Vintage Airplane - Feb 1995

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February1995 Vol. 23, No.2
CONTENTS 
1 Straight& Level/ 
Espie"Butch"Joyce 
2 AlCNews/Compiledby
H.G.Frautschy
4 Aeromail
5 FromtheArchives/
H.G. FrautschyandDennisParks
Page 11
8 MembersProjects/Norm Petersen
11 Contemporary
CustomClassIIWinner
1959Cessna180B/Norm Petersen
13 StaggerwingHospitality/
H.G. Frautschy
16 FrankWarren's
ThompsonTrophyPaintings
Page 13
18 JimmyRollison's
LairdSpeedwing/Norm Petersen
25 MysteryAirplane/GeorgeHardi e
27 Passitto Buck!
E.E. " Buck"Hilbert
28 WelcomeNewMembers
29 Calendar
Page 18
30 VintageTrader
FRONT COVER .. .JimmyRollison. Vocaville.CArolls his Laird Solutioninto
a turn for his portrait during EAA OSHKOSH '95. EAA photo by Jim
Koepnick. shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 80-200mm /f2.8
lens. 1/250sec. atf6.3 on Kodak Ektachrome Lumiere 100 film. Cessna
210photoplaneflownbyBruceMoore.
BACK COVER ...Doug Weiler's 1959 Cessna 180B was picked as the
ContemporaryCustom Class II winner atEAA OSHKOSH ' 94. EAA photo
byJim Koepnick.shot with a Canon EOS-l equipped with an 8O-200mm
/f2.8 lens. 1/250 sec. at f 7.1 on Kodak Ektachrome Lumiere 100 film.
Cessna210photoplaneflownbyBruceMoore.•
Copyright © 1995 bytheEAAAntique/Classic DivisionInc.Allrightsreserved.
VINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EMAntique/Classic Division.Inc. of the Experimental
Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EMAviation Center.3000 Poberezny Rd.• P.O. Box 3086,Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086.
Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. The membership rate lor EMAntique/Classic
DiviSion,Inc.is$27.00forcurrent EMmembersfor 12 monthperiodofwhich$15.00 isforthepublicationofVINTAGEAIRPLANE. Membership
isopentoallwhoareinterestedinaviation.
POSTMASTER:Send address changes to EMAntique/Classic Division, Inc., P.O.Box 3086, Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086. FOREIGN AND APO
AiDDRESSES- PleaseallowatleasttwomonthsfordeliveryofVINTAGEAIRPLANEtoforeignandAPOaddressesviasuriacemail.
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division does not guarantee orendorse any productoffered through the advertising. We invite constnuctive
criticismandwelcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertisingsothatcorrectivemeasurescanbetaken.
EDiTORIAiLPOLICY:Readersareencouragedto submtl storiesand photographs. Policyopinionsexpressedin articlesaresolelythose ofthe
authors. Responsibilityforaccuracyinreportingrestsentirelywiththecontributor.Norenumeration ismade.
Materialshouldbesentto:Editor,VINTAGEAIRPLANE,P.O. Box3086, Oshkosh,WI54903-3086. Phone4141426-4800.
The words EAA, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM,SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA, EAA INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION,EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION,INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB,WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are ®registered
trademarKs. THE EMSKYSHOPPE and logosofthe EMAVIATION FOUNDATION and EMULTRALIGHTCONVENTION aretrademarks
oftheaboveassociationsandtheirusebyanypersonotherthantheaboveassociationisstrictlyprohibited.
EDITORIALSTAFF
Publisher 
Tom Poberezny 
Vice-President, 
MarketingandCommunications 
DickMatt 
Editor-in-Chief 
JackCox 
Editor 
HenryG.Frautschy 
ManagingEditor 
GoldaCox 
ArtDirector 
MikeDrucks 
ComputerGraphicSpecialists 
SaraHansen 
OliviaL. Phillip JenniferLarsen 
Advertising 
Mary Jones 
AssociateEditor 
NormPetersen 
FeatureWriters 
GeorgeHardie,Jr. DennisParks 
StaffPhotographers 
JimKoepnick MikeSteineke 
CarlSchuppel DonnaBushman 
EditorialAssistant 
IsabelleWiske 
EAAANTIQUE/ CLASSICDIVISION,INC"
OFFICERS
Presidenl Vice-President
Espie"Butch"Joyce ArthurMorgan
P.O. Box 1001 W211 N1l863HililopDr.
Madison.NC27025 Germantown.WI 53022
910/573-3843 414/628-2724
Secretory Treasurer 
SteveNesse E.E. "Buck"Hilbert 
2009HighlandAve. P.O. Box424 
AlbertLea.MN56007 Union.IL60180 
507/373-1674 815/923-4591 
DIRECTORS
JohnBerendll RobertC."Bob"Brauer 
7645EchoPointRd. 9345S. Hoyne 
CannonFalls. MN55009 Chicago.IL60620 
507/263-2414 312/779-2105 
GeneChose JohnS. Copeland
2159CarltonRd. 28-3WilliamsburgCt.
Oshkosh.WI 54904 Shrewsbury.MA01545
414/231-5002 508/842-7867
PhilCoulson GeorgeDaubner 
28415SpringbrookDr. 2448LoughLone 
Lawton.MI49065 Hartford.WI 53027 
616/624-6490 414/673-5885 
CharlesHarris StanGomoll
7215East46thSt. 104290th Lone.NE
Tulsa.OK 74145 Minneapolis.MN55434
918/622-8400 612/784-1172
DaleA.Gustafson JeannieHill 
7724ShadyHill Dr. P.O. Box328 
Indianapolis,IN46278 Harvard.IL60033 
317/293-4430 815/943-7205
RobertUckteig ROberiD."Bob"Lumley
1708BayOaksDr. 1265South 124thSt.
AlbertLea,MN56007 Brookfield.WI53005
507/373-2922 414/782-2633
GeneMorris GeorgeYork 
115CSteveCourt.R.R. 2 181 SlobodaAv. 
Roanoke.TX 76262 Mansfield,OH 44906 
817/491-9110 419/529-4378 
S.H.OWes"Schmid
2359LefeberAvenue
Wauwatosa.WI 53213
414/771- 1545
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
S.J.Willmon 
7200S.E. 85thLane 
Ocala.FL 32672 
904/245-7768 
ADVISORS
JoeDickey JimmyRollison 
55OakeyAv. 640AlamoDr. 
Lawrenceburg.IN47025 Vacaville.CA95688 
812/537-9354 707/451-0411 
DeanRichardson GeoffRobison
6701 ColonyDr. 1521 E.MacGregorDr.
Madison.WI 53717 NewHoven.IN46774
608/833-1291 219/493-4724
STRAIGHT  & LEVEL 
by  Espie "Butch" Joyce 
The calendar pages seem to be zip-
ping by as fast as can be - in only 45 to
60 days the 1995 fly-in season will be in
full swing! Everyone agrees that the
annual kickoff event is the EAA Sun
'n Fun fly-in held in Lakeland, Florida
in April each year. Over 25 years, this
fly-in has grown from a small local fly-
in to a great week-long event. If you
have attended Sun 'n Fun you under-
stand what I'm talking about. If you
haven't yet had a chance to spend a
week in the spring in Florida for the
fly-in you owe it to yourself to check it
out.
Credit needs to be given to Billy
Henderson, the spark plug for this fly-
in for many years. Also special credit
needs to be given to Adair Henderson,
Billy's wife. Adair has given support
above the call of duty to help make
this event what it is today. The dates
for Sun ' n Fun '95 are April 9 through
the 15th. If you need more informa-
tion, call 813/644-2431.
Your Antique/Classic Division offi-
cers and directors are holding your
February '95 Board of Directors meet-
ing in Lakeland, Florida this year.
Some of the activities will be held at
the soon-to-be-opened "Fa ntasy of
Flight" complex that Kermit Weeks is
building at Polk City, Florida, some 15
miles from Lakeland. I visited this site
a little over a year ago. At that time
Kermit had a 6000 foot by 300 foot sod
runway installed, as well as several
buildings. There also is a large lake
adjoining this property that Kermit
says is large enough to operate his
Short Sunderland flying boat. Being
located on Interstate 4 between Or-
lando and Tampa should make this
quite an aviation attraction for tourists.
[ will give you an updated report on
thi s, hopefully in March.
As I was growing up in Madison,
North Carolina, my father had an air-
port there from the mid 1940s. Myas-
sociation with the airport and aviation
has afforded me the great fortune to be
friends with a great many people in-
volved in founding aviation businesses.
One of these individuals is Mr. Tom
Davis. Tom is the founder of Pied-
mont Airlines which was headquar-
tered in Winston Salem, North Car-
olina before it merged with USAir.
Tom also is a member of EAA's Presi-
dent's Council.
On January 28, 1995 it was my plea-
sure to be present with a number of
other people to witness the 60th an-
niversary of Tom's first solo flight.
That day, Tom once again soloed the
same E-2 Cub that he soloed the first
time. Afterwards, there was a recep-
tion that gave everyone a chance to
visit. Tom really has some interesting
tales about his first starting out in avia-
tion at "Camel City Flying Service,"
with him landing in farmers' cow pas-
tures trying to sell Stinson lOAs and
the like. That's a long way from own-
ing a number of Boeing 767s!
Your Antique/Classic Division has
started an aggressive membership
campaign. Throughout the year we
will be direct mailing an invitation to
all EAA members inviting them to
join your Antique/ Classic Division.
Some people have already received
this mailer; those who have not will in
the future.
Do your part for the Antique/Clas-
sic Division, ask a friend to join us.
Let's all pull in the same direction for
the good of aviation. Remember we
are better together. Join us and have
it all. ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
DUES INCREASE 
As detailed in  the pres ident 's  notes 
contained in  December's A/C News, a 
dues increase of $7  was voted on and ap-
proved during the last A/C Board of Di-
rectors meeting.  Effective February 1, 
1995,  the dues  for  membership in  the An-
tique/Classic Division of EAA became 
$27.  As mentioned  before, increased 
costs  for  providing services  for  each mem-
ber, particularly postage and  paper costs 
for the magazine, are expected to rise sub-
sta ntially - indeed, a  rise  in  paper costs 
has already taken place, with  further in-
creases expected as  the  paper industry 
tries to make up lost ground for depressed 
paper prices during the past few  years. 
AM WEATHER CANCELED 
Popular with aviators and other profes-
sionals who rely on accurate weather fore-
casting,  the  Public  Broadcasting System's 
early  morning program "AM Weather" 
has  been given  the ax by Maryland  Public 
Television, producers of the program. 
The program is  to be  replaced  by  a morn-
ing business show.  AM  Weather 's  last 
broadcast was  February 3,  1995.  If you' d 
care  to  write, your comments can be  ad-
dressed to: 
Raymond K. K.  Ho, President 
Maryland Public Television 
11676 Owings Mills Blvd. 
Owings Mills,  MD 21117 
CENTERSPREAD PAINTINGS 
To  kick  off our  celebration  of  the 
Golden Age of Air Racing, starting with 
this  month's issue, and continuing into the 
July edition, we will  present two of Frank 
Warren's  paintings of the airplanes of the 
pre-war Thompson Trophy races.  Each 
year is  depicted in  an  individual painting, 
with each  aircraft  that  flew  in  the  race 
shown in  its racing colors.  The airplanes 
that dominated the  races are placed in  the 
foreground, while  the airplanes that com-
peted  to  lower places  fill  out the back-
ground.  Many readers will  remember Mr. 
Warren as  the artist who  portrayed a  fic-
tional formation  of WWI airplanes and 
movie  replicas  flown  by  Hollywood's 
greatest stunt pi lots of the  '20s  and  '30s. 
H was  featured on  the back cover of the 
February 1993  issue  of Vintage Airplane. 
Frank has graciously  loaned the entire se-
lection of the Thompson Trophy series to 
the EAA Air Adventure Museum, where 
2 FEBRUARY 1995
compiled by H.G. Frautschy 
they  are on  display  in  the  Air Racing 
Gallery's trophy cases. 
GOLDEN AGE AIR RACERS 
RETURN TO  OSHKOSH 
Why start the above mentioned paint-
ings now?  Well , due to popular demand, 
the celebration of the Golden  Age of Air 
Racing at EAA OSHKOSH will  have a 
second edition.  1995' s EAA Convention 
and  Fly-In will  feature a display of air rac-
ers that should be quite a sight , including 
a  number of airplanes  that are being com-
pleted within  the next few  months.  We' ll 
have a  list  of airplanes expected to  be at 
the Convention later in  the year as plans 
firm  up, but be sure and mark your calen-
dars - you sure don' t  want to miss  this 
one! 
CLIFF ROBERTSON 
WORK EXPERIENCE '95 
Just a  reminder that applications for 
participants in  the Cliff Robertson Work 
Experience program  at EAA are due by 
April 1,  1995.  Two participants are to  be 
selected.  They are to  be  aged 16 or 17, 
and one youthful mentor/CFI  will  also be 
picked  to  work with  the teens  during the 
summer of 1995. 
A  package of information and applica-
tion  materials can be secured from  the 
Education Office at  the address below. 
EAA AIR ACADEMY '95 
The EAA Air Academy for youth  age 
15-17  will  be  presented  from  July  15 
through 31,  1995.  Applications will  be 
considered in  the order received.  Inter-
ested youth, parents, members and  Chap-
ters are  urged  to secure further  informa-
tion  about  the  twelfth  annual  Air 
Academy by  contacting the EAA Educa-
tion  Office, P.O.  Box 3065, Oshkosh, WI 
54903-3065  or by calling 414/426-4888. 
EAA AIR ADVENTURE 
WEEKEND 
As detailed in  last month's A/C  News, 
the EAA Air Adventure Museum  has 
created a  unique way for  EAAers and 
their families  to experience the  museum's 
Pioneer Airport.  With just a  littl e  ad-
vance  publicity, the weekend packages 
are quickly filling  up.  Here ' s what the 
weekend offers: 
Saturday night accommodations  for 
two at a local motel. 
A  VIP museum pass and  " insiders" 
tour of the EAA Air Adventure Museum 
and the Weeks Flight Research Center. 
Weather permitting, a  flight  in  four 
unique and different aircraft: 
An open cockpit biplane 
A  cabin class antique monoplane 
A  classic Bell 47  helicopter 
EAA's magnificent 1929 Ford Tri-Mo-
tor.  Best of all, your flight  in  the Ford 
also includes time in  the co-pilot'S seat! 
The cost is  only $295  per person, or 
$495  per couple.  Weekends are filling 
fast , so place your reservations as  soon as 
possible.  Call the EAA Flight depart-
ment at 414/426-4886 for information, and 
please remember that flying  is  subject to 
cancellation and/or change due to weather 
(including excessive wind!)  or other fac-
tors. 
FAA MEDICALS 
Considering  the  average  age  of 
EAAers (47)  and  the importance in  their 
lives  of sustaining a current FAA medical , 
it 's not surprising that the  NPRM con-
cerning revising the  medical guidelines for 
certification.  Outlined in  the  December 
issue of Sport Aviation  (page 14), the  re-
vision  has far  reaching ramifications for 
all  who fly  aircraft requiring a medical. 
Also,  the  FAA  has  published  an 
NPRM, Docket No.  26493, "Policy con-
cerning the special  issuance of medical 
certificates to diabetic airman applicants." 
The FAA is  considering a  policy change 
concerning individuals with diabetes mel-
litus who  apply for airman medical certifi-
cates.  Under the current FAA regula-
tions, an  established diagnosis of diabetes 
mellitus  that requires insulin  or any other 
hypoglycemic drug for control disqualifies 
an  individual  from  medical certification. 
The FAA may change that current policy 
to allow certain individuals who  are in-
sulin-dependent to be issued  medical cer-
tificates.  All comments regarding this 
proposed policy change must  be  received 
by  the FAA by  March 29,1995.  To obtain 
a copy of the proposal , contact Dennis P. 
McEachen,  FAA  202/493-4075;  fax 
202/267-5399.  The address for  your com-
ments is: 
Federal Aviation Administration 
Office of the Chief Council, 
Attn: Docket 26493 
800  Independence Av. S.W. 
Washington, DC  20591 
FLIGHT ADVISORS 
As of the  end of 1994, EAA has re-
ceived  more than 300 Flight Advisor ap-
plications.  Over 200  of the applications 
have been approved, laying the ground-
work for what can be a significant  factor 
in  improving the safety record of sport 
aviation. 
The Fli ght Advi sor program has re -
ceived additi onal financi al support from
Lycoming and Murphy Aircraft Manufac-
turing, Ltd. Thi s new patronage adds to
the commitment made by A VEMCO to
support the Flight Advi sors program. For
more information, contact EAA Informa-
tion Services at 414/426-4821.
CESSNA FUEL REQUIREMENTS 
As many of you now know, Cess na is
in the process of setting up the producti on
line for single engine piston powered air-
craft again. (The new factory will be in
Independence, KS.) At a recent ASTM
co nfere nce att e nd ed by EAA' s Harry
Zeisloft and staff member Earl Lawrence,
Cessna made the announcement that they
will not produce aircraft with fuel require-
ment s higher than 82 octane. As one of
the prime movers in the formation of this
new specification fuel based on automo-
tive raw stock, Cessna has informed Ly-
coming and Continent al of their require-
ments.
The bas ic fu el would be transport ed
through the larger automoti ve gasoline
di stributi on system to a di stribution cen-
ter equipped with a fuel testing lab. The
fuel could then be tested at a distribution
center, certified to meet specifications and
then sold as the new grade 82 UL aviation
fuel. The new fuel specification would al-
low for the use of MTBE and/or ETBE as
octane enhancers, but would limit alcohol
to extremely low fr actions of one percent.
Until the new specification is approved,
production pl ans for the new fuel are un-
known.
The new specification has been submit-
ted to the A TSM for final approval, ex-
pected to come during the coming yea r.
The only downfall of the new specification
is that aircraft currently requiring 80 oc-
tane will need an amended or supplemen-
tal type ce rtifi cate to use this fuel. The
exact detail s on how thi s will be worked
out are still being discussed.
EAA' s r esea r ch on th e e ff ects of
MTBE a nd ETBE continues with th e
EAA Avi ation Foundation's Cessna 150.
We' ll have more to report on this issue in
next month's NC News.
BERGESON REFERENCE 
GUIDES 
J ohn Be rgeso n has bee n busy ove r
there in Remus, MI compiling hi s yea rly
updates int o a 5 yea r compilation refer-
encing all copi es of EAA peri odi ca ls.
Covering the yea rs 1990-1994, the guide
compl ement s the reference put together
by John covering 1953- 1989. The cos ts
are:
Basic Volume 1953-1989 .. . $22
Basic Volume 1990-1994 . . . $10
A complete set is $30.
All pay me nt is to be in U.S. fund s,
VISA and Mast erCard accept ed. Pos t-
paid (book rate) to the USA and Canada.
Other countri es add $6 per it em above
($12 for both volumes.)
Send your order to John B. Bergeson,
6438 W. Millbrook, Remus, MI 49340-
9625, 517/561-2393. John also has copi es
of all the periodicals and will make a copy
from any issue for 35¢ per page. ($5 mini -
mum order)
NASM COLLECTION ADDITION 
Dan Hagendorn, Team Leader in the
Archi ves di vision of the Nati onal Air and
Space museum wrote to advise us all that
the Loui se McPhetridge Thaden Coll ec-
tion (Acession No. XXXX-0006) has been
processed and is now open to researchers.
Mrs. Thaden was a founder and char-
t e r me mbe r of the ' 99s a nd th e fir st
woman, along with her navigator Bl anche
Noyes, to win th e Bendix Trophy race.
She also set numerous endurance, speed
and altitude records during her aviati on
career, and in her later years, she was an
enthusiastic supporter of the Staggerwing
Museum Foundation in Tullahoma, TN.
The Thaden coll ection at the NASM
consists of photographs, newsclippings
and correspondence documenting her avi-
ati on career, and an excell ent finding aid
compil ed by NASM staffer Karen White-
hair is available.
If you' d like to conduct research with
the collection, an appointment is needed -
given the somewhat limited facilities avail-
able at the NASM. Appointments ensure
you will be abl e to vi ew your reques ted
coll ecti on when you wi sh, rather than be-
ing to ld th at the re was no room in the
archives for you that day. The staff also
requests that you limit the number of re-
qu es ts to o ne pe r mo nth a nd no mo re
than five subj ects or aircraft per letter. In
that way they can serve as wide an audi-
ence as possible.
You may make your requests for infor-
mati on or an appointment via mail , tele-
phone or Fax, as well as E-Mail.
The address is:
Nati onal Air and Space Museum
Archives Division - Mail Code 322
Washington, DC 20560
Phone 202/357-3133
Fax 202/786-2835
E- Ma il address : NASMARCH@
SIVM.SI. EDU.
WILLIS  "BILL" CHOMO 
EAA first paid employee, Willi s "Bill "
Chomo passed away December 24, 1994.
Bill served in the Wisconsin Air National
Guard, 128th Refueling Wing with EAA
Founder and Chiarman of the Board Paul
Pobe rezn y. Bill was hir ed t o wo rk at
EAA, serving as the dir ector of maint e-
nance and aircraft restoration during part
of hi s ne arly 30 yea rs as a n EAA e m-
ployee. He was the project manager on
ma ny of the aircr af t built in th e EAA
Foundati on shops, incl uding the single
and two pl ace Acro Sport s, Pober Pi xie
and the first Spirit of St. Loui s repli ca.
For 15 years, he was the chairman of the
outdoor workshops during the EAA Con-
ventions. More recently, Bill worked on a
variety of aircraft projects, lending his ex-
pertise to those who wished to learn from
his experience. Our condol ences to hi s
fri ends and family, including his daughter-
in-l aw Cathy, a curre nt member of the
EAA Headquart ers office staff.
FRANK, CAROLYN AND 
SCOTT RYDER
Fr a nk, Ca ro lyn and Sco tt Ryde r of
Arab , AL were kill ed in th e cras h of
Frank' s Piper Malibu near the Rochester,
MN airport on December 22, 1994. Frank
and Carolyn were bringing Scott home af-
ter successful surgery to remove a beni gn
tumor on hi s pituitary gland, and had just
depart ed for home on an IFR fli ght pl an
into a 600 ft. ove rcas t when the Malibu
was seen to ent er a ri ght turn and di sap-
pea r from th e FAA' s r adar scr een. It
crashed in a steep nose down attitude in a
fi eld a littl e less than two mil es north of
the Rochester, MN airport. As of the sec-
o nd wee k of J a nu a ry, no pr e limina ry
cause has been establi shed as a possibl e
expl anation for the crash, and it remains
under investigation.
Scott Ryder, age 33, was the editor of
"The First Warpl anes," the magazine of
the organizati on start ed earl y last year to
give a common banner for a wide range of
WW I era aviati on enthusiasts to rall y un-
der. Scott managed a remarkable attitude
for someone whose li fe was filled with po-
tenti all y life- threatening health probl ems
during the last year, and his loss as he saw
the end of this particular struggle is partic-
ularly poignant.
Frank and Carolyn Ryder were a cou-
ple who I rarely saw apart - sure, they may
have been at opposite parts of the airport ,
but they were partners in the truest sense,
ri ght down to their decision earli er in the
year to sell the company he founded, Ry-
de r Int ern ati onal. He was an inve nt or,
and hi s firm was set up to develop prod-
ucts and then sell them to industry for pro-
duction. Frank and Carolyn then pl anned
on devoting their energies full time to the
Lake Gunt ersvill e Fi ght er Replica mu-
seum they founded and to the movement
that had just begun to expand. His zeal for
aviation knew few boundaries, and his loss
leaves a tremendous void in a segment of
sport avi ati on that he enj oyed seeing grow
in accept ance and enthusias m. Frank is
survived by three other sons from a previ-
ous marri age - Clint , Todd and Brandon.
Our deepest sympathi es are extended to
the Ryder's family and their many fri ends
around the world. ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
MAIL 
Dear Editor,
1 read with great int e rest the le tt e r
from Bill Ri edesel carried in the Aero
Mail column in the October issue. He
me ntioned some familiar conditions
which prevailed in the aviat ion indus-
try in the l a t e thirti es, s uch as pay
check size - I can recall building Navy
He lldivers and Hawk 75's at Curtiss-
Wri ght in Buffalo for the prince ly sum
of 50 cents per hour. Thi s was in ' 37,
'38 a nd '39! They hadn ' t heard of the
minimum wage at that time.
After having re built three Da rt s, I
know where he is coming from when
he talks about making the hol es in the
wing line up with the ones in the fuse-
lage. It 's pretty hard to get the nuts on
the bolt s some times afte r banging
them in!
I couldn' t le t pass hi s comment re-
gar ding the " 0 " windows in Allen
Jo hnson's Dart. In fairness to Allen I
must say that the windows were stan-
dard on the first five airplanes, actually
four as numbe r one was o ri ginall y a n
open cockpit. I have pictures of
N18064, sin 2; N18065, si n 3; N18066,
sin 4 and N20401, sin 5 a ll take n early
o n, some in the factory a nd all have
the " 0" windows. It is my understand-
ing that the parts for these airpl a nes
were made at Mo nocoupe but assem-
bled at Columbus. Apparently Culver
opted to di scontinue the m in s ubse-
quent producti on.
Bill's me ntion a bout the clip-wing
D art with the big Warner also trig-
gered a nost a lgia trip. In 1946 I had
the opportunit y to fly that bird when
R ay Applegate, who was building the
post-war Dart , made an unschedul e d
stop at o ur FBO in Buffalo with e n-
gine problems on 20912. After the re-
pairs were made I got to test fl y the
Dart and was certainly impressed with
it s performance. It wasn't until years
later that I realized they weren't a ll
like that!
I am presentl y building a repli ca of
that airplane except with an 10-360 in-
stead of the Warner. Walter Maple in
Chatsworth , CA is also building a
r epli ca but hi s will have th e 165
Warner and will be a truer replica.
4 FEBRUARY 1995
Bill, thanks for triggering the memory
trip.
Sincerely,
Ll oyd D. Washburn
Port Clinton, OH
Editor's note: In addition to his replica
project, Lloyd is the president of the Culver
Dart Club, and an acknowledged expert re-
lated to things "aeronautica Culver." His
expertise on the aircraft contributed greatly
to the article on Allen Johnson's Dart pub-
lished in the July 1994 issue of Vintage Air-
plane. - HGF
To the EAA and Antique/Classic Di-
vision members,
For as long as I can remember since
my childhood, I have maintained a vir-
tuallove affair with the airplane you see
below. The Curtiss model 68 Hawk III
represents a lot to me , not the least of
which are her spectacul ar lines and gen-
eral appearance. Just as the P-6E Hawk
motivate d Ralph Rosanick, the Hawk
III motivates my dr ea ms. And tha t
dream is basicall y simpl e, but I reckon
that translating the dream to reality will
be a whol e lot more diffi cult - to build a
r e plica of the Ha wk III a nd fly it to
OSHKOSH! Who knows, maybe even
myoid buddy Tommy Walker will fly it
too. How many replicas are flown by
the same pil ots who fl ew the originals
back in 1937?
Tommy was 80 on November 18, and
he's still fl yi ng. Me, I'm not even a pilot
(yet). I ' m just a life long airpl ane nut ,
and a halfway decent aviation art ist and
hi story buff. Hopefull y, by looking at
this pi cture, you can see why. Therefore,
what I would like to ask is this:
If you have any information regard-
ing plans, manuals, schematics, or even
your own memori es of the Hawk In, I'd
like to hear from you. Drop me a line at
my address, or gi ve me a call anytime af-
ter 8 p.m. Eastern time. I joined the An-
tique/Classic Divi sion last February, for
I figured if anyone could help me trans-
late a dream into reality, the EAA would
be it. Only time will tell.
Thanks again,
Peter Marshall
41 Howe St. Apt. #1
New Haven, CT 06511
203/733-3268
To who it may concern,
I' m trying to gather information about
a WW II German aircraft called the
Fieseler St orch. The model I'm int er-
ested in is the Fi-156. It was built by the
Morain e-Sa ulni e r Compa ny at the
Puteaux factory. Some were also built in
Mraz, Czechoslovakia.
Eventually I would like to build one
that was as close to the original as possi-
ble. I' m writing your organi zation to see
jf you mi ght have any in fo rmati o n on
this particular aircraft or any suggestions
on where I mi ght obtain plans or specifi-
cations.
Absolutely a ny information will be
greatly appreciated. Thank you for your
time.
Sincerely,
Don E. Kunkel
16533 Old Glenn Hwy.
Chugiak, AK 99567
907/696-8749
We've sent information on Ladislao Paz-
many's 3/4 scale replica Storch project, but
if anyone can help Don, contact him in
Alaska. ...
Curtiss  Hawk  III 
FROM THE ARCHIVES  .  .  . 
Mail Planes of National Air Transport in  the  1930s 
by Dennis Parks 
(Above)  National's Douglas M3, SIN 314, registered C-7163,  after being re-engined 
with a 525 hp Hornet. 
(Below)  liberty powered Douglas M3 Mailplane SIN 624, registered C-1060. The 
Douglas Mailplane series was a  civilian development of their very successful Army 
observation plane, the 0-2 series.  The first production version of the mailplane, the 
M-2,  was ordered by Western Air Express, which began operations with them in 
1926.  NAT was the largest user of M-3s and M-4s, acquiring 18 of the airplanes for 
use on their Chicago-New York route.  They continued using the Douglas mailplanes 
until October 1930.  The M-4 could carry 1,000 pounds of mail at a speed of 110 mph. 
Fr om the coll ecti on of Rober t
Grospitch, a former dispatcher with United
in Chi cago, comes a group of photographs
taken during 1930 of air mai l operati ons of
NAT, Na ti onal Air Transport. Nati onal
Ai r Tra nsport was the br ainchild of
Clement Keys, a former WALL STREET
JOURNAL financi al editor, who became
involved as a promoter of aviat ion corpo-
rati ons. Hi s fi rst avi at ion success was in
gaining control of Curtiss in 1916. In 1925
he fo rmed North American Aviati on for
the express purpose of providing organiza-
ti on and fi nancing for his aviation ente r-
prises.
NAT was incorporated in May of 1925
to gain cont rol of the air mail route linki ng
Chicago and New Yor k. In November,
NAT wo n t he contract for the Chicago-
Dall as route. Service started on this route
in May 1926 with a fleet of ten Curtiss Car-
rier Pigeons. In Apri l 1927, NAT was
awarded the Chi cago-New York route.
Service began in September with existing
Carrier Pigeons but these were replaced
quickly by 18 Douglas Mailplanes pur-
chased from the Post Office Department.
Eight Travel Air 5000s were also used on
the route. In 1930 NAT was purchased by
United Air Lines.
'" 
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~ L-__=-__________~ __~ ~ ______~ ~ __________________________________~ ~ ~ ______________________~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5 
 
(Below and right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon serial num-
ber G-2,registered NC-311 N being loaded. This
photo was one of the many used as the basis for
drawings done by illustrator/author Edward Shen-
ton in the book "Couriers of the Clouds" published
in 1930 and again in 1937.
 
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(Below left) Pitcairn PA-5 Mailplane Serial Number 25 built in 1928, NAT Number 49. Pitcairn was one of the few commercial air-
craft companies that built aircraft specifically for air mail service. The PA-5 Mailwing was primarily for service on the New York-
Atlanta run. The Mailwing carried from 500-600 pounds of mail at a speed of 105 mph.
(Below right) Curtiss Carrier Pigeon II Mailplane, serial number G-2, with a Curtiss Conqueror engine. The first one was the Cur-
tiss entry in the 1925 Post Office competition for a single-seat mail plane to be powered by a Liberty engine. NAT purchased their
first one from the Post Office and had 10 others built. Three new ones were constructed in 1929 as the Carrier Pigeon II, and used
a geared 600 hp Conqueror engine with a useful load of over 2,000 pounds and a cruising speed of 123 mph.
6 FEBRUARY 1995
(Above)The photo shows the amazing
clear-span NAT hangar at Chicago dur-
ing 1930. Inside are three Boeing Model
95 Mailplanes, NC-425E, NC-412E, NC-
397E. Boeing constructed 25 Model 95
Mailplanes during 1929. Twenty went to
Boeing Air Transport, one to NAT, and
four to Western Air Express. With air-
mail carriers emerging as passenger op-
erations using aircraft such as the Ford
Trimotor that carried passengers plus
mail, the Boeing 95 was one of last air-
craft special-built just to carry mail. The
95 had a useful load of over 2,600 pounds
and a cruising speed of 120 mph.
(Left) This view is a good example of the
hustle and bustle that accompanies the
loading of a mailplane. The aircraft is a
Douglas M4 with a Liberty Engine. How
about the 5 cent air mail postage sign on
the mail truck!
(Below) Aerial View of Douglas M4
Mailplane, NAT No. 45. Note the covered
front cockpit, large lights under lower
wing and very tall radio antenna.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
WHAT OUR. MEMBERS ARE RESTORING 
by Norm Petersen 
ATHOL-ORANGE AERO CLUB
An extremely rare type of flying club
is represented by this photo of the Athol-
Orange Aero Club, Inc. of Athol, Mas-
sachusetts. Located in the northlcentral
part of the state, midway between the
communities of Athol and Orange, MA,
the 45 member flying club is most unique
in its equipment and its longevity. Pic-
tured in front of one of the club ' s
hangars are the club's three tailwheel
aircraft , a 1941 Taylorcraft BL-65,
N33999, SI N 2851 ; a 1949 Piper PA-16
Athol- Orange Aero Club
Clipper, N5972H, SIN 16-596; and a 1946
Aeronca Champ, N83563 , SI N 7AC-
2241. Not e the original paint schemes.
In addition , the club has a Cessna 150
and a 172 for those who enjoy nose-
wheels. The Athol-Orange Aero Club
was founded way back in 1937, starting
with a 40 hp 1-2 Cub and about nine
members. One of the founding mem-
bers, 85-year-old Erwin "Stocky" Stock-
well (EAA 12215) is still going great
guns today and back in 1946, flew the
club' s new Aeronca Champ home from
the factory! The Piper Clipper has been
owned by the club since 1950 and the
Taylorcraft was donated to the club by
member Charles Frenier (EAA 38673)
who had owned it for many, many years.
Two of the club members are A&P me-
chanics and another is a CFI who gives
members their BFR' s. The club has two
hangars with one heated and featuring a
second floor lounge and meeting room
overlooking the airport.
8 FEBRUARY 1995
John and Debbie Baugh's J-3 Cub
Purchased from Mike Butler (EAA
126172, A /C 9070) of Oshkosh, WI , this
19461-3 Piper Cub, N98674, SIN 18804,
was flown to its new home in Nashville,
TN, by John and Debbie Baugh (EAA
64463, A l e 1180) who wer e totally
amazed at the beautiful landscape they
observed on the way, having previously
made the trip numerous times in the
family P-51 Mustang or T-34! The Cub
has since become a family treasure and
you can see the beautiful detail in the in-
terior and on the engine as the airplane
has been steadily upgraded since pur-
chase. At present, John reports the Cub
is down for a tot al recover, so before
long, we will see a bright and shining
new 1-3 on the line. Meanwhile, John
bought Debbie a Super Cub with electric
start so she can keep up with her many,
many Young Eagle rides involving kids
in the Nashville area.
Stinson 108-1 from 45 years ago!
This handsome young man is Ralph
Mosling (EAA 192429) of Oshkosh, WI, pho-
tographed in 1949 standing by the company
owned Stinson 108-1 Voyager at the Oshkosh
Airport. Hi s father was one of the founder ' s
of Oshkosh Truck Corp. and the Stinson was
used in the business for a number of years .
Note the wooden Sensenich propeller, the mi-
carta radio mast for the low-frequency wire
antenna above the cabin and the fuel caps on
the wings with their forward facing tubul ar
vents. The original factory paint scheme was
overall red with a cream colored stripe. Ralph
says he has many fond memories of flying this
Stinson back in "the good old days." He has
been a longtime volunteer for EAA and is a
strong booster for the organization, especiall y
with hi s many business contacts around the
world.
Jerry Guyer's Luscombe 8A
A really happy and contented owner of Luscombe 8A, N77807, SIN 3534,
is Jerry Guyer (EAA 370085, A /C 20476) of Olathe, Kansas. He purchased
the airplane in June of 1993 and has flown it about 300 hours in the last year
and a half, including trips to Kitty Hawk, NC; Bar Harbor, ME, Warrenton,
VA, and EAA Oshkosh! Cruising along at 100 mph (solo), Jerry is amazed
whenever he stops for fuel - someone always comes up to relate their Lus-
combe story or experi ence. At one stop, a 76-year-old man approached with
a cane and explained how a windstorm flipped his Luscombe. Jerry took him
for a most enjoyable ride and the "oldtimer" just bubbl ed with enthusiasm.
Jerry uses a Valcom 760 for communications, however, navigation is by map
and compass. The aeri al photo was taken as the Luscombe cruised over the
level lands of Kansas. ....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
1959
CESSNA 
by Norm Petersen
1808
10 FEBRUARY 1995
(Top) Pulling in close to the photo plane, we
can see Tony Dockendorf grinning from the
right seat as Howard Bell watches (closely)
from the rear seat as Doug Weiler handles the
controls.
(Above) The 470 cubic inch Continental en-
gine drives a constant-speed Hartzell pro-
peller to provide the excellent performance of
a 180. A farmer friend in Minnesota used to
say about his 180, "When you grab a handful
of throttle, by God - somethin' happens!"
(Left) A happy Doug Weiler poses in front of
his award-winning Cessna 180B, realizing he
has come a long way since his first ride in an
Ercoupe at the tender age of five years.
Way back in 1959, the Cessna Aircraft
Company was busy building small er air-
planes (which they have not done in re-
cent years) and among their substantial
production t hat year were 306 Cessna
180B models powered with a Conti nental
0 -470K engines of 230 hp. A popular air-
plane, especially among utility type users,
the 180B has been reduced over the years
to a remaining 101 aircraft on the FAA
register. Numerous others are located
around the world doing yeoman service.
The register total lists 2933 of all the vari-
ous Cessna 180 models remaining.
One of the 101 is N5128E, SIN 50428,
a 1959 model that is owned by Douglas
Weiler (EAA 68701) of Hudson, WI, who
flew the 180B to EAA Oshkosh '94 with
two passengers who are fellow employees
at Northwest Airlines in Minneapolis.
Neither passenger, Tony Dockendorf
(EAA 452542) nor Howard Bell, had at-
tended an Oshkosh Fly-In before. To say
they were wide-eyed would be the under-
statement of the year!
Doug's beautiful 180B caught the AlC
judges eye during its stay in Oshkosh and
when the shouting was over, the neatly
done airplane had won the Custom Class
II Award in the Contemporary category.
Exciting as it may be, it was not Doug
Weiler's first award at Oshkosh. In 1979,
his Cessna 140A, N5389C, SIN 15522, reg-
istered to Doug and his wife, Jean, ran off
+
~
u
"§.
~
E
~ ~ t                                                                                                                           ~ ~
(Above) Over the fluffy clouds, the Cessna 180B comes into its own as the pas-
sengers keep a close eye on Bruce Moore's photo plane. The tires on Doug' s
plane are 7:00 X 6, 6-ply and the metal hubcaps came from Aircraft Spruce &
Specialty.
(Left) The tapered spring steel landing gear, patented by Steve Wittman, leads
down to the McCauley wheels and powerful disc brakes, a vital necessity in
handling a Cessna 180 on the ground, especially in strong winds.
with the Outs tanding In Type award for
the Cessna 120/140 class.
Doug Wei ler was smitten with the avi-
ation bug when he had his first ride in an
Ercoupe at the age of five. In 1965 he
soloed a 90 hp 7EC Champ and then went
on to earn his Commercial and CFI tick-
ets. A four-year stint in the Air Force was
followed by 12 years as a corporate pilot
in Ohio, flying a Merlin III, a King Air, a
Westwind, a King Air 100 and a Saber-
liner, plus a few more assorted types. All
of this considerable and varied back-
ground earned him a Ground Instructor's
job at Northwest Airlines. In recent
weeks, he was selected by Northwest to go
"on line" and will be flying a Boeing 727
by the time you read this (and a happier
or more excited pilot you will not find,
anywhere!).
On the personal side, Doug has owned
two Vagabonds, two Citabrias, a Cessna
170, a Cessna 140A, a Champ and the
Cessna 180B. His lovely wife, Jean, is also
a pilot and their two boys, Craig, age 12
and Dale, age 10, are showing a notice-
able "aviation bent " just like their par-
ents.
The 180B was purchased in 1985 in
Richmond, VA, where it had served for
many years as an aerial photographer ' s
platform with a special camera hole in the
belly of the aircraft. The photographer
would sit in the baggage compartment and
work the huge aerial camera mounted in
the floor in front of him while the pilot at-
tended his duties from the front seat. Be-
cause of this type of work, the Cessna had
received excellent maintenance over the
many years and had usually been
hangared.
One item the seller agreed to was to
have the Hartzell propeller yellow tagged
before delivery. Doug says this item alone
cost the seller about $2800 before the job
was completed.
A new cowling helped to clean up the
front end of the airplane while inside,
Doug built a new instrument panel to up-
grade the capabilities and also re-wire the
entire panel and electrical system. A new
interior was next on the agenda. When
the old headliner was removed, several
dead mice were found that when ex-
punged, really helped to clean up the odor
in the cabin! Extra soundproofing was
added before the new interior was in-
stalled to quiet the cabin in flight. In ad-
dition, a new back seat was installed, the
photo opening in the belly was covered
over and the interior paint was all redone.
New glass all around helped to brighten
up the cabin and improve visibility over
the old glazing.
Externally, all new bolts were in-
stalled in the tail section and a new Scott
3400 tailwheel was installed to assist the
pilot in severe crosswinds - when he needs
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
(Top) Cruising over the Wis-
consin countrysi de with the
sun illuminating the pretty paint
scheme is Doug Weiler' s award
-winning Cessna 1808, N5128E.
(Left) Custom panel built by
Doug Weiler features a shock-
mounted gyro panel on the left,
engine instruments in the cen-
ter with radios above and t o
the right. A really neat and well
thought out touch are the
small , non-skid strips fastened
on the lower rudder pedals.
+
Patiently waiti ng to go roaring off into the blue sky, the Cessna 1808 cuts a pretty
picture as it sits in the green Wisconsin grass. Many pilots enjoy the "look" of a tail-
dragger as it rests on the ground - ready to go.
12 FEBRUARY 1995
+
all t he help he can get! Shortly after this
work was completed, Doug was flying
one day when he saw t he ammeter peg
itself on the discharge side. The genera-
tor had gone to " melt down" and the
s urge of e lectricity took about $2000
wort h of e lectronics with it. Biting his
upper lip, Doug invested in a new 50-
amp a lternator and started fixing each
item in order. Thankfully, the problem
has never returned.
Eventuall y the old paint job had to go,
so the Cessna was flown to Aero Services
in Springfield, IL, where the award-win-
ning paint scheme was put on with Alumi-
gripTM paint. Doug says he sent about five
pages of instructions along to the shop,
however, the paint job came out perfect in
spite of all his "help."
With a 1035 lb. useful load, the 180B
trucks along at 131 kts. at a setting of 21
inches and 2300 rpm and burning about
11 gph. It is possible to slow down to 115
kts. and with proper leaning, cruise along
at 8 gph which puts maximum range at
nearly e ight hours with 65 gallons on
board. For a family of four, like Doug,
Jean and their two sons, the 180 is the
perfect airplane. It gets off well , hauls a
nice load and is comfortable to fly over
considerable dista nces. Throw in the op-
tions of auto fuel , skis and floats , the 180
becomes a most desirable airplane. And
then to top it off, it wi ll even bring home
a Custom Class II Award in the Contem-
porary bracket. A hearty "Congrat ula-
tions" to Doug and Jean Wei ler of Hud-
son, Wisconsin. ...
Text and photos by H.C. Frautschy
(Top) If you ever wondered what the puffs of smoke looked like as they
left the exhaust stack, here you go! Richard "Bud" Fuchs, of St. Louis,
MO, is a CFI in addition to his airshow work with his 0-175 Staggerwing.
Bud gave a special talk, "Flying the Staggerwing," in addition to his flight
and proficiency checks offered at the Convention.
(Above) An old, antique aviator (aka Bill Allen of San Diego, CAl tried to
gladhand his way into a few more airplane parts from Staggerwing Mu-
seum Foundation president John Parish.
ospitality 
L e 1994 Staggerwing Convention, held in Tulla-
homa, TN, was a wonderful experience for antique
airplane folks who love the Staggerwing and its rel-
atives, the Travel Air and Twin Beech, not to men-
tion their invited guests, the Howards, Twin Bonan-
zas and Spartans. While the weather was not
cooperative during the beginning of the convention,
it cleared nicely for the weekend, and our generous
hosts, the John Parish family, made SUre that all
who were interested were made to feel welcome.
The highlight of the weekend was the dedication
of the new Beech Center, linking the Eddie Ross
Restoration Center with the Thaden Office and Li-
brary as well as the main museum building and the
Olive Ann Beech Chapel.
During the Saturday evening banquet, Margie
Lindemer and the Lindemer family accepted the
1994 Staggerwing Merit Award posthumously for
Lewis "Bud" Lindemer, who was lost to the family
and his fellow Staggerwingers on July 4,1994. Bob
Hoff, last year's recipient presented the award with
honor and kindness. While saddened by their loss,
the Lindemer family was comforted by the thoughts
expressed to them by their fellow Staggerwing en-
thusiasts. Lindy had been selected prior to his death
to receive the Merit award for his outstanding con-
tribution to the Staggerwing Cl ub and the Founda-
tion of his time, talent, resources and especially his
"let's do it" attitude.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
(Above) The new Beech Center at
the Staggerwing Museum in Tulla-
homa, TN honors the memory and
accomplishments of both Olive and
Walter Beech, and it showcases the
restored Staggerwing SIN 1 rescued
from an upstate New York farm field
by the late Steve Pfister.
(Below) SIN 1 as it now rests in the
Beech Center. The inset pictures
show an unusual feature of this Stag-
gerwing, something that production
models didn't have - a split rudder to
act as an air brake. Staggerwing
Museum Foundation president John
Pari sh shows off the rudder in the
deployed position.
14 FEBRUARY 1995
(Above) E.C. " Dub" Yarbrough' s Travel Air frames the
Staggerwing line in front of the Staggerwing Museum.
In the background you can see skydivers as they end
their jumps at the Tullahoma airport. Excellent cooper-
ation by the jumpers and the Staggerwing fly-in meant
there were no traffic conflicts, and the convention
crowd was treated to the sight of multiple jumper for-
mations above the airport as they jumped from a DC-3.
(Continued on page 23)
(Above and left) James and Shirley Bohlander of Marengo, IL flew their
E-17B, SIN 198 to the Staggerwing Convention. They're flying to the
satisfying breakfast put on by EAA Chapter 699 at Winchester, TN.
Jim, a retired airline pilot, was a smooth and attentive formation pilot.
This was the first appearance at a Staggerwing Convention by this par-
ticular Staggerwing.
(Below right) Christine and Paul St. Onge came to the convention in
her bright blue C-17B.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
1930 
THOMPSON TROPHY 
by Frank Warren
The winners: 
#77  Charles  "Speed" Holman  - Laird Solution 
201.9 mph 
#35  James  Hazlip  - Travel Air Mystery  "S" 
199.8 mph 
#37  Ben  Howard - Howard Special  "Ike" 
162.8 mph 
Others in the race: 
#83  Paul Adams - Travel Air Speedwing 
#92  Bvrett  Williams  - Wedell  Williams 
#28  Frank  Hawks  - Travel Air Mystery  "S" 
#27  Capt.  Arthur Page  - modified Curtiss  3 
16 FEBRUARY 1995
1929 
THOMPSON CUP 
by Frank Warren
The winners: 
#31 Doug Davis - Travel Air Model R
194.90 mph
#80 Lt. R. G. Breene - Curtiss XP-3A
186.84 mph
# Roscoe Turner - Lockheed Vega 163.80
mph
Others in the race: 
#210 Lt. II Clark - Curtiss F6C-3
#33 I.M. McConaughey - Travel Air
Bll-D
#71 H.S. Myhres - Simplex
#30 CD. Boyer - Cessna Airmaster
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
LAIRD
"
18 FEBRUARY 1995
by Norm Petersen
(Top) You can almost feel the power im-
pulses of the 450 Pratt as Jimmy brings the
Laird in close to the photo plane. One has
to look close to be absolutely sure it isn' t
"Speed" Holman in the cockpit.
(Above left) This is 1929 all over again!
Note the unusual rudder pedals with the
inboard extensions for wheel brakes. The
pilot slides his foot inward when brakes
are needed and presses on the rudder bar
extension. The button on the right of the
instrument panel is the starter - real class
for 1929!
(Left) The business offices of the sleek
Laird complete with "period" instruments
in the rear cockpit and mahogany instru-
ment panels. Note the tiny door for enter-
ing the two-place front cockpit.
T
he voice on the phone was in-
quisitive, " Where could I find
a ha nga r for a month or two
during EAA Oshkosh?" It was fun
t o talk aga in with a rea l, airpl a ne-
lovin' guy from Californi a. But why
did he need a hangar for so long?
In short order, the exciting answers
came to light - Jimmy Rollison (EAA
181914, A /C 9884) of Vacaville, CA ,
was bringing hi s long awaited Lai rd
"Speedwing," NC4442, SIN 203, to the
big EAA affa ir in Oshkosh! A close
fri end of mine, with a distinct weak-
ness for biplanes, agreed to give up his
hangar for those portions of Jul y and
August necessary to house the Laird
during it s s t ay in Os hkos h , so th e
fri e nd was put in touch with Jimmy
a nd a rr angeme nts wer e comple t ed .
The wait began.
Meanwhile, the stork was making a
second delivery to the Rollison house-
hold in the form of young James Rus-
sell Rollison, named for hi s grandfa-
the r , a nd by introducing a fe w
complica ti o ns (as yo ungs t e r s are
known to do) , he managed to hold up
the Oshkosh de pa rture of the Laird
fo r sever al wee ks. Jimmy's wife,
Mary Ann, was busy with their 4-year-
old daught e r , J ane, a nd their newly
arri ved son, so Jimmy's close fri end,
Ba rry We ll s (EAA 391999, A /C
17765) was elected to the once-in-a-
lifetime treat of fl ying front seat in a
Laird Speedwing from Cali fornia to
Oshkosh.
Early in the morning of July 26, the
Laird was packed full of all the neces-
sary goodi es that two men need for a
ten day tri p a nd the bi g P&W R-985
e ngine was fir ed up. T a keoff
was at 7 a. m. and the twosome,
with Jimmy in the rear cockpi t
and Barry packed in the fr ont
cockpit , a nd every conceivable
s pace a r o und him fill ed with
a bo ut 120 lbs. of stuff, head ed
northeast along Interstate 80 at
160 mph - trul y a unique cruis-
ing speed fo r an open cock-
pit bi pla ne - but th a t 's
what Matty Laird designed into t he
Speedwing.
Most legs were about two hours in
length , as Jimmy says the wind a nd
noise get prett y severe beyond that.
Besides, the "old bod" needs a chance
to stre tch a nd r es t aft e r flying that
long. The airplane is quite stabl e but
a bit heavy on the controls, much like
a n N3N bipl a ne. The front control
stick had been re moved for the trip
(more room for stuff) so Jimmy had to
do all the fl ying from the rear cockpit.
Barry Well s expl ained, "Each stop
would r eall y bring out th e l oca ls !
They wa nt ed t o know wha t kind of
airplane it was, never having seen a
Laird before. Howe ve r , a t Ogde n,
Utah , a n e lde rl y ma n, nea rl y 80,
walked up and immedi ately identified
th e a irpl a ne a nd told a bo ut fl ying
the m many years ago! He o ffe red a
wealth of informa tion o n Laird air-
pl anes and Jimmy a nd I li st e ned in-
te ntly to hi s eve ry wo rd - afr aid we
mi ght mi ss some thing!" Ba rry said
the entire trip felt almost like a " time-
warp" - making a 1929 trip in 1994 -
a n expe ri e nce like he had neve r had
before or since.
The ove rni ght stop was made a t
Cheyenne, WY, where the two travel-
ers a nd their airpl a ne we re made t o
feel completely welcome. The service
was so exception a l, th ey s t o ppe d
overni ght o n th e r e turn tr i p a t th e
same pl ace ! The next morning, they
were off and running earl y with a stop
at Kearney, NE for fuel, foll owing the
"concrete compass" call ed Interstate
80. The next stop was at Olin ( Ol e)
Pas h's beautiful airport at Ha rl a n,
Iowa, easily located by the Re-
publi c F-84 mo unt e d o n a
conc r e t e pyl o n! Aga in ,
they we r e tr e at ed like r oyalt y a nd
made it a point to re me mbe r to stop
for fuel on the return trip.
The final fli ght for day No.2 was
into Madison, WI , where the duo en-
joyed a beautiful welcome and stayed
over to ent er the busy Oshkosh pat -
t e rn earl y the next morning (wi se
move). Needless to say, the arrival in
Oshkosh of the first ever Laird Speed-
wing creat ed quit e a se nsation and
Jimmy Rollison and Barry Wells were
as busy as one-armed paper hangers
trying to answer all the questions that
were offered by the multitudes. Many
inte rvie ws including some (on ca m-
e ra) in front of th.e A ntique/Classic
Red Barn were conducted to learn the
fascinating hi story of a 1929 Laird bi-
pl ane that fl ew for the ver y fi rst time
in February of 1993!
How could this be? It seems that
in the tough times of the earl y 1930's
depression, E. M " Ma tt y" Laird had
built two Speedwing airpl a nes a nd
was we ll int o the thi r d a ir fr a me
whe n the fina nci a l r o pe got too
sho rt a nd he closed hi s Chicago
+
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
(Left) Beautiful view of the famous
"double cowl" designed by Matty
Laird. Note four flying wires and
two landing wires in wing truss, a
sign of a rugged airplane. Aluminum
"javelin" stops wires from vibrating.
(Below) In 1929, a fast airplane re-
quired a large engine and a small
airframe. Please note that the
Speedwing has plenty of both! Very
sanitary engine and prop installation
caught the judges attention.
factory. T he airframe was crated up
a nd s t o r e d fo r a spe ll before be ing
sold for $450 (plus $145 for crati ng) to
Bud Powell in 1940. It passed through
sever al hands before ending up in t he
hands of noted ant iquer J oe Erale on
Long Island, NY. It was at this junc-
ture that Jimmy Rollison's fa ther , Ji m
Rollison, learned of the Speedwi ng's
existe nce and whil e fl ying for TW A,
Jim visit ed J oe Erale a nd purchased
the cr a t es of Speedwin g pa r ts for
$1000 plus a 450 P&W engine for an-
othe r $700. Much to hi s future cha-
grin, Jim declined to purchase another
of Joe's offers: the single pl ace Laird
Solution for $750!
The crates of Speedwing parts were
deli vered to the Rollison household in
Vacav ill e, CA, whe r e the young
Jimmy Rolli son would use the m for
20 FEBRUARY 1995
playing "Jungle Jim" and other kid' s
games. Who would ever suspect that
nearly forty years later, the grown up
Jimmy Rollison would fly to the huge
EAA Oshkosh '94 ga thering in the
same Laird that was packed in the
crates. The road to Oshkosh '94
would prove to be a long one.
Numerous attempts at completing
the Speedwing were started over the
years but often the people doing the
work would run up against the lack of
factory drawings to make the neces-
sary parts to complete the airplane.
One such attempt involved a number
of years of work by noted antiquer,
Forrest Lovley (EAA 19414, A IC
3136), whose shop is located just south
of Minneapolis, near Jordan, MN. On
several occasions, this author was per-
mitted to examine the Laird closely as
it was being worked on in the shop.
The many, many clever details as de-
signed by Matty Laird were evident in
the structure as Forrest carefully ex-
plained the project. To me, it was the
treat of a lifetime that ran shiv-
ers down my spine as I stood
in total awe of Matty Laird's
if it were your own airplane," Dan be-
gan the formidable job.
Using an English wheel to form
many of the compound aluminum
panels and employing a unique grease
gun rig that forces aluminum into the
proper shape, Dan was able to pro-
duce some very nice pieces that helped
to maintain " the look " that Matty
Laird was capable of designing. Re-
me mber that this airplane is a small,
high speed, biplane with a big 450
Pratt e ngine out front to make it go.
A e rodynamic cleanliness is of the
essence.
The " doubl e cowl" was one of
Matty Laird' s ideas that really helped
in the drag department. The first cowl
handl es engine cooling air whil e the
second contains all the accessori es
and oil tank that have bl ast tubes di-
rected to them. All this "stuff" is out
of the slipstream which reduces drag.
In addition, the large, narrow Bendix
wheels with their 12-inch mechanica l
brakes inside produce minimal drag.
nal colors of black and gold (Matty
Laird 's trademark) were done in
DuPont Centari acrylic enamel with a
flex agent added. The interior of the
cockpit s was don e in black leather
sewn by Dan Murray's wife, Linda.
Again, attention to detail is evident
and one really gets a feeling of 1929
when sitting in the airplane.
By February of 1993, the long, long
process of finally completing the Laird
Speed wing had come to pass and Dan
Murray called Jimmy Rolli so n to
come to Santa Paula and get ready for
the first fli ght. As Jimmy says, " It was
quite a day. I felt like a genuine Laird
factory test pilot - which I was! There
were no r ea l probl e ms on that first
flight. The a irpl a ne was nose heavy
and there were little adjustments here
and there that would have to be made,
but they all seeme d insi gnifica nt to
me. I was flying The Laird! All those
years, all the dreams and frustrations,
the memori es of Matty ... . I'll go to
my grave with no other feeling like I
had that day. The fun meter
was really pegged that day."
Dan Murray made the sec-
brainchild . Such impressions
The Laird was started in the early 1930's by
o nd flight in the Laird and
are remembered forever.
the crew in Matty Laird's factory, but
came up with a couple of ideas
Eventually, Jim Rolli son for fine tuning the airplane.
wasn't completed until 1993 ...
decided to sell the Laird pro- Considerable weight was
j ect , and although other av- added to the t ai l to get rid of
enues were open, it was tough the nose heaviness and a llow
to see the airplane in any other
"It was quite a day. I felt like a genuine
three-point landings. Both pi-
hands. The young Jimmy Rol- lot s agreed the airplane was
lison, knowing what the Laird
Laird factory test pilot - which I was!"
blessed with excess power-
meant to his father, went all
out to acqui re the project - and
succeeded! The entire project
was trucked from Minnesota
to California and the next sce-
nario began.
Receiving a phone call one day
from Matty Laird's grandson, Jimmy
was asked if he was interested in some
old airplane blueprints that he had in-
herited. Later that same day, Jimmy
was in Carson City, NV, goi ng over
original factory blueprints that Matty
had drawn years ago, going all the
way back to Wichita. Among the huge
collection of cotton vellums were the
Speedwing drawings - the key to com-
pleting the airplane. Here was the
missing link.
Not too long after this major find,
Jimmie ran into Dan Murray (EAA
199326, AIC 9377) , aircraft rebui lder
from Santa Paula , CA. After some
negotiations, a deal was st ruck for
Dan to fin ish the Speedwing and the
project (en masse) was delivered to
his shop on November 1991. Taking
inventory, D an fo und he had the
wings, tail surfaces, a seat, two I-struts
(both for the same side!), the fuselage
and most of the landing gear. With in-
structions from Jimmy to " restore it as
just add "coal" and climb from
any attitude - it reall y moves
- Jimmy Rollison
out sma rtl y. Getting us ed to
Fort unately, the set of smoot h Uni-
versa l tires to fit the Bendix whee ls
had been purchased years ear li e r
when they were still avai lable. Al-
though the Laird would nor ma ll y
have had a tailskid installed in 1929
(all grass a nd dirt runways), a Scott
3200 tailwheel was installed for use on
hard surface runways and taxiways.
Although the BT-13 engine pur-
chased with the project many years
ago was avai labl e, it was held in re-
serve and another Pratt & Whitney R-
985 was majored and installed in the
airplane. It swings a Hamilton metal
propeller that was rescued from the
office wall of a Ford Motor Co. execu-
tive by a friend of the Rollisons. Ap-
parently it had become surplus when
it was replaced on the nose of a Ford
Tri Motor by a three-bladed prop de-
veloped by Ford under license from
Hamilton.
Being sold on the Blue River Ce-
conite covering process, Dan Murray
covered the e ntire airplane with this
system up through final finish. The fi-
the brakes was a bit unusual as
Matty Laird had designed rud-
der pedals with extensions inboard to
slide your toe upon and push. Once
the all-important "feel" is learned, the
brakes are quite effective. Directional
control is quite outstanding with the
rudder producing directional author-
ity right from the start. Like nearly all
biplanes, the Laird is blind in the
three-point position, but it isn't
twitchy and mean - it tracks straight!
Various trips were made in the
western part of the U.S. before the
long trip to Oshkosh. On a ll occa-
sions, the speedy biplane performed
perfectly and came home with an
award at nearly every fly-in including
Grand Champion at t he 1994 Cactus
Fly-In.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday night at
Oshkosh '94, a s light miscue on the
timing of the awards program had
both Jimmie Rolli son and Barry Wells
absent when the winner of the Out-
standing Open Cockpi t Award for the
Silver Age bracket (1928 - 1932) was
a nnounce d: 1929 Laird LC-RW300,
NC4442, Jimmy Rollison, Vacavill e,
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
CA. However, all was not lost as the
beautiful Lindy trophy was soon de-
live re d to Jimmy for it s pr esti gious
ride home in a genuine Laird Speed-
wing.
Leaving Oshkosh on Wedn esday
mo rning with a ll t he ir necess iti es
tucked int o the streamlined airframe,
the dynamic duo of Rolli son and Wells
headed the speedy biplane southwest
from Oshkosh, picked up Interst ate 80
and headed west wit h the first stop at
O le Pas h 's H a ri a n, I owa a irport.
Fr o m t he r e , the wes tbou nd fli ght
stopped at Lexington, NE for fue l be-
fore headi ng int o Cheyenne, WY for
an welcome overnight stop.
Feeling a ce rt ain kinship wit h and
reve re nce for " Speed " Holma n a nd
Jimmy Doolittl e, bot h forme r La ird
A happy f amily by their pride and joy. Jimmy and Mary Ann Roll ison with their three-
year -old daughter, Jane, pose by the family chariot, the Laird Speedwing, NC4442,
SIN 203.
22 FEBRUARY 1995
r acing pilot s, it was easy for Jimmy
and Ba rry to unde rst a nd how these
forme r gr eats could like such an air-
pl ane. Matty Laird's genius was easy
to unde rstand as they sped west t o-
wards the setting sun. By evening, the
La ird was back in its ha ngar a t Nut
Tree Airport , Vacavill e, CA, and two
ve ry tir e d ( but ha ppy) pil o t s we r e
glad to be home.
The trip to Oshkosh had taken 12
hours and thirty minutes and the trip
ho me r e quire d thirt ee n hou rs with
nary a mi ss of any kind from the Pratt
& Whitney engine. And the fa bul ous
pe opl e they ha d me t a long the way
made the e ntire t r ip a n exciting ad-
ve nture - r eserved for the ve ry, very
few who had exper ie nce d the vibra-
ti ons of a Laird Speed wing.
Jimmy Rollison has fl own the air-
pl a ne a bo ut 160 h o ur s t o da t e a nd
looks forward to many more hours of
pure j oy with the Speedwin g. Hi s
good fri end, Barry We ll s, has just fin-
is hed a 1943 Lockheed " Lodestar",
N6166, whi ch used to belong to actor
Car y Grant. With its bi g Wr ight R-
1820 engines of 1350 hp each, you will
know when it arrives at EAA Oshkosh
' 95.
Have you eve r no ti ced how this
bus in ess ge t s mo r e excit i ng every
'* year?
STAGGBKWING
(Continued from page 15)
(Above) The Travel Air Mystery Ship, NR 1313,
is currently under restoration as resources per-
mit - here, you can see the right wing and prop
prior to their restoration.
(Left) Jim Gorman and Dub Yarbrough look on
as Robert Parish accepts the 1994 Staggerwing
"Young Eagle" award from Ron Morrison, who
was last year's winner.
(Below) Among other invited guests of the
Staggerwing Museum Foundation during the
Convention are Howard aircraft. This Howard
DGA-15P is owned and flown by Clayton Graves
of Santa Paula, California.
(Above) The Staggerwing Museum in Tulla-
homa, TN is full of interesting artifacts, includ-
ing numerous t ools used to build Staggerwings.
These are some of the tools built and used by
Eldon " Bud" Penny who among other tasks,
spliced the cables on the first 10 Staggerwings.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
(Above) Ron and Mark Morrison pilot the family's F-17D Stagger-
wing. First restored by their late father Bill, the airplane was al-
most completely destroyed in a hangar fire. The Morrisons then re-
stored the airplane in Bill 's honor.
(Left) Mary Lynn Beech Oliver, Jennifer Oliver Matson and Suzanne
Beech Warner were on hand to attend the dedication of the new
Beech Center at the Staggerwing Museum. Jennifer, one of Olive's
grandchildren, and Mattie Schultz (not shown), the Museum Foun-
dation's executive Director, cut the ribbon to formally dedicate the
Center. Mary Lynn and Suzanne are Olive Ann Beech's daughters.
The Staggen.uing Convention is open to all who enjoy the Staggerwing. To attend the Convention, Staggerwing Museum
Foundation membership is required. Dues are $30 per year, and if you are passing anywhere close by, you owe yourself a
visit to this world class facility. The mailing address is: StaggerwingMuseum Foundation, P.O. Box 550, Tullahoma, TN
37388. For directions or more information, you can call them at 615/455-1974. ....
24 FEBRUARY 1995
ysteryPane
side view of this aircraft equipped
with a tail wheel and front landing
gear. Where or when the picture was
taken we do not know."
John Underwood, Glendale, CA
adds:
"It's the Schroeder-Wentworth
Mercury SWM, built by Mercury Air-
craft at Hammonsport, NY for the
1929 Guggenheim Safe Airplane
Competition, in its original form. The
central undercarriage and outriggers
were replaced after taxi trials with a
more conventional straight-axle land-
ing gear. This was a big airplane, the
largest of all the entries, with a span of
This moth's Mystery Plane should be
a comparatively easy one. The license
number is a give away! But there must
be more interesting information on it,
such as how many were built, etc. An-
swers will be published in the May 1995
issue of VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Dead-
line for that issue is March 25, 1995.
The November Mystery Plane was a
mystery to many - only a few answers
were recieved. J.F. Mead, Jr., Chairman
of the Board, Mercury Aircraft, Inc.,
Hammondsport, NY writes:
"The airplane is the Schroeder-
Wentworth safety ship designed by
Major "Shorty" Schroeder to compete
in the Guggenheim Trophy Event in
1929 and built by the Aerial Service
Corporation of Hammondsport, New
York. Note the unusual center fuse-
lage landing wheel and large variable
wing camber in the side view picture.
"I have been told this aircraft was
successfully tested in Hammondsport;
dismantled and shipped to Roosevelt
Field, Long Island, where it was dam-
by George Hardie
aged and withdrawn from competi-
tion. I do not know what happened to
the aircraft as it was never returned to
Hammondsport. Page 8 of the Octo-
ber 1992 Vintage Airplane shows a
57 feet and 480 square feet of wing
area. It was 30 feet in length and had
a 150 hp Comet.
"Unique features were the full-
span variable camber capability, hy-
draulically articulated, and
Schroeder's automatic, two-position
propeller. Harvey Mummert had a
hand in its conception and supervised
its construction. Unfortunately, there
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
was no time for test ing and the SWM
was trucked to Mitchel Field, Long Is-
land, to meet the deadli ne.
" Schroede r took it up for a test
hop on 21 November 1929 to try the
variable camber and ai leron control,
got into a spiral at 300 feet and nearly
augered into the base hospital. T he
fact t hat he was not injured spoke
we ll for the craft's struct u ra l in-
tegrity. Howeve r , the SWM was
damaged beyond repair and o ut of
the running.
" R.W. "Shorty" Schroeder was an
Early Bird (1910) and noted test pi lot,
bot h in and out of the military. He is
perhaps best remembered for his high
flying (1919) and pylon turns in the
first Ford Trimotor at t he National
Air Races. "
Other answers were received from
Charl ey Hayes, New Lenox, IL and
Robert Wynne, Mercer Island, WA.
(Above and left) These two
views of the Schroeder-Went-
worth safety ship show the full
span variable camber wing.
Unfortunately, the variable
geometry wing did not prove
to be successful in this case,
as R.W. " Shorty" Schroeder
spiraled in from 300 feet at
Mitchel Field, Long Island, NY
just before the trials were to
begin for the Guggenheim Safe
Airplane Competition.
(Right) The Schroeder -Wentworth
saf ety ship in its original configura-
t i on, including outri gger style landing
gear and 150 hp Comet engine.
26 FEBRUARY 1995
   

-.;." \,/u')    
• . l(.,
r.,J •

PASS
dfo,
B UCK
by Buck Hilbert • EAA #21 • Ale #5 • P.O. Box 424 • Union, IL 60180
Dear Buck,
I'm writing to you since I often read
your column in Vintage Airplane and
know you are receptive to correspond-
ing with "wannabee" restorers like
me. I am a 400+ hour pilot, presently
grounded since I moved to Toledo and
sold my share in a P A28-R200 and
have kids in college. I want an air-
plane so bad I can taste it, but I can't
afford much right now.
I've been toying with the idea of
restoring a nice old short wing Piper
or similar, but i don't have an A&P li-
cense, and I'm befuddled by all the
FAA rules about "lay" people work-
ing on certified airplanes. I am me-
chanically inclined, love working on
machinery of all types, have an engi-
neering degree (and career), and know
I could do justice to an aircraft restora-
tion project. I just don't know how to
get around all the restrictions and road
blocks set up by the government.
I suspect that other folks have ac-
complished beautiful aircraft restora-
tions without being government certi-
fied. My question is - How? Do I
need to develop a friendship with an
AI somewhere (don't know any
around here yet) in order to do the
work myself? Do I need to hire an AI
to inspect my work at various steps in
the process? If so, how are these steps
defined?
As you can tell, I'm totally ignorant
of the requirements for a commoner
to do a restoration job. If there is a
way around all the red tape, I don ' t
know about it. Can you help me un-
derstand in plain language what I need
to do to get a legal restoration com-
pleted.
Thanks for any response. SSAE
enclosed.
Sincerely,
Daniel J. Shoop
Maumee, OH
Hi Dan,
Happy New Year! Didn't mean to de-
lay this reply, but the holidays and all ...
There is no reason you couldn't do a
restoration on an antique or classic air-
plane. Others have done it, and you can
too.
Don't be too concerned with the go v-
Dean and Jean Thomas, Liberty, SC sent along this photo and a "birth announcement" detailing the arrival of their "new" 1955
Champion 7EC, N29246, SIN 334. It has the standard Continental C-90 engine, and boasts a useful load of 570 Ibs. Congratula-
tions on your new arrival!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
ernment. If you are abl e to ge t ac-
quainted through your local EAA Chap-
ter or from the local scene somewhere,
with a friendly A&P or an fA, then you
can work under their supervision. Get
yourself a copy of Adv isory Circular
AC43. 13 (Acceptabl e Methods, Tech-
niques, and Practices - Aircraft Inspec-
tion and Repair) from the FAA and use
that as a guide when you have a ques-
tion. Also, many of the manufacturers
such as Poly Fiber and Cooper publish
information/how-to booklet s that are
free for the asking. And don' t forget the
excellent videos that EAA produces -
the Welding, Covering with Ray Stit s
and others are all a bonanza of informa-
tion on how all of these processes work
(See page 32 for ordering information) .
The A&P or IA need only make an occa-
sional inspection as you progress or be
there if you have a problem or question.
I know there must be some more peo-
ple in the Tol edo, OH area, I don' t have
an up-to-date Chapter Directory, but if
you call the EAA Chapter Office up in
Oshkosh, 414/ 426-4876, they'll give you
the location of the nearest EAA or A/C
Chapter, along with a local contact.
Over to you,
Buck
Certainly there must be many others
out there like Dan who want to rebuild
and airplane, and ha e the talent do so,
but lack the guidance to get started. f
sent the address of a mechanic I know
in the general region to Dan, but for
many others out there in a similar situ-
ation, you may wish to try this in addi-
tion to the EAA Chapter route. If you
know what type of airplane you're in-
terested in, ie. a fabric co ered tai/-
dragger, or if you want something co -
ered with sheet metal, ask around at
your local airport - odd are there are
one or two A &P's in your area who
ha e become known as "old airplane"
mechanics. You 'll want someone fa-
miliar with the typ e of airplane you
want to rebuild - these days, A&P's are
not taught ery much about steel tube,
fabric co ered airplanes, so there are
fe wer around who kno w the typ e.
Once you find out who they are, you
may wish to approach them about your
project. The worst they can say is no,
right?
Dear Buck,
While in the process of acquiring an
Aeronca C-3 Master, the lack of relia-
bility of the magneto on the E-113 en-
gine was mentioned.
Len Tanner mentioned that you
had an STC to modify the mag to make
it more re liable. I would most appre-
ciate any information regarding your
modification.
Thanks,
Jim McCord
Lansdale, P A
Happy New Year Jim!
I don ' t know whether to congratulate
you or ki ck you, everybody knows that
Aeronca C-3s are worthless! Hah! If we
can keep them believing that we can have
them all to ourselves!
I am enclosing the Dan Kindel Conver-
New Members 
Ken Godsell Belmond, lA
Charl es Grauer Wilson, KS
Bill y Dan Greeson Winchester, TN
Larry Greiner Bell eville, IL
Judy Haight Madison, WI
George W. Hamm Jefferson, MD
Gregg Hart Eden Prairie, MN
Arthur W. Heilmer Bloomington, MN
Leroy V. Hendricks Larned. KS
William C. Hoffman Somerset, PA
Marvis T. Hogen Kadoka, SO
Harry Hough Anchorage, AK
Frank E. Howard Macon, GA
Fred Huey Tyrone, GA
John W. Hughes Houston, TX
Donald W. Hull Baton Rouge, LA
G. Roland Jenson
Outl ook, Saskatchewan, Canada
Harry W. Jones Centervill e, IN
Marvin K. J ordan Rensselaer, IN
James R. Kale Enterpri se, AL
Leroy J. Keilman Billings, MT
Duane Kennedy Vancouver, WA
J. P. King Gadsden, AL
Willi am A. Aaberg Stought on, WI Craig Craft Aberdeen, MS James R. Kn ight Bismarck, NO
Gary S. All en Las Vegas, NV Wilbur D. Crawford Kansas Cit y, MO Scott A. Liefeld Palmdale, CA
James C. Anderson Dunbar, WV Robert W. Davenport Vero Beach, FL Willi am H. Lightstone Dall as, TX
Ed Auker Hardi n, MT Irl Davis Gig Harbor, W A
W. H. Lowther Lynn, MA
Chris R. Austin Palm Coast, FL Gerard J. Dederi ch Wadsworth, I L Brooks Marqoli en Stow, MA
W. Douglas Auxi er Batavia, OH Joel Di xon Beverl y, OH Norman L. Massey Middleborough, MA
David A. Baird Salt Lake City, UT Philip M. Dodderidge Bluemont , VA Norbert Ma urer Cincinnati ,OH
P. W. Benecke Hong Kong Dal Donner Arlington, TX Ri chard McDonald Subtle, KY
Greg Bordelon Houston, TX Michael Dubin San Luis Obispo, CA Wayne McLaughlin Ft Worth, TX
Donn T. Borden Wellington, NV Eric F. Dyck Chill iwack, B.C. , Canada Ri chard McLean Canyon Lake, TX
Joseph W. Braswell Oakwood, GA Earl Eberl y Portland, OR Ri chard L. Merkley Weyauwega, WI
Gerald R. Brown Aurora, NE L. Bea r Ebert Fayetteville, GA Joseph N. Miller Pocono Pines, PA
Larry Buck Rural Retreat, V A John E. Eichman Fort Wayne, IN Michael H. Misinco Macon, GA
Phillip G. Burgess Fairfield, PA Sal Fall avollita Miami , FL Alan Douglas Moler Wichita, KS
Scott L. Burnett Wightwood, CA Randy Flagg St rong, ME Mary C. Morong Spring, TX
Carl E. Carr Rockfo rd, OH Dan K. Fl ahert y Granite City, IL Stephen M. Murphy
Heather Casey Sherwood, AR Ronald E. France Brighton, MI Tull amarine, Victori a, Australi a
Cary D. Conklin Scoti a, NY Paolo Gaggioli Grosseto, Italy Patricia A. Moyer Yamhill , OR
Dennis L. Cot a Hains City, FL Igor Gamarra Buena Park, CA
Jerry Nelson Hillsboro, OR
28 JANUARY 1995
sion that I have been running on my C-
3(s) for over thirty years. In all that time
I have never had an ignition problem nor
has anyone else that made the conversion.
The only one that we so far as to sub-
mit a 337 on the installation was John
Kuranz and I have included a copy for
your perusal. John did not get an STC
but a field approval for the entire airplane
which included this modification as well
as several others such as brakes and a tail-
wheel. He has been flying the airplane for
abou t twelve years and again has had no
problems.
If you have trouble finding a magneto
and the impulse, I may be able to help
you. Meanwhile I, we, would appreciate
info and pictures of your project so that
we can maybe put you in Vintage Air-
plane. H.G. and I are always interested
and so are our Antique/Classic members
in what a guy does with his airplanes.
Over to you Jim,
------------
Fly-In
Calendar
The following list of coming events is furnished to our readers as a matter of ill formation
only alld does not COllstitllle approval, sponsorship, involvemellt, cOlltrol or direction of
any evellt (/1y-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed Please send the information to EAA, 
Att: Golda Cox, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Informatioll should be
receivedfour momhs prior to the evellt date.
FEB. 18  - MINNEAPOLIS, MN  - 1995 
APRIL 29  - LEVELLAND, TX - EAA 
Minnesota  Sport  Aviation  Conference. 
Chapter 19  Fly-In Breakfast.  8061797-1900.
612/296-8202.  APRIL 29·30 - GRIFFIN, GA - Alexan-
FEB. 25-26 - RIVERSIDE, CA - EAA 
der  Aeroplane ' s  Builders '  Workshop.  1-
Chapter 1 Open House. 909/686-1318. 
800/831-2949. 
FEB.  18-19  - NASHVILLE,  TN  - APRIL 30  - CUMBERLAND,  MD  -
Alexander Aeroplane's Builders'  Workshop. 
EAA Chapter 426 Fly-In  Breakfast.  3011777-
1-800/831-2949.  2951. 
FEB. 25-26 - RIVERSIDE, CA - EAA  APRIL 30  - HALF MOON  BAY,  CA  -
Chapter 1 Open House.  909/686-1318. 
Pacific  Coast  Dream  Machines  Fly-In. 
FEB.  26  - WARROAD ,  MN  - Lions 
415/726-2328. 
Skiplane Fly-In  Breakfast.  218/386-1818. 
MAY 5-7 - WOODLAND , CA  - First 
MARCH 3·5 - CASA GRANDE, AZ-
Annual  Gt.  Valley Fly-In.  916/666-1751 , 
37th Annual  Cactus Fly-In.  602/641-7467 
FAX 916/666-7071. 
MARCH 4 - ROCHESTER, WI  - 3rd 
MAY 6-7  - CLEVELAND, OH - 11 nd 
Annual  Midwest  Constructors  Confer-
Annual  Air Racing  History Symposium. 
ence/Open  House.  American  Champion 
216/255-8100. 
Aircraft  Factory.  1-800/323-0611. 
MA Y 6·7 - GEORGETOWN, TX - 9th 
MARCH 3-5 - CAS A  GRANDE, AZ-
Annual Fly-In/ Airshow.  512/869-1759. 
37th  Annual  Cactus Fly- In.  602/641-7467. 
MAY 7 - Rockford, IL - EAA Chapter 
MARCH 11 - PUNTA  GORDA,  FL-
22  annual  fly-in  breakfast at Mark  Clark's 
EAA Chapter 565 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In. 
Courtesy Aircraft , Greater Rockford Air-
813/575-6360. 
port.  Wallace Hunt 815/332-4708. 
MARCH 11-12 - FT.  PIERCE, FL - 7th 
MA Y 13  - PUNTA GORDA, FL - EAA 
Annual  Delight of Flight Airshow/Fly- In . 
Chapter 565  Pancake  Breakfast Fly-In. 
407/461-0346. 
813/575-6360. 
MARCH 11·12 - SAN ANTONIO, TX -
MA Y 13 - VIDALIA,  LA  - EAA Chap-
Alexander Aeroplane's Builders' Workshop. 
ter 912 Spring Picnic/ Banquet.  Rain  date 
1-800/831-2949. 
5/20.  3181757-2103. 
MARCH 16-18 - 1995  Women in  Avia-
MAY 13 - TOCCOA, GA - EAA Chap-
tion Conference.  618/337-7575.  ter 1011  Parade of Planes.  Fax 7061779-2302.
MARCH  18·19  - DALLAS,  TX  -
MAY 19-21- PAULS  VALLEY, OK-
Alexander Aeroplane's Builders' Workshop. 
Antique Airplane  Fly-in.  Contact  Dick 
1-800/831-2949.  Fournier  405/258-1129  or  Bob  Kruse 
MARCH  21-26  - AVALON,  AUS-
405/691-6940. 
TRALIA  - AirShow  DownUnder  ' 95. 
MA Y 20 - DAYTON, OH  - Chapter 325 
602/314-0290.  EAA Day/U.S.  Air Force  Museum.  216/382-
APRIL 1  - TUSKEGEE,  AL  - EAA 
0781. 
Chapter 998  3rd  Annual  Spring  Fly-In. 
MA Y  20  - CRESTVIEW,  FL  - EAA 
2051749-0987.
Chapter 108 Pancake Breakfast.  904/862-
APRIL 8 - PUNTA GORDA, FL - EAA  2673. 
Chapter 565  Pancake  Breakfast  Fly-ln. 
MA Y 20  - DAYTON, OH - EAA Chap-
813/575-6360.  ter 325.  EAA day at the  U.S.  Air Force  Mu-
APRIL 8 - WINNSBORO,  LA  - EAA 
seum.  216/382-0781. 
Chapter 836 Catfish  Festival Fly- In .  318/435- JULY 27 - AUGUST 2 - OSHKOSH, 
4711.  WI  - 43rd Annual  EAA  Fly-In and Sport 
APRIL 9-15 - LAKELAND,  FL - 21st  Aviation Convention.  Wittman  Regional 
Annual Sun ' n Fun  EAA  Fly-In  and  Con- Airport.  Contact John  Burton, EAA , P.O. 
vention.  813/644-2431.  Box  3086,  Oshkosh, WI  54903-3086, 414/426-
APRIL 22·23 - SPRINGFIELD, IL - 2nd 
4800. 
Annual  Charlie  Wells  Memorial  Fly- JULY 14-16 - RED  LAKE, ONTARIO, 
In/Drive-I n.  217/483-3201.  CANADA - Diamond Jubilee Norseman 
APRIL 29 - OPELOUSAS, LA  - EAA  Floatplane  Festival.  Events for  both  pilots 
Chapter 529  Fly-In.  Rain date 5/6.  318/942- and pedestrians.  Contact the Norseman Fes-
2254.  tival  Committee at 8071727-2809.
Chester M. Owenby 
Vincent Page 
George Pascal 
Paul J.  Patterson 
Auburn  D.  Pearman 
John M.  Pinson 
Lynn  R. Pinson 
Arden, NC 
Katy, TX 
Louisville,  KY 
Pittsburgh, PA 
Tupelo, MS 
Harker Heights, TX 
Tipton, OK 
Dave Puckrin  St.  Albert, Alberta, Canada 
Thomas Pue 
Eric Rappaport 
Mark Robertson 
H.  J.  Robinson 
Mark  Robinson 
Arnold Roosa 
Edward H.  Rosen 
Robere Salmons 
Ronald L. Sass 
Craig Saxton 
Marius Schreiber 
E.  R. Sessoms 
Oscar M. Smith 
Ed Snell 
Richard Spiegel 
George W.  Sprankle 
Phillip W. Stewart 
Roland Stone 
Harry B.  Sutton 
Robson  Sweney 
Giambattista Tarditi 
Buck Taylor 
Russell  B. Thompson 
Mike Torbett 
Kent Travis 
Melvin T. Treider 
David Warner 
Jim Wasson 
Clare D.  Weidman 
John F.  Wendel 
Sammie L. White 
Garry Williams 
Lauren M.  Williams 
Marshfield, WI 
Cary, NC 
5eosauqua, IA 
Veradale, WA 
Layton, UT 
West Chicago,  IL 
Groton, CT 
Berkeley, CA 
Overland, MO 
Alamo, CA 
Moelin, Switzerland 
Hartsville, SC 
Rome,GA 
Tucson, AZ 
Chicago, IL 
Cypress, TX 
Highland, CA 
Silver City, NM 
Brownsburg, IN 
Cincinnati,OH 
Genoa, Italy 
Eastsound, W A 
Uniontown,OH 
Kingwood, TX 
Portland, OR 
Arlington, TX 
Fort Pierce, FL 
Oregon City, OR 
Eagle  Rock, V A 
Lakeland, FL 
Repton, AL 
New Windsor, NY 
Petaluma, CA 
WELCOME! 
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
Fly high with a 
quality Classic interior 
Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation. 
Custom quality at economical prices.
• Cushion upholstery sets
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• Recover envelopes and dopes
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Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and
slyles of materials: $3.00.
INC. 
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__  EROPLANE COMPANY,  INC. 
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30 FEBRUARY 1995
When  it  goes on display  again,  the Spruce Goose
will  be  sporting  tough  new  fabric  control  surfaces  by 
Poly-Fiber.  The  AirVenture  Museum  people  want 
them  to  last...  and  Poly-Fiber  will . On  the  Goose, 
and on your airplane,  too.  Watch for announcements 
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Other Stuff:  909-684-4280 
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Riverside,  California 92519  Aircra.ft  ....gs 
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EAAVideos in PAL European Format 

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to ALL 
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Send Cheques/Postal Orders Catalogue and 
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or
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rr8FASTERBYFAX
MOVING?
IS THERE A  NEW LOCATION 
IN  YOUR IMMEDIATE FUTURE? 
Be sure that your membership ... and 
Vintage Airplane ... follows you. Let us know 
at least two months in advance of your move. 
Send your change of address (include membership number) 
to:  VINTAGE AIRPLANE 
P.O.  Box 3086 
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or call1-S00-S43-3612 
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35 per word, $5,00 minimum charge. Send your ad to 
The Vintage Trader, EM Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oahkoah, WI  54903-3086 
Payment muat accompany ad. VISAIMaaterCard accepted. 
MISCELLANEOUS: 
SUPER CUB PA·18 FUSELAGES - New manufacture, STC-PMA-
d, 4130 chrome-moly tubing throughout, also complete fuselage re-
pair. ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC. (J. E. Soares, Pres.), 7093 
Dry Creek Rd.,  Belgrade, Montana 59714. 406-388-6069. FAX 406/ 
388-0170.  Repair station  No. QK5R148N. 
(NEW)  This  &That  about the  Ercoupe,  $14.00.  Fly-About  Adven-
tures  & the  Ercoupe,  $17.95.  Both  books, $25.00.  Fly-About,  P.O. 
Box 51144,  Denton, Texas 76206. (ufn) 
Sitka Spruce  Lumber - Oshkosh  Home  Bldg.  Ctr,  Inc.  414/235-
0990. Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  (c-6/95) 
CURTISS  JENNY  MEMORABILIA - You  can  now own  memora-
bilia from  the  famous "JENNY" which  has starred  in  TREASURES 
FROM THE PAST, as well as the EAA videos, YOUNG EAGLES and 
IT'S GOTTA BE A JENNY. We have posters, post card, pins, T-shirts, 
airmail cachets,  etc. We  also have  RIC  documentation exclusive to 
this historic aircraft. Sales of these items support operating expenses 
to  keep  this  "JENNY" flying  for  the  aviation  public.  We  appreciate 
your help. SASE for your free price list. Ken Hyde, 7099 Glenn Curtiss 
Lane, Warrenton, VA  22186. (12-2) 
Rare  Propeller Hub - 15  spline,  2-3/8  inch  10,  3-3/4-inch  00, 8 
hole, 6-5/8 inch dia. bolt pattern, 6-inch prop. 708/985-9074. (2-4) 
Ultralight Aircraft - One  year  old  in  April  1995 and our monthly 
publication is still  growing. Buy,  sell trade,  kit built,  fixed  wing,  pow-
ered  parachutes,  rotor, sailplanes,  trikes,  balloons  and  more. Sto-
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FREE  CATALOG  - Aviation  books  and  videos.  How  to,  building 
and restoration tips,  historic, flying and entertainment titles. Call  for 
a free catalog,  1-800-843-3612. 
Wheel Pants - The most accurate replica wheel pants for antique 
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