.

I knew that this was not
going to be asimple and
quick process, but the
persistence and enthusiasm
that this wonderful
octogenarian woman
possessed was incredible
motivation for me.
The flight training for this flight re­
view went well beyond the one hour
reqUired, and just as the flight por­
tion took longer, so did our period
of ground training. Not only did we
spend time reviewing all the perti­
nent areas of FAR Part 91 (currency,
airspace, minimum safe altitudes,
rights of way, temporary flight restric­
tions, and the like), I also felt it was
important for us to have a thorough
discussion of hazardous attitudes and
their effect on making proper go or
no-go decisions.
As she had been able to obtain her
third-class medical certificate during
our process of flight training, dur­
ing the ground training we discussed
her responsibilities in determining
her "fitness for flight" not only be­
fore, but also during, her flight activi­
ties. We had a dialogue about the I'M
SAFE checklist and the importance
of proper hydration, diet, and exer­

cise, relative to flight. At the conclu­
sion of these discussions I felt that she
was truly prepared to make good, safe
aeronautical decisions.
So now, after shutting down the
engine and saying there was no sense
in dragging this out any further, I
told her that as far as I was concerned
I was ready to sign off her flight re­
view. As an incredulous smile spread
across her face she asked, "Well then,
could I take her around the patch a
few times?"
"Of course," I said. "There's noth­
ing to stop you, now that you have
completed your flight review. But
don 't forget to stay relaxed, and if
there is any doubt as to the surety
of a safe landing, don't hesitate to
go around."
With those words I undid my seat
belt and got out of the airplane. I
shut the door, and without looking
back, walked away toward my of­
fice. She had the engine started and
was taxiing toward the runway be­
fore I reached my door. Entering the
office I grabbed my handheld radio
(just in case) and went back out to
watch her do three good, safe take­
offs and landings.
After the third landing she taxied
back up to the ramp in front of my of­
fice and shut down the engine. There
was silence as she sat there, looking
straight ahead. Respecting her space,
I waited to approach. When at last
she slid her seat back and opened the
door, I rushed up to the airplane. We
both had tears of joy in our eyes as we
high-fived each other.
This woman has been such an in­
spiration to me. I can only hope that
when I am 82 years old I will have the
same motivation, enthusiasm, cour­
age, and determination that she ex­
hibits. May we all have that in our
"vintage" years so that we can share
in the joys and gifts of flight when
beckoned aloft by ... blue skies and tail
winds!

Doug Stewart is the 2004 National
CFI ofthe Yem; a Master Instructor, and
a designated pilot examiner. He operates
DSFI Inc. (www.dsflight.com) based at
the Columbia County Airport (1Bl).~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

35

BY H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM THE

EAA

ARCHIVES.

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 15 for inclusion in the November 2009 issue of Vintage Airplane.
You can also send your response via e-mail. Send your answer to [email protected]. Be sure to in­
clude your name plus your city and state in the body of your note and put II(Month) Mystery Plane" in
the subject line.

MAY ' S MYSTERY ANSWER
Our May Mystery Plane came to
us from VAA member Brian Baker.
We received plenty of responses
from Luscombe enthusiasts who

recognized one of the last gasps of
the LuscombeSilvaire company.
Her e's a re-sponse from
someone intimately familiar with

the Luscombe:
The Mystery Plan e was pretty
easy this month-you have a pic­
ture of the experimental Luscombe

Ed Warnock of Garden Valley, California, sent us a photo of the remains of one of the non-flying prototypes. Ed pointed out there are
several pictures of the non-flying prototype(s) and a brief mention of the Luscombe 8G in John C. Swick's book Luscombe's Golden
Age, published by Wind Canyon Books, and in his previous book, The Luscombe Story, published by Sunshine House Inc.
36

AUGUST 2009

Model SG on the ramp at Colorado fly on several occasions, and one of­ College, Pennsylvania; George
Springs, Colorado, circa 1959-60. fered comments that the flight char­ Buttles, Placerville, California;
This airplane was an outgrowth of acteristics were slightly more stable Dwayne Green, Santa Rosa, Cali­
the pilot preference for nose wheels than the regular SF due to the dorsal fornia; William Stavana, Cortland,
that began with the tricycle gear de­ fIn and nose wheel. I have concluded Ohio; John Baker, Macon, Geor­
velopment in the late '40s and '50s. that no one wanted to admit illegal gia; John Lewis, Cascade, Virginia;
The Silvaire Aircraft and Uranium "test flights," but that the airplane Brian Frazier, Madison, Mississippi;
Mining Company Inc. owned the had probably proven its mettle dur­ Frank Pavliga, Randolph, Ohio;
Luscombe type certifIcate in the late ing some operations that were, say, Chuck Forrester, Fairfield, Pennsyl­
'50s and began a construction proj­ "very high speed taxi," where flight vania; William D. (Dan) Barger, Del
ect on the SG which was to be certi­ controls were used to maintain di­ Rio, Texas; Dale P. Jewett, Hutchin­
fIed and introduced in late 1959 or rectional control. Maybe one of your son, Kansas; Wayne Muxlow, Min­
1960, except the factory was shut readers has better information or ex­ neapolis, Minnesota; Tom Moquin,
down in 1960 due to the poor condi­ perience related to the project.
Hampshire, Illinois; Bill Truax,
tion ofengineering drawings and old
The SG fuselage and its unique Loveland, Colorado; Ben Bailey,
tooling that made it cost-prohibitive structure was donated to the Lus­ Altus, Oklahoma; David Hanna,
to deliver new airplanes on a limited combe Foundation about 1995, and Tonasket, Washington; Roger Rit­
production basis.
many pictures of structure and con­ ter, Wimberley, Texas; Pete Wiggin,
The Luscombe SG was marshaled fIguration taken for a future restora­ Evansville, Indiana; Pat Quinn,
by Ralph Swaisgood and a team of tion plan that was never completed. Santa Paula, California; Glenn Kin­
Doug Combs
other Luscombe-Silvaire employ­
neber, Spring Grove, Minnesota;
Luscombe Endowment (www. Pat and Jim Sowell, Statesboro,
ees, along with a 150-horse version
of the airplane. Shop foreman Roy Luscombe.org)
Georgia; Dale Cunningham, Rock­
Treadwell took many pictures of the
Gilbert, Arizona
ville, Indiana; Ronald Carson, San
airplane, the best of which are on
Antonio, Texas; and James T. Rog­
pages 223, 224, and 225 of John
Other correct answers were re­ ers, Peter Havriluk, Nick Warner,
Swick's book Luscombe's Golden ceived from Jack Erickson, State and Ed Cook.
.......
Age, a book still in print and avail­
able from the Luscombe Endowment
at 4S0-650-0SS3.
The SG used standard empennage
parts from the SF, and wings/struts
from the SF, and an essentially sim­
ilar fuselage. However, the lower
.--................. -.....-.......

structure from the firewall to the
rear door post was beefed up con­
"It's all right! There's
siderably with heavy bulkheads and
the Pol~-Fiber stamp!
castings to take the relocated loads
Go ahead and give'er
caused by moving the modifIed Sil­
the gun!"
flex gear and oleo arrangement to­
ward the rear, and to add structure
for mounting the nose wheel under
the engine at the firewall. The SG
was to adopt a control wheel like the
You don't have to be a
Ercoupe and C-150, and used a sim­
ma~ician to put the
ilar chain-to-cable arrangement as
tou~hest, easiest-to-repair fabric coveri~ on your pride
was the typical practice for controls.
and joy. Just follow the clear detailed instructions in our
In investigating Luscombe his­
entertain~ manual. Before you can say "Hocus-pocus!"
tory related to the Fort Collins, Col­
you'll have a ~or~eous coverin~ job that you can show
orado, operation, I spoke to many
off and bra~ about for years to come. You don't need
persons involved with the project.
a m~ic wand - all you need is Poly-fiber!
The airplane was never inspected
,
, .
or certifIed for flight by the FAA, so
*FriendIiest manual around
r~"1
polyfiber,com
-- .
*Toll-free technical support
all of those involved were careful
" .,') , ~. '.J:
information@
to state that it was a "non-flying"
polyfiber.com Aircraft Coatings
prototype. However, two persons as­
serted categorically that they saw it

HARRY HOUDINI LEn

NOTHING TO CHANCE.


And the rest is history.

l

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80C>J61-J490


VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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PROPELLERS
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continued from IFe

METHOD. Complete information, material and tool list with many
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fantasy to many of us, Bob stepped to the front of
the line and wanted to assist us with the planning,
development, and site review, all the way through
to the blueprints. Although this project would never
have come out of the planning stages without our
treasured benefactors, what Bob was offering was
just as critically important to seeing this project
through to completion.
In fact, from the standpoint of value, what Bob
put on the table in a sense makes him one of our
treasured benefactors as well. Many thanks to you,
Bob, and by the way, congratulations on being
recognized at EAA AirVenture by EAA President
Tom Poberezny for your longtime support of EAA.
Bob received the highly coveted President's Award,
which recognizes those individuals who display
the true Spirit of EAA on a continual basis. You are
truly deserving of this prestigious award, Bob, and
you have the congratulations of all your friends
and contemporaries at the VAA.
As always, please do us all the favor of inviting a
friend to join the VAA and help keep us the strong
38

AUGUST 2009

this. Contact Dan at he/spersew@ao/.com for free information
e-package, details, photos, overview and ordering info

SERVICES
Always Flying Aircraft Restoration, LLC: Annual Inspections,
Airframe recovering, fabric repairs and complete
restorations. Wayne A. Forshey A&P & I.A. 740-472-1481. Ohio
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association we have all enjoyed for so many years .
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2010, The World's Great­
est Aviation Celebration, is July 26 through August
1,2010.
VAA is about participation: Be a member! Be a vol­
unteer! Be there!
Let's all pull in the same direction for the good of
aviation. Remember, we are better together. Join us
and have it all.

A~

EM Calendar of Aviation [vents Is Now Online
EAA's online Calendar of Events is the "go-to'
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In EAA's online Calendar of Events, you can
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We invite you to access the EAA online Calendar
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Upcoming Major Fly-Ins
Colorado Sport International Air Show
and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In
Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (BJC),
Denver, Colorado
August 22-23, 2009

WHAT OUR MEMBERS ARE RESTORING
Are you nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done and you're busy flying
and showing it off? If so, we'd like to hear from you. Send us a 4-by-6-inch print from
a commercial source (no home printers, please- those prints just don't scan well)
or a 4-by-6-inch, 300-dpi digital photo_ A JPG from your 2.5-megapixel (or higher)
digital camera is fine. You can burn photos to a CD, or if you're on a high-speed
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describing your airplane. (If your e-mail progra m asks if you'd like to make the
photos smaller, say no.) For more tips on creating photos we can publish , visit VAA's
website at www.vintageaircraftorg. Check the News page for a hyperlink to Want To
Send Us A Photograph?

For more Information, you can also e-mail us at [email protected] or call us at
920·426·4825.

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September 12-13, 2009

• Includes 45 min. of outstanding COLOR film

www.MERFI.info

Copperstate Regional Fly-In
Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ),
Casa Grande, Arizona
October 22-24, 2009
www.Copperstate .org

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Middleton Field Airport (GZH),
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October 23-25 , 2009

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U_S_ Sport Aviation Expo
Sebring Regional Airport (SEF) ,
Sebring, Florida
January 21-24, 2010
www.Sport-Aviation-Expo.com

AERO Frledrlchshafen
Messe Friedrichshafen , Friedrichshafen , Germany
IApril 8-11, 2010
www.Aero-Friedrichshafen.com/ html/en

Sun 'n Fun Fly-In
Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), Lakeland ,
Florida
'April 13-18, 2010
www.Sun-N-Fun.org

Virginia Regional Festival of Flight
Suffolk Executive Airport (SFQ), Suffolk, Virginia
May 22-23 , 2010
www.VirginiaFlyin.org

Arlington Fly-In
Arlington Municipal Airport (AWOl. Arlington,
Washington
July 7-11 , 2010
www.NWEM.org

EAA AlrVenture Oshkosh
Wittman Regional Airport (OSH), Oshkosh ,
Wisconsin
July 26-August 1 , 2010
www.AirVenture.org

For details on hundreds of upcoming aviation
happenings, including EM chapter fly-ins,
Young Eagles rallies, and other local aviation
events, visit the EM Calendar of Events
located at www.EAA.org/ca/endar.

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

39

Membershi~ Services Directory
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VINTAG E AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION
EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086





~

OFFICERS
Vice-President

President
Geoff Robison

George Daubner

New Haven, IN 46774

260-493-4724

2448 Lough Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-673-5885

dlie([email protected]

[email protected]

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Charles W. Harris

1521 E. MacGregor Dr.

2009 Highland Ave.
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507-373-1674

7215 East 46th St.
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918-622-8400

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sst IO@(of1lcast.llet

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David Bennett
375 Killdeer Ct
Lincoln, CA 95648

704 N. Regional Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27409

[email protected]

[email protected]

916-645-8370

336·668-3650

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106 Tena Marie Circle


Greenwood, IN 46143
317-422-9366

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john S. Copeland


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Ph one (920) 426-4800

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~

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Copyright ©2009 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association, Allrights reserved.
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