Vintage Airplane - Feb 2007

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GEOFF ROBISON
PRES IDENT, VI NTAGE AI RC RAFT ASSOCIATION

Harold's Monocoupe
pled with Doug Stewart's ex­
The Neumann Mono­
cellent piece in the January
coupe lives! Well, at least half
Vintage Airplane regarding the
of it does. The wing is now
Cory
Lidle tragedy in down­
complete and ready for silver.
town
Manhattan, New York,
What a magnificent struc­
has
generated
some excellent
ture! This large one-piece
dialogue
from
the member­
wing is a remarkable design.
ship. I have recently read at
By appearance alone it ex­
least a dozen articles in a va­
udes strength. The design,
riety of aviation publications
basic in keeping with the en­
on this tragiC incident, and I
gineering of the era, appears
have to say Doug really said
beefy and uncompromising.
it best. This tragedy will re­
When I admired the struc­
sult in yet another black eye
ture up close, I asked myself,
"What would it take to test it The proud fathers of the rebirth of the Little Mulligan wing on the face of general avia­
to the pOint of failure?" My are pictured here with the finished result. From left to right tion. The only question left
secondary thoughts were, "I are Steve Farringer (The Iron Man), Drew Hoffman (Mr. De· unanswered is, "How bad will
don't want to be in the air­ tam , Meredith Whillock (The Energizer Bunny), yours truly, the bruise be?" Many thanks
plane when that attempt is Geoff Robison, and our faithful project leader, Phil Riter. Not to everyone who responded
made, even with a parachute!/I pictured is Kent Smith, who was unable to make this most regarding these concerns. I
I prefer the appearance of my recent trip. Many thanks to you all for the dedication and absolutely agree with every­
eyeballs just as they are, with­ perseverance a project of this magnitude requires. Anyone one's position on these dis­
out all those large red veins who may be inclined to share any Harold Neumann expe· concerting issues. We need
running through them, thank riences with us, please contact our editor, H.G. Frautschy. to always be alert, be pro­
you very much!
We know Harold was an interesting individual, but any addi­ feSSional, be smart, and be
trained. If we can all accom­
You may recall that we tional insight into the man's character is always welcome.
brought the fuselage of Har­
plish these goals, then maybe
old Neumann's Little Mulligan to north­ significant number of leftover pieces at least the swelling on that black eye
eastern Indiana in early 2006. The next lying around the hangar when we fin­ can be alleviated.
Remember, now is the time to begin
step now is to tackle the instrument ish. So, that's the phase of this restora­
panel, which is a monstrous undertak­ tion we find ourselves in at this time. planning your journey to EAA AirVen­
ing. In an attempt to be smart about The current goal is to have the fuselage ture. We promise you an experience
this segment of the project, we have covered in time for EAA AirVenture unmatched anywhere else in aviation.
all agreed that the project leader (as Oshkosh 2007. I know, that's a pretty
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2007­
well as our resident airframe and pow­ aggressive goal, but it really boils down The World's Greatest Aviation Celebra­
erplant mechanic), Phil Riter, will ac­ to how busy we get with the non-avia­ tion-comingJuly 23-29, 2007.
complish this task solo. You know how tion side of our daily lives.
VAA is about participation: Be a
We will hope for the best, and member! Be a volunteer! Be there!
it is with two or more guys working on
anything, let alone an airplane. When time will te ll how well we meet our
Let's all pull in the same direction
for the good of aviation. Remember,
it comes time to put it all back to­ July goa ls.
gether, memories will still playa large
we are better together. Join us and have
role in a successful result. Regardless of
My recent remarks about our respon­
how many sketches you make or pho­ sibilities of safely operating our flying ,,"II
tos you take, we hope to not have any machines in challenging airspace, cou­

A~

TAG

RPLANE
VOL. 35, No.2

FEBRUA R Y


2007

CONTENTS
I Fe

Straight & Level
Harold's Monocoupe
by Geoff Robison

2

News

4

Aeromail

5

Restoration Corner

Fabrics and Finishes

and the Installation Thereof-Part 2

by W.D. "Dip" Davis


8

A Radial-Powered Beauty­

Fred Lundeen's First Airplane

EAA AirVenture's 2006 Antique

Reserve Grand Champion

by Sparky Barnes Sargent


16

Bendix Model 52

A promising postwar design

by Mark Savage


22

The Tulsa Regional Fly-In

A golden anniversary celebration

of sport aviation

by Sparky Barnes Sargent


28

The Vintage Instructor

Distractions

by Doug Stewart


30

The "Thing"
The things we did when we were young
by Ev Cassagneres

34

Mystery Plane
by H.G. Frautschy

38

Calendar

40

Classified Ads

COVERS
FRONT COVER: The Howard DGA-15P has long been one of the most sought after of the aircraft
built prior to World War II. Fred Lundeen restored this brightly colored example. with the help of avia­
tion artisans John Miller. Dick Smith , Ken Miller, and Alyn Swedberg, among others. It was selected
as the Reserve Grand Champion Antique at EM AirVenture Oshkosh 2006. For more on this mas­
sive aircraft's restoration, see the story starting on page 8. Photo by Sparky Barnes Sargent.

BACK COVER: The Spartan 7W Executive first flew on February 15, 1937, and in honor of the
Executive's 70th birthday, we present this full-color advertisement from the pages of the July
1940 issue of Aero Digest.

STAFF

EAA Publisher
Executive Director/Editor
Administrative Assistant
Managing Editor
News Editor
Photography

Tom Poberezny
H.G. Frautschy

Jennifer Lehl

Kathleen Witman

Ric Reynolds

Jim Koepnick

Bonnie Kratz
Advertising Coordinator
Sue Anderson
Classified Ad Coordinator
Daphene VanHullum
Copy Editor
Colleen Walsh
Director of Advertising
Katrina Bradshaw
Display Advertising Representatives:
Northeast: Allen Murray
Phone 856-220-7180, FAX 856-229-7258, e·mail: [email protected]
Southeast: Chester Baumgartner
Phone 727-532-4640, FAX 727-532-4630, e-mail: cballmlll!!!'milldsprillg.com
Central: Todd Reese
Phone 800·444-9932, FAX 816-74 1-6458, e-mail: [email protected]
Mountain & Pacific: John Gibson
Phone 916-784-9593, e-mail: jo}mgibsoll@".!spc-mag.com

Europe: Willi Tacke
Phone +498969340213, FAX +498969340214, e-mail: willi@(lyillg·page5.com

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

EAA Comments Express
Concern About ATl
Class B Airspace Change
EAA's Industry and Regulatory Af­
fairs department expressed concern
about the way the FAA implemented a
change to the Atlanta Class B airspace
in October in comments submitted to
the agency in December. EAA's con­
cern rests not only with the fact that
the FAA excluded the general aviation
industry and associations in the pro­
cess of writing the notice of proposed
rulemaking (NPRM), but also that its
reason for doing so was to "prevent
significant air traffic delays in the Na­
tional Airspace System (NAS)."
"By excluding all other airspace us­
ers, the FAA disregarded its own guide­
lines for input by those who will be
affected by rule changes," said Randy
Hansen, EAA government relations
director. "EAA welcomes open, good­
faith discussion of issues, but unfor­
tunately, situations such as what we
see in Atlanta are a step backward."

Changes Announced at
Three EAA Regional Fly-Ins
Three of EAA's regional fly-ins re­
cently announced changes for their
upcoming events that are not re­
flected on the 2007 EAA World of
Flight calendar.
The Golden West Fly-In is now
scheduled to take place June 29-July
1 at the Yuba County Airport (MYV),
Marysville, California. For more infor­
mation visit www.GoldenWestFlyln.org.
In addition, the Mid-Eastern Re­
gional Fly-In (MERFI), scheduled for
August 25-26, will relocate to the
Mansfield Lahm Regional Airport
(MFD) in North Central Ohio from
Marion Municipal Airport (MNN). For
more information, visit www.MERFI.
i nfo/cm/news .php.
The Southeast Regional Fly-In
(SERFI) at Middleton Field in Ever­
green, Alabama, moved its event back
one week, from October 5-7 to Octo­
ber 12-14. For more information, visit
www.SERFI.org.
2

FEBRUARY 2007

Harrison Ford to Chair Young Eagles Into 2009

Harrison Ford, EAA's Young Eagles chairman and flight leader.

Actor/aviator Harrison Ford has accepted EAA's invitation to remain
Young Eagles chairman at least through EAA AirVenture 2009. He informed
EAA President Tom Poberezny of his desire to continue in that role during
Poberezny's recent visit to California. Ford, who became Young Eagles chair­
man in March 2004, has built on the direction and dedication established by
previous chairmen Cliff Robertson and Gen. Chuck Yeager.
"He has been an outstanding leader as chairman for what has become
the world's largest youth aviation program in history," Poberezny said.
"We thank Harrison for his leadership and participation in the program
and look forward to working with him into the future."
Ford was recently honored by InStyle magazine in a special section fea­
turing celebrities dedicated to charitable or educational causes. The maga­
zine, which also made a $1,000 donation to Young Eagles, described the
program and encouraged its readers to find out more about it through the
website, www.YoungEagles.org.
An additional quarter million Young Eagles have been added to the
world 's largest logbook since Ford took the program reigns in 2004.

RMRFI Expands to Three Days
The 2007 Rocky Mountain EAA
Regional Fly-In (RMRFI) has been ex­
panded from two to three full days,
from June 22-24.This will be RMRFI's
fourth consecutive year at Front Range
Airport and its 29th year in the Denver
metro area.
Saturday's air show will feature pre­
cision solo and formation aerobatic per­
formances by local and national pilots.
Sunday will highlight warbirds, open­
ing with a special ceremony honoring
the nation's veterans and leading off a

distinctive military theme planned for
the fly-in's final day.
Expanding the fly-in from two to
three days adds a full day of activities
on Friday. RMRFI has also partnered
with Denver representatives of the FAA
Safety Team (FAAST) to offer a wider se­
lection of topics than ever before. This
new partnership will ensure that the fly­
in remains the region's leading venue
for pilot education and safety seminars.
For more information, visit www.
FrontRangeAirShow.com. and www.
RMRFI.org.

EAA B-17 Tour Set to
Begin Next Month
There are plenty of opportunities
to see EAA's beautifully restored and
maintained B-17, Aluminum Overcast,
when it heads out for its spring 2007
tour beginning at the end of March.
The 2007 tour kicks off at North
Las Vegas Airport March 30-April I,
followed by scheduled stops in Ca li­
fornia, Oregon, Washington, Idaho,
Utah, and Co lorado. A fall tour is
also planned, with locations to be an­
nounced at a later date.
See the complete tour schedule and
make a reservation for an unforgetta­
ble flight mission at www.B17.org.
Aviat donated another Husky for EAA's 2007 Aircraft Sweepstakes.

Many Entering EAA Aircraft

Sweepstakes Online
Hundreds of EAAers have responded
favorabl y so far to online entry in the
2007 EAA Aircraft Sweepstakes. People
like the convenience of having their
coupons filled out automatically for
a chance to win the grand-prize Aviat
Husky or several other great prizes.
The Husky, donated by Aviat Aircraft
Inc., sports a IS0-hp Lycoming engine
and Hartzell constant-speed propeller.
The airplan e is mounted on Alaskan
Bushwheel 31-inch tundra tires and

also comes with C2200 Wiplin e Air­
Glide skis courtesy of Wipaire, allowing
for landing on either plowed runway
or snow.
Other features include AmSafe air­
bag shoulder harness restraints and Or­
egon Aero's comfortable seat cushion
system; full Garmin GPS, transponder,
and communications avionics; plus
XM music and weather radio.
Visit www.AirVenture.orgisweepstakes
and follow the link to EAA's secure
site for entry instructions along with

AlRVENTlJRE SEcnON
Encore!
One of the most well-received new activities at EM AirVen­
ture Oshkosh 2006 will be back in 2007 as Ford Motor Com­
pany and Eclipse Aviation bring back top aviation movies at the
popular " Fly-In Theater" on the convention grounds. Once again,
campers at EM Camp Scholler won't have to venture too far for
their evening entertainment-and the popcorn is free.
The outdoor theater features a 50-foot-high screen located in
a natural amphitheater just north of the campground. Each night
Sunday, July 22, through Saturday, July 28 (weather permitting),
the theater is free and open to all AirVenture guests. The show
begins at about 8:30 p.m. with an introduction by a celebrity pre­
senter followed by a classic aviation film at about 9 p.m.
Stay tuned to www.AirVenture.orgforthe schedule of movies
and list of presenters as they are confirmed .

Where to Stay at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh?
As aviation enthusiasts around the world begin planning their
journeys to EM AirVenture Oshkosh 2007 , one of first things to se­
cure is a place to stay. Nearly 40 years of event history in Oshkosh
has allowed EM to build a widespread housing network to handle
the influx of hundreds of thousands of visitors to The World's
Greatest Aviation Celebration, set this year for July 23-29.

sweepstakes rules and details . A mini­

mum $10 donation is required for each
block of 10 entry tickets entered on­
line. The sweepstakes is open to resi­
dents of the United States and Canada
(excluding Quebec).
Oth er donated prizes for the 2007
sweepstakes include a John Deere trac­
tor, a Bose Wave radio, a Canon digital
camera, and a Honda ST1300 motorcy­
cle. The big drawing takes place on the
last day of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2007, Sunday, July 29.

EM's longstanding partnership with the Oshkosh Conven­
tion and Visitors Bureau also gives AirVenture guests several
options. The bureau's EM Housing Hotline keeps updates on
housing availability off the AirVenture grounds. That service,
free to AirVenture visitors, is available Monday through Friday
(8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Central time) at 920-235-3007 or at www.
OshkoshGVB.org and www.AirVenture.org.
The following are popular accommodation options:
AirVenture camping-Experience the culture, camaraderie,
and fun of EAA's annual fly-in convention by camping next to
your airplane along the flightline or in the adjacent drive-in Camp
Scholler area. No reservations are needed, and it's just $19 per
night to be immersed in the world's best "aviation community. "
College dormitories-There are more than 3,000 dorm
rooms available within 25 miles of convention grounds, and
nearly all of them have shuttle-bus service to AirVenture.
Private housing-The EM Housing Hotline offers these ac­
commodations beginning March 1.
Hotels/ motels-There are thousands of hotel and motel
rooms within 50 miles of Oshkosh.
Other options include private campgrounds, bed-and-break­
fast facilities , and others. Some private firms also operate
housing services, although these are not affiliated or spon­
sored by EM.

.......

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

3

primary instructor to being hope­
lessly lost with only 15 hours under
my belt. I would be happy to share
these stories with you. [See the short
story following this note.-HGFJ
Enclosed is my Army Air Corps pedi­
gree, which includes over-the-hump fly­
ing in the China Burma India Theater.
Sincerely,
Fred S. Furbee

The Blue Brute


Dear H.G.,
Just read, with much interest, the
"Follow the Swallow" article in the
November issue of Vintage.
A beautiful airplane for sure, and
it brought back some fond memo­
ries for me. Back about October 1961,
I had the good fortune to know lrv
Siewert of Clinton, Connecticut. lrv
had been restoring his 1927-28 Swal­
low for some time and had just been
completed, and shortly after Irv test­
flew the airplane, he asked if I would
like to fly it. Well, what kind of ques­
tion is that? I could hardly wait to
jump into the cockpit and "go up."
It was a delight to fly. This one was
N4028, with a Curtiss OX-5 engine. Yes,
it did handle nicely, but was a "hunter"
as far as pitch was concerned, so one had
to stay ahead of the airplane pitchwise.
I have no idea where that ship could
be now, but last I remember Irv sold it
to someone down south, perhaps in
the Florida area. I wonder if anyone
out there knows where it is and how
it is. And are there any other Swallows
in existence, and where could they be
and what is their status?

Cheers,
Ev Cassagneres

Hmm. A Swallow, you say, Ev? NC4028
is the registration? Well, it just so happens
that it's sitting ({in our backyard." lrv's old
airplane was the basis for the restoration
of the Swallow we now have on the flight­
line at EAA's Pioneer Airport. The Swal­
low is all decked out in Varney Airlines air
mail colors, and its restoration was spon­
sored in part by the United Airlines His­
torical Foundation, a successor to Varney
Airlines. In this Jim Koepnick photograph,
a retired United Airlines character, er, cap­
tain, Buck Hilbert, cntises down the run­
way at Pioneer.-HGF
Dear Mr. Frautschy,
After reading your excellent article
about the Laird Swallow in the No­
vember issue of Vintage Airplane, I was
motivated to send you a history of
my early Laird experience.
The Laird family of airplanes was
responsible for the start of my flying
career. During my Air Corps flight
training many interesting events oc­
curred: from my tobacco-chewing

SEND YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO:

VAA,

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

P.O. Box 3086
WI 54903-3086

OSHKOSH,

OR YOU CAN E-MAIL THEM TO: [email protected]
4

FEBRUARY 2007

By Fred Furbee

A glossy dark blue fabric fuselage
with silver color fabric wings was
parked on the ramp. It had a stout,
strong, heavy brute appearance with
a powerful Wright Whirlwind radial
in its nose. A speed ring circled the
exposed cylinders. The name of this
handsome biplane was the Laird Speed
Wing. The name came from the thin
airflow curve over the wind chord.
Around our little grass field, this plane
was called "the Blue Brute," and some
old-timers said it was a killer in a spin.
This Laird was owned and flown
by a former major Army fighter pilot
during WWI, and around our field he
was referred to as the "major."
Beginning in 1938 I hung out at our
little Marietta, Ohio, grass strip. I washed
down planes and helped in refueling.
My very favorite airplane was the Blue
Brute, and many times back in the han­
gar several local boys would lift up the
tail so I could clean the weeds from the
curved steel dish under the tailskid.
Starting the Wright Whirlwind
was an adventure. A hand crank was
stowed in the cowling, and after
climbing on the lower right wing
and inserting the crank into an open
socket, the strong arm work began.
The crank turned a heavy iron disc
in the engine compartment, and af­
ter two minutes of cranking, the iron
disc would spin and hum the correct
sound. I would then call out "con­
tact" and pull the engage lever. The
prop would make two turns, and the
engine would belch blue smoke and
settle into a satisfying growl.
On one occasion after cranking the
starter, the major motioned for me to
climb in the front cockpit. This won­
continued

011

page 20

Editor's Note: This eighth installment of the "Restoration Corner" is the second part of a two-part article by Dip Davis
describing the selection and installation of fabrics and finishes.-G.R.C.

Fabrics and Finishes and the Installation Thereof ­
Part 2

BY

W.D. "DIP" DAVIS


EAA

If the chord of the wing you are
covering is short enough to allow a
4-inch overlap at the leading edge, a
spanwise cemented seam is permit­
ted, eliminating the need for ma­
chine sewing. Using this method the
bottom surface of the wing is covered
first. Fabric is cemented at the trailing
edge, root rib and tip, brought as far
forward on the leading edge as it will
reach and cemented to the leading
edge skin with a 1/2-inch to one-inch
wide glue joint. Do not cement to the
entire skin; subsequent coats will pro­
vide all the adhesion needed.
This fabric is heat tautened before
the installation of the top cover to
eliminate all wrinkles from the over­
lapped area.
If the fabric is wide enough to
cover the entire leading edge skin,
the line will be invisible under the
upper fabric. If, however, it reaches
only part way to the front spar, an
unsightly ridge will be left in what
may be a critical airflow region. This
can be minimized by constructing a
"ramp" of chafe pOint tape or even
hidden completely by applying a cou­
ple coats of primer to the edge and
carefully sanding to a smooth line.
The top fabric is applied over this and
subsequently a spanwise 4-inch sur­
face tape centered over the seam line
on the underside.
Heat-tautening is probably the
most rewarding step in the entire
cover process. (Read "most fun.") You
get to see almost instant results with

55767, Ale 1804


relatively little labor input. Please
don't use a heat gun for this purpose
even if friends tell you they achieved
good results using one; a hair dryer
doesn't develop enough heat, and a
commercial heat gun concentrates
too much hot air on one spot and is
difficult to control.
It is important that every square
inch of the fabric be subjected to a
400-degree treatment and this is eas­
ily accomplished with a household
iron. If Mama uses her regular iron
for ironing clothes, you should prob­
ably acquire one of your own. If you
must buy a new iron, you may find
that the newer, lightweight, relatively
inexpensive units are rated at 1000
watts or less and these won't get the
job done. Look for the one that draws
1100 watts or more. It need not have
steam provisions, although nearly all
current production models appear to
have this feature.
Since all the synthetic aircraft fab­
ric application instructions specify
tautening temperatures in degrees,
and all the irons I've ever seen are la­
beled in "fabric types," with a fairly
broad range in each fabric, it will be
necessary to calibrate the iron with a
reasonably accurate thermometer. If
you don't have access to a sophisti­
cated laboratory quality test unit, a
candy thermometer or similar glass
tube type will serve the purpose.
First check the thermometer in
boiling water (212 degrees F at sea
level), then check your iron by set­
REPRINTED FROM

Vintage Airplane OCTOBER

ting it on the thermometer on a stack
of paper towels. Allow the temper­
ature to stabilize at a medium low
setting, adjust the knob to give an in­
dicated 250 degrees and watch to see
that the thermostat sets the tempera­
ture within plus or minus 15 degrees.
Make a reference mark on the iron at
this setting and repeat the procedure
for 300 and 400 degrees. Consistent
performance can be expected from
most irons until they are dropped or
become old and tired.
Proper procedure for the tauten­
ing process consists of ironing the
entire area at the 250 degree setting,
increasing the heat to 300, going over
the surface once more, and finishing
with a third pass at 400 degrees. Little
corner wrinkles and puckers can get
preferential treatment and, if abso­
lutely necessary, the temperature can
be increased very slightly for a stub­
born spot.
Exercise caution at this pOint,
however, as the fabric will melt at
450 degrees. If it gets to the melt­
ing pOint and doesn't progress to an
obvious hole, close inspection will
reveal that the threads have melted
together. You can probably punch
out the melted section with finger
pressure. Just do a neat job of apply­
ing the fabric in the first place and
you'll never be tempted to crank the
iron past 400 degrees.
If projections such as strut fittings
have been covered over, these should
be cut out before the final ironing is

1986

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

5

done. Brush a little adhesive or first the film . Cooper's Dacproofer was
primer coat on the area (depending an early solution to the penetration
on the finishing process being used) problem; it is a relatively slow drying
before making the cut to prevent the cellulose nitrate base product, tinted
edges from fraying. After the cut has blue, so that proper penetration is
been made, the localized loose area readily apparent.
can be tightened up again by addi­
It is possible to get carried away
tional application of the iron.
with brushing or rubbing in of the
If you plan to use an all dope sys­ first coat and force enough material
tem on your airplane, it is not as im­ through the weave to permit drips
portant that the entire surface be onto the back of the opposite surface.
ironed at 400 degrees as the dope will Doing so will leave blisters which are
exert some degree of tautening action difficult to hide in the finish coats.
even though it is labeled "nontaut­ A home-brewed concoction of ni­
ening." If, however, you are finish­ trate dope with retarding thinner will
ing with one of the newer technology serve the purpose, but starving or
coating systems, and you don't .,....,.......,..,..-- - -.......

apply the final temperature
to the entire surface, you may
come out to the airport some
chilly morning to find the fab­
ric gone slack. [n severe in­
stances, it may be unsafe to fly
until the sun can warm things
up again.
When heat-tautening pre­
sewn envelopes, be sure to keep
an eye on the seams as the fab­
ric shrinks. As the seam begins
to deviate from a straight line,
apply the iron to the opposite
side until it is back in place.
Don't concentrate your atten­
w. D. "Dip" Davis
tion on one small area for a
long period of time, but keep an
eye on the big picture.
overloading is hard to discern due to
After all the ironing is done and the transparency of the film.
loose edges are trimmed off or ce­
Securing the fabric to the wing ribs
mented down, it's time to step back is the next step. Refer to the old cover,
and admire the pretty pieces. Looks as which you stashed in the rafters, to
if you could just assemble everything see how and where it was done be­
and fly .. . not quite yet! Stop dreaming fore. Conventional rib stitching is
and start "uglying" things up .
such a tedious, time-consuming oper­
Up to this point the procedures are ation that nearly every aircraft man­
pretty much the same no matter what ufacturer tried alternate methods.
finishing system you plan to use, but Screws, rivets and various shapes of
the next step will vary with materials. wire clips were employed with vary­
Using the new, all urethane finish, ing degrees of success.
the tapes are next while with con­
The traditional method must be
ventional dope finishing and many employed on all wings with wood
proprietary systems, the first prime ribs. Interest in learning this skill
coat is applied at this time . What­ draws crowds to Jeri Goetz' fab­
ever material is being used, it is vital ric workshop all week long at every
that the liquid be forced through the EAA Oshkosh Convention. We won't
weave so that it can bond with itself dwell on the proper methods of per­
on the backside of the fabric , thus forming this task as it's all in the book
wrapping each individual thread in (AC43.13-IA).
6

FEBRUARY 2007

Surface tapes of appropriate width­
mostly 2-inch - are applied over each
rib, seam and corner. A lot of folks
like to apply a span wise tape at the
leading edge for additional abrasion
resistance, but this is not mandatory
if you wish to maintain an uninter­
rupted airflow. Dacron tapes in most
brands are available in straight edge
or pinked edge. The straight edge
is cut with a hot blade, which seals
the threads and prevents unraveling.
Pinked edges are cut to simulate cot­
ton tapes if the traditional appear­
ance is desired. This tape is not only
more expensive; it's also generally
more troublesome to apply.
We have found the use of a
3-inch wide, disposable, short
nap roller really expedites tape
application. A swath of dope
or adhesive is rolled on where
the tape is to be applied, then
the tape is laid down and an­
other coat of dope rolled on
top. This squeezes the air bub­
bles out quite effectively and
saves a lot of rubbing down
with the fingers.
Bias-cut tapes make neat
curves on tip bows and similar
shapes but, due to the fact that
they are cut diagonally across
a roll of fabric, a sewn joint is
required at intervals and one
often finds a seam at the most awk­
ward spot. Similar results can be
obtained by using the next wider
width tape, cementing the center
only, abo ut a 1/2-inch wide, to the
tip bow and allowing the cement
to dry with the tape standing per­
pendicular to the surface. The iron
is then applied, and since the tape
is unable to shrink lengthwise, be­
ing cemented down, the edges will
curl around a reasonably tight ra­
dius without the necessity of cut­
ting darts or notches. Adhesive can
then be brushed under the tape edge
or squeegeed through the top sur­
face. The total width will be reduced
about 20 percent, which is the rea­
son for selecting the wider tape.
Drain grommets, inspection rings
and fabric doublers around protru­
sions are installed at this point in the

proceedings. Don't spare the drain the finish color is applied if you want
Sanding on the fabric surfaces can
holes! Refer to the old cover and in­ them to be less conspiCUOUS.
be a fooler if you are not familiar
stall them wherever the last guy did.
Build-up or filler coat application with the process. Wet-or-dry sand­
If there is a possibility of moisture begins after everything is stuck on. paper with a grit in the neighbor­
collecting on both sides of a lower Old grade A cotton enthusiasts may hood of 220 is a good place to start.
structural member, stick a grommet feel that they are not doin' right if Use plenty of water to keep the paper
on each side of it. After completion they don't brush on a few coats of from loading. You'll find that you can
of the finish coats, the center hole clear dope before spraying anything. lean hard on the sandpaper and rub
should be cut out with a fine blade If you subscribe to this school of till your arms tire in the unsupported
Exacto knife or similar tool rather thought, be sure you use a highly areas between ribs and stringers, but
than punching through, leaving a plasticized, nontautening dope as the one swipe over a solid structure will
ridge, which would impede free flow. very process of brushing the mate­ remove the finish clear down to the
Inspection rings are soluble in rial will accelerate the shrinking of fabric and can even cut the fabric if
dope and cement solvents, so if that the fabric. The Dacproofer/SpraFill not approached with caution.
is the finish you are using, care must manual calls for an all spray applicaSanding should be concentrated
be taken to prevent curling
on the edges of the tapes and
of the ring when the finish
doublers
to minimize ridges.
CLEVER AIRPLANE
dries. One method of avoid­
If care was taken in the appli­
REBUILDERS , PARTICULARLY cation of the filler coats, very
ing this is to install a fabric
doubler slightly larger than
little sanding will be required
the inspection ring. This has THOSE WHO PLAN TO DO MORE to give a smooth surface for
the added benefit of chafe
the finish coat. However,
THAN ONE PROJECT,
protection as the inspection
if the last sanding leaves a
CONSTRUCT A FIXTURE THAT splotchy color no matter how
plate is removed and rein­
stalled numerous times in
smooth it feels, a final coat
ALLOWS THE WING TO BE
of the silver or filler should
subsequent years.
Precut cotton patches for
be applied before the color. If
ROTATED LIKE A CHICKEN
this purpose are no longer
the finish color is to be cream
ON A ROTISSERIE.
available from most suppli­
or yellow, a first coat of white
will provide a much better fi­
ers. We have found a better
method using Dacron fabric, which tion and all of the filler coats are of a nal appearance with less material as
also lends itself to the odd shaped lightly pigmented aluminum dope. the yellow pigments generally have
doublers you will need around strut A minimum of three coats is ap­ poor hiding properties.
The urethane finishes will give in­
fittings, etc. Staple or tape a piece plied, and unless you are striving for
of fabric over the open end of a a showplane finish, sanding between stant gratification in the gloss depart­
ment, while a decent shine in dope
cardboard box, iron it lightly to re­ each coat is not necessary.
It is common practice to hang finish requires much rubbing and
move any wrinkles and coat it with
Dacproofer or your other primer wings vertically by attach fittings and polishing. Some semblance of a gloss
(thinned U-500 adhesive if you are aileron hinges. This allows both sides on pigmented dope may be obtained
using Superflite System II). When this to be sprayed at one time rather than by coating with clear dope reduced
is dry, you can draw the desired out­ having to wait for one side to dry with retarding thinner. Of course
line in pencil and cut out with ordi­ before turning the surface over. It is you're anxious to get the pieces as­
nary straight bladed scissors without easy to shortchange the leading edges sembled in a shape resembling an
any unraveled edges. A 2- pound cof­ when hanging, and this is the area, airplane again, but remember it's a
fee can makes the right sized inspec­ which should perhaps get more fin­ lot easier to polish the individual sur­
ish than the rest of the wing. Clever faces in your shop than standing tip­
tion ring doubler.
airplane
rebuilders, particularly those toe on a shaky stepladder out at the
The points at which cables exit the
who
plan
to do more than one proj­ airport. The importance of a coat of
fabric, such as the rudder cables in the
ect,
construct
a fixture that allows the wax on a doped finish can't be over­
aft fuselage, require more beef than
just a second layer of fabric. A suit­ wing to be rotated like a chicken on emphasized. If you've got some eager
able device can be fabricated by cut­ a rotisserie. The fuselage may be han­ youngsters who would like to trade
ting a teardrop shape from a scrap of dled the same way even more easily so polishing for an airplane ride, con­
leatherette or similar upholstery mate­ long as the engine is removed. Merely sider yourself lucky and put them to
rial. On production J-3s, Piper applied bolt two 2 x 4s vertically and two hori­ work. Keep it clean, keep it waxed,
these in black after the last coat of yel­ zontally on the engine mount. The keep it hangared and you can keep
low dope. They looked like a trim ac­ tail post can rest on a sawhorse in ei­ from having to this all over again for
years to come.
cent. You may cement them on before ther the upright or inverted position.

.....

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

7

A Radial-Powered Beautyf7~~C/C/,z".L#'~FL-

g=iPJ7

EAA AirVenture's 20 0 6 Antique Reserve Grand Champion
BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

This was the first entry
in Fred Lundeen's aircraft
restoration journal for his
1944 Howard DGA-15P.
Sometimes, the first step of
restoration may seem in­
significant, but the act it­
self signifies the beginning
of an exciting-and often­
times challenging-project.
That's especially true when
it also happens to be your
first airplane.

~~"~"~"~~~~----"~""""~""~T:h:e:n~,:accordingtoLundeen,

Rmn1ling Radials
Lundeen was 69 years old when
he made that journal entry; now, at
74, he and his wife, Suzie, are happy
to share the saga of their completed
restoration . His selection of a radial­
powered aircraft to call his own per­
haps had its genesis nearly 50 years
ago, when he fell in love with radial
engines. That was when Lundeen
started his aviation career as a bush
pilot for Wien Alaska Airlines. He also
worked for another bush operation
in Fairbanks during that time-In­
terior Airways-flying Curtiss C-46s
for both companies all over Alaska,
much of it under military contract.
The C-46, with its powerful Pratt &
Whitney R-2800 engines, was one of
his "all-time favorite airplanes."
After three years of flying behind
those rumbling radials in Alaska, he
began flying the smaller DC-3s in
8

FEBRUARY 2007

1962 for West Coast Air­
lines in Seattle, Washington. Six years
later, West Coast Airlines entered into
a three-way merger with Pacific Air­
lines in San Francisco and Bonanza
Airlines in Phoenix to form Air West.

Howard Hughes bought the airline
in 1971. It assumed a new name,
Hughes Airwest, and adopted new
flying colors-yellow and blue . Re­
public Airlines purchased Hughes
Airwest in 1980, after Hughes passed

Lundeen begins the cleanup process after the hangar fire.

Lundeen requested the "727" in the registration number as a personal tribute to his flying career with the airlines.

away, and seven years later, North­
west bought the airline. Lundeen's
flying career evolved throughout the

Suzie and Fred Lundeen stand under the
shelter of their mighty Howard's wing.

years with these airlines as he moved
from DC-3s to Boeing 727s. Reflect­
ing upon those days in a gentle tone,
he says he "never changed jobs in all
those years, but I changed company
uniforms five times."
As a tribute to his fulfilling ca­
reer, Lundeen requested a special
registration number for the Howard­
NC727ST ("727" for the airliner and
"sierra tango" in honor of his wife,
Suzie, whose nickname is "Teeny") .
And the Howard's yellow and blue
color scheme harkens back to his fly­
ing days with Hughes Airwest.
Buy a Project?
The Lundeens ' decision to buy
a Howard DGA was based partially
upon the sound advice of a friend,
Ron Peck, coupled with Fred Lun­
deen's own preferences for a relatively
economical fixed-gear, radial-engined
airplane. "I've always had a certain
love for Howards because of their

beauty and reputation," he reflects,
"so Suzie and I spent the best part of
two years looking for a flying How­
ard and eventually realized that there
wasn't one flying, and available, that
I'd want to own." The primary solu­
tion to that dilemma, proffered by
the same friend, was to buy a proj­
ect and restore it-that way, Lundeen
could not only be sure of its airwor­
thiness, but also incorporate specific
features that he wanted . But at first,
the idea just didn 't seem viable. After
all, he had never tackled an aircraft
restoration, and it would also mean
initially logging more hours working
than flying.
Yet, after some consideration, he
warmed to the challenging idea, and
Suzie, who was interested in avia­
tion and had taken some flying les­
sons, staunchly supported him. They
looked at several projects and finally
bought one from Les Sargent in Okla­
homa City, Oklahoma . When the
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

9

Close-up view of the firewall accessories.

Lundeens acquired it, Sargent had
already had the wings restored by
Jack Swartz of Grove, Oklahoma, but
there was still considerable work to
be done, along with miscellaneous
parts that had to be procured. Nev­
ertheless, the Lundeens were ecstatic
as they drove the large rental truck,
packed with pieces and parts, to their
home in Olympia, Washington, in
late October 2001.
"We were just so excited; we were
on top of the world," shares Suzie,
with a childlike enthusiasm echoed by
her husband. Laughing, he explains,
"We didn't even know where we were
going to put it together-but it didn't
matter, because we owned a Howard!"
As it turned out, a kind gentleman by
10

FEBRUARY 2007

John Miller prepares to cowl the engine.

the name of Ron Wright invited Lun­
deen to use a corner of his large, com­
mercial hangar in Olympia. Lundeen
gladly accepted the gracious offer and
personally commenced work on the
Howard fuselage in the luxury of a
heated hangar.
A married couple's teamwork can
facilitate the workflow of such a proj­
ect, even if one person doesn't have
hands-on involvement. "When we
decided to do it, I was totally behind
him," shares Suzie, elaborating that
"my time was spent fixing meals, and
all of a sudden I found myself doing
yardwork I hadn't done before! He'd
come in pretty exhausted at night, so
my part was providing emotional sup­
port and encouragement, rather than

actually working on the project."
Lundeen shared various facets of
the project with her, piquing her in­
terest and keeping her abreast of his
progress on even the smallest details.
"He would come home and show me
old grungy parts," recalls Suzie with a
smile, "and then proudly show them
to me again when they were bead
blasted and looking clean as new."
And she became even more familiar
with the depth and breadth of the
project while faithfully typing all of
his daily work-log notes.

Powerplant and AirfraIIle
While Lundeen was present
through every hour of the 7,000 proj­
ect hours spanning four and a half

The new left-side skin, held in place by Cleco fasteners.

years, he explains that" not every hour is
mine, because of the wonderful mechan­
ics that came into my life with a lot of
knowledge and interest in the project­
we didn't really seek them. And thank
God for them and their expertise, be­
cause without them, we wouldn't be fly­
ing today."
When it came time for the sheet metal
work and wiring, airframe and power­
plant (A&P) mechanic John Miller of
Tumwater, Washington, stepped into
the project. He expertly formed all of
the sheet metal, firewall aft, making the
fuselage look brand new again with its
smooth sides and deep window frames.
Miller did all of the extensive electrical
work and also restored the wheelpants to
like-new condition.

The instrument panel, which had been
cut full of holes and was pockmarked
with numerous dents, was itself in dire
need of a makeover. "We took that panel
to Alyn Swedberg of Centralia, Washing­
ton, who's a magician with metal," de­
clares Lundeen, adding, "he straightened
it out, and even did some welding on
it, which is difficult on thin-wall alumi­
num. He also reworked all of the fairings
and the engine cowling, making them as
good as new."
NC727ST's 4S0-hp Pratt & Whitney
was overhauled by Ken Miller of Younkin
The new main landing gear strut fairing is
created with the landing gear mounted on
a temporary stand, allowing for more com­
fortable working conditions.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

After cleaning, straightening, and a bit of welding on thin
aluminum, the panel and its distinctive control yoke pedes­
tals start to come together.

The panel after fabrication, ready for the installation of the
instruments and wiring.

Aviation in West Fork, Arkansas, and
Lundeen comments that he is "happy
beyond measure with Ken's work­
manship." When it finally came time
to install it, Lundeen knew he needed
help to complete the accessory work
and plumbing. It wasn't long before
Dick Smith (also of Olympia) walked
into the hangar where Lundeen was
working. Smith, an A&P mechanic
with an inspection authorization
and an experienced pilot with mul­
tiple ratings, was ready to help. "He's
been working on round engines for
40 years, and I believe that he is so
familiar with the R-985 that he could
work on one blindfolded," says Lun­
deen, adding, "he obviously appeared
out of nowhere, simply because we
needed him. And in the fa ll of 2004,
Smith also invited me to bring the
wings, tail group, and control sur­
faces out to his shop, and we spent
the winter using the Poly-Fiber pro­
cess to cover and paint everything
through undercoat."
Yet another individual with remark­
12

FEBRUARY 2007

The front office of the Howard, including modern avionics
for navigating in today's complex airspace.

able ta lents came into play when the
Lundeens were ready for the uphol­
stery and cabin interior. "Jan Stroh
of Seattle was one of the real delights
during the restoration," smiles Suzie.
Stroh designed and sewed the combi­
nation leather and fabric interior and
embossed the Howard logo on the
baggage compartment and rear seat.
"She specializes in antique airplanes,"
explains Fred, "and for a short time,
she did work for the late Clayton
Scott, who at one time owned all five
of the Howard type certificates."
And there were several others who
helped as well, including the project's
previous owner. ilLes said he would
provide some of the missing parts, or
help us find parts for it, and he has
done that throughout the project," ex­
plains Lundeen, elaborating, "he also
identified certain pieces and how they
fit together and gave us all the related
paperwork he had accumulated."

Howard Hurdles
A year and a half into the project,

the Howard fuselage and tail group
was damaged by acid smoke when
the hangar caught fire and smoldered
one long winter night. Lundeen was
disheartened when he discovered
that all of the DGA's exposed metal
was covered with rust or corrosion
from the smoke, but it wasn't long
before Tim Weston of Yelm, Wash­
ington, was on the scene and offering
his help. Together, they completely
disassembled the aircraft, and then
Weston generously made room in
one of his hangars for Lundeen's
project, where the fastidious clean­
up process continued for three and a
half months until the restoration was
back on track at this new location.
Perhaps one of the other most
challenging aspects of the restoration
involved the wings. Lundeen says
that some work was required to allow
the wings to precisely mate with the
fuselage, and he also had to "create
a new ho le for one of the tie-down
rings due to incorrect placement of
nut plates on the inside of the wing.

140 and move him up from there. "

Nuggets of Knowledge
With a knowing smile born of re­
cent hands-on experience and newly
acquired knowledge, Lundeen con­
fesses that "when I started this proj­
ect, 1 really didn't know that I didn't
have the ability to do it." Perhaps par­
tially because of that realization, both
he and Suzie are quick to affirm that
the entire project was "worth it, with­
out question . The rewards have been
enormous, ever since we showed it for
the first time at the warbird fly-in at
Olympia-we've been overwhelmed
with compliments."
But there have been other rewards
§ as well-those that have come from
~ struggle, perseverance, and the kind­
~ ness of others. Lundeen emphasizes
z
!:i that "no matter what problem you
CD
~ may run into, the answer is there-if
a:
~ you just exercise patience and per­
sistence. A problem can seem so in­
This Howard carries 151 gallons of fuel and burns around 24 gph while cruising
tense, but we found that when you
at 170 mph true airspeed. Lundeen has been crazy about radials since he first
stick
with it, do your due diligence,
began flying as a bush pilot.
make phone calls, and search the
The retractable landing lights also re­
Whelen strobe lights. Especially note­
Web, then without exception, the an­
quired a great deal of time to make worthy are two other features, which swer always came for us." And in that
them work correctly-things like that involve the DGA's flight controls. way the Howard project taught them
really slowed me down ."
Lundeen installed servo-actuated rud­
patience and resourcefulness and,
der trim , which this Howard didn 't they say, even changed their lives by
Modifications
originally have. "It can be difficult to enabling them to meet people whose
These days, it isn't uncommon to obtain FAA approval for the modifi­
kindnesses they otherwise would
find modifications to antique aircraft cation of control surfaces," reflects never have known.
that have been made with safety in Lundeen, "but fortunately there were
mind. To that end, you'll find mod­
other Howard owners who had done Tabng Flight
ern avionics and instrumentation in this before me, so [ was able to use
The 62-year-old Howard DGA­
NC727ST's instrument panel, includ­
their Form 337 as a basis for approval. lSP's bright yellow wings were just
ing a Garmin GNS 430 GPS/comm/ That was a great help, but [ still had as brilliant as sunshine in the cool,
nav with glides lope, a GTX320A tran­
to rewrite the form three times before clear air over the airport in Olympia,
sponder, an ICOM ICA200 trans­
receiving approval!"
Washington, on February 24, 2006,
ceiver, and a JPI FS4S0 electronic fuel
The second feature is a rare one for and the sight of them warmed Suzie's
computer. Additionally, Lundeen had Howard DGAs-although others may heart beyond words. It was NC727ST's
a Jasco SO amp alternator and Airwolf wish they had it. "I installed a brake initial test flight, and Lundeen's son,
oil filter kit and air/oil separator in­
system on the right-hand side, pri­
Chris, was also among the expectant
stalled on the R-98S.
marily so I could teach my son to fly crowd that had gathered to witness
Miscellaneous modifications for pi­
it," smiles Lundeen, gently elaborat­
the flight. They watched intently as
lot and passenger convenience include ing with a father's pride, "there won't NC727ST took to the sky with Dick
a glove box in the panel, cup holders be many people, if any, that I'm go­
Smith in the left seat and Lundeen­
for those long flights, BAS inertial-reel ing to check out in our Howard, but who felt a mixture of excitement and
shoulder harnesses and armrests for he'll be one. He was the yo ungest apprehension since it was also the
the front seats, and the installation of Lear captain in the world at one time Howard 's first flight in 54 years-in
and is now flying for Aloha Airlines. the right seat.
an external power receptacle.
Lundeen wanted Smith, who had
Airframe enhancements include He doesn 't have any tailwheel time,
Cleveland wheels and brakes and though, so ['11 start him in a Cessna experience test flying, to be at the con­
<J)

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

13

Note the hand-sewn leather protectors
that wrap around the rear strut, neatly
protecting the paint and providing a
resting place for the Howard's cabin
door. The large polished chromed steel
step is standard equipment on all of
Benny Howard's massive high-wing
cabin airplane designs.

Even the baggage compartment has
been neatly carpeted and its door
upholstered.

trois so he could easily detect any de­
tails that might need to be addressed.
Lundeen carried a notebook along,
jotting down noteworthy observa­
tions . His work log reflects that the
air work during the 40-minute flight
included "slow flight, steep turns and
stalls in various configurations. En­
gine temps and pressures were nor­
mal throughout test flight with these
few exceptions: 1) left wing needs
wash adjustment; 2) oil temp erratic;
3) suction indicates low; 4) fuel psi
high; 5) air noise around roll up win­
dows, and interior side panels full of
air; 6) flap motor failed on last land­
ing; 7) after landing, discovered oil
14

FEBRUARY 2007

Suzie Lundeen's special touch- a
string of knotted pearls, a pair of
gloves, and long-stemmed roses-con­
jures the romance of the era when this
Howard was manufactured. Also note
the embossed Howard logos on the
seat back and baggage compartment.

leak in oil cooler; 8) also discovered
small leak in air/oil separator."
Nearly four months after that ini­
tial flight, those squawks were re­
solved, and NC727ST was ready to
fly well beyond its home base. Fully
fueled, it carries 151 gallons, and its
4SO-hp Pratt & Whitney burns about
24 gph while cruiSing at 170 mph
true airspeed. The Lundeens lost no
time allowing the Howard to stretch
its wings and have already been on
several interesting long flights, hap­
pily watching the terrain change
from mountains to plains below
their wings. Together, they have
flown to fly-ins including the North­
west EAA Regional Fly-in at Arling­
ton, Washington, EAA AirVenture,
and the Howard Aircraft

The brown leather cabin walls­
complete with a rosebud vase­
blend nicely with the neatly painted
window frames.

Foundation gatherings in Hayward,
Wisconsin, and Yellowstone, Wyo­
ming, logging 72 hours on NC727ST
by October 2006.
"Once in a while, flying along,"
says Lundeen, blue eyes sparkling as
he laughs softly, "I'll look over at Suzie,
and say, 'I just love this airplane!' It's
very reminiscent of my heavy taildrag­
ger days, because it demands a lot of
attention to trim and power. As I gain
time in this airplane, I progressively
recognize that I need to give it what it
needs before it actually needs it."
If you ever have the opportunity
to meet Lundeen at a fly-in, you'll
notice that he can't help but sport a
rather spontaneous smile when he's
talking about the Howard. After all,
he simply delights in flying his first
airplane-an experience no doubt
made sweeter by Suzie's enthusiastic
support and his own intensive labor
throughout the restoration.
.......

,


BENDIX MODEL 52

A promising postwar design

BY MARK SAVAGE

The Model 52 with propeller hub extension.

Two yea rs ago, while visiting my fa­
ther and stepmother in Florida, I m et
a man named Vern Biasell, an aero­
nautical engineer who had worked on
some of history's most enduring and
interesting aircraft. Last March I went
back to Florida and spent the better
part of an evening talking with Mr.
Biasell about some of the famous air­
planes he'd worked on. However, one
airplane he worked on never got past
the prototype stage. This attractive
and innovative bird captured my at­
tention: It was the Bendix Model 52.
Mr. Biasell had begun aircraft de­
sign and engineering for the Stinson
Aircraft Company in 1937, working
for Mr. Athanas Oack) Fontaine. Mr.
Fontaine was chief engineer at Stin­
son at the time and had been respon­
sible for the Voyager series. Mr. Biasell
was project engineer on the Reliant
and later the L-5, and as we talked,
Biasell took a moment to reminisce

about the Sentinel.
According to Mr. Biasell, in 1940
the Army was in the market for an
observation plane. It had written
specs and was starting tests on several
prototypes supplied by competing
aircraft companies: Stinson's entry
was the 0-49, later known as the L-l.
However, some engineers at Stinson
believed the Army was asking for an
airplane that was too large and ex­
pensive for its intended purpose. As
a result, a request was made to top
management for expenditure of com­
pany funds to demonstrate their en­
gineering concept. Authorization was
given, and with Vern Biasell as project
manager, a demonstration prototype
was built and flown just 28 days later.
It was highly successful and shown to
the Army during the 0-49 flight tri­
als. Army interest was aroused in this
" flying jeep" version of an observa­
tion plane, which became the famous
REPRINTED FROM

16

FEBRUARY 2007

Vintage Airplane AUGUST

1986

L-5, and production began.
Mr. Biasell was involved in other in­
teresting projects during the war, but
as the conflict drew to an end, man y
companies a nd aircraft designers
looked forward to the postwar period.
At the end of World War II, market
surveys indicated that a two-place, all­
metal retractable aircraft would sell
briskly in the anticipated postwar avi­
ation boom. The Bendix Corporation,
like many other businesses, made
plans to build and market general
aviation aircraft to fill the proposed
needs of the many military pilots who
were soon to return to civilian life. Mr.
Jack Fontaine was hired from Consoli­
dated-Vultee to head the new Bendix
Aircraft venture along with Mr. Biasell,
who was then at the General Motors
Research Laboratories.
Designed in July 1945, the Bendix
Model 52 prototypes were engineered
by Mr. Biasell and built in 1945-46 at

the Bendix Experimental Engineering
Department at 261 McDougal St. in
Detroit, Michigan. The Model 52 was a
low-wing, all-metal airplane with side­
by-side seating and retractable tricy­
cle landing gear. Wingspan measured
33 feet 3 inches, length 22 feet, with
an empty weight of just 1,043 pounds.
Target price was $3,900, and the means
by which Bendix and Biasell intended
to meet that price is intriguing.
What should make the Model 52
interesting both to homebuilders and
those interested in vintage/antiqu e
airplanes is that Mr. Biasell design ed
the Model 52 to use automotive-styl e
high-production techniques. These
techniques not only lent themselves
to economic mass production but
also kept the weight low without sac­
rificing structural integrity.

Figure 1 illustrates the difference
in design between the Biasell/Bendix
Model 52 (top) tail feathers and those
of a conventional aircraft. Note that
both horizontal stabilizers and the
vertical fin are identi cal; one pi ece
can serve as either stabilizer or fin .
And, not including the skin, each
unit totaled just 12 parts! The fuse­
lage was designed along the sa me
lines (Figure 2) and used rolled skin
to form the stringers.
But perhaps the most interes ting
part of the design was that of the
wing. As shown in Figure 3, the wing
consisted of two spars, seven ribs set
at 45-degree angles to each other, end
cap, aileron and flap assembly, and
lea ding edge for a total of 19 parts
per wing, not including skin or land­
ing gear/retracting m ec hanism. The

wings used a modified Goettingen
section, up-swept at the trailing edge
to flatten the stall curve. According
to Mr. Biasell, the airplane was virtu­
ally spin-proof. Moreover, it had very
gentle stall characteristics and main­
tained aileron control throughout the
stall. The Mod el 52 could be flown
at very high angles of attack without
dropping a wing or surprising its pi­
lot with an abrupt stall. An article on
the Bendix Model 52 in the Septem­
ber 1971 issue of The Great Lakes Flyer
notes that the 52 had "full length ai­
lerons (that) could be 'drooped' to
serve as landing flaps which reduced
the stall speed ... from the 53 mph to
47 mph," a highly imaginative design
feature for a general aviation produc­
tion aircraft.
Figure 4 illustrates the method of
production that had been proposed .
The rear fuselage, wings, engine
cover, and cockpit areas were to be
built as separate units, then joined to
the "keel" at the end of the assembly
line. The cab was to be lowered onto
the assembly just as automobile bod­
ies were lowered onto frames in auto­
mobile assembly plants.
The other picture shows the clean
lines of the Model 52, long wing, and
outward retracting gear. It was pow­
ered by a 100-hp Franklin and, accord­
ing to Biasell, had a maximum speed
of 154 mph. It cruised at 140 and
climbed at 900 fpm. The original de­
sign called for a 6-inch propeller hub
extension shaft, which gave the plane
a more streamlined appearance. But
later, to reduce manufacturing costs,
the extension shaft was eliminated
and the nose of the Model 52 took on
a more conventional appearance. The
shorter nose also reduced the maxi­
mum airspeed to 148 mph, which was
the maximum speed indicated by The
Great Lakes Flyer article.
The first Model 52, NX-341l0, was
flown by Bendix chief test pilot Al
Schramm in December 1945, just five
months after the first design sketches
were laid down. The prototype had
been trucked across the Detroit River
to Windsor Airport in Canada for the
flight. Mr. Biasell noted that the Wind­
sor Airport was chosen because it was
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

17

BENDIX EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT DEPARTMENT
(Left to right): Bob Horstman (engineer), AI Schramm (chief test pilot), unidentified (comptroller), Fred Ross (chief aerody­
namicist), Carroll Caldwell (weights engineer), Bob Fredricks (engineer), Bill Fredricks (head stress analyst), O.G. Blocher
(engineer), A.P. "Jack" Fontaine (president and general manager), Vern Biasell (chief engineer, Model 52), Charley Lim­
ouze (engineer), Maurice Mills (chief engineer, model 51), Earl Lowe (head tool design), OJ. Lutz (tool designer), Charley
Loomis (shop manager), Bill Lothrop (engineer), Bill Mara (vice president and public relations), unidentified (salesman).
Photo taken on the morning the department was notified of closing.

close by and offered a degree of secu­
rity against the press and competitors.
By September 1946, two other proto­
types were built and the Model 52 had
completed all but the final flight tests
for an approved type certificate. Sev­
eral hundred toolmakers were working
on production tooling when Bendix's
new top management abandoned the
personal aircraft field.
The new management worried
that a successful Model 52 would
make Bendix Corporation a competi­
tor of other airframe manufacturers
that were customers of Bendix's other
divisions. Accordingly, management
decided that situation might hurt
sales in those other departments, and
so in September the board of direc­
tors announced that the Aviation De­
partment had to be disbanded. The
prototypes were stored for six years
and then donated to the University
of Michigan, Wayne State University,
and the Detroit Metro Aero Mechan­
ics High School.
The aviation community obvi­
ously lost out on an innovative and
interesting airplane when Bendix's
top management decided to aban­
don the Model 52; it was an attrac­
tive machine and offered a high level
18

FEBRUARY 2007

of performance for its time. However,
in light of the postwar general avia ­
tion fizzle, abandoning light aircraft
manufacturing was probably a wise
business decision. But just looking at
these pictures and talking with Mr.
Biasell about the design features and
production techniques of the Bendix
Model 52 made me wonder if these
ideas aren't worth a second look. It
would be a shame to forget this inter­
esting machine ... and the innovative
and futuristic production techniques
inherent in the design.
During the time the two Bendix
Model 52s were undergoing flight
tests, two four-place aircraft were be­
ing designed and built. Known as
the Model 51 and 51A, they were all­
metal, twin-boom pushers with re­
tractable tricycle landing gear.
Maurice Mills, 12th from the left
in the photo of the Bendix Aviation
Department, was chief engineer for
these planes. Mr. Mills had worked
with Bill Stout, the designer for the
Ford Tri-Motor. Later he worked at
Stinson and after the war, of course,
went to Bendix.
Construction of the pushers was
similar to the Model 52: the wings
were of diagonal rib design and em-

Vern Biasell in1986.

ployed the same modified Goet­
tingen airfoil (Bendix 416 airfoi I)
section. And like the Model 52, auto­
mobile-type assembly line techniques
were to be used to build the planes.
This would make it possible to eco­
nomically build either a landplane or
amphibian from the same basic air­
frame: the upper fuselage could be
joined to either type of lower fuse­
lage during assembly because except
for the lower fuselage, wingtip floats,
and longer landing gear of the am­
phibian, the major assemblies for the
two aircraft were identical.

BENDIX

(j), @ ... @)
roTA L.

IDENTICAL
12 PAl<TS

BENDIX


NOT INCLUDING
SKIN.

CONVENTIONAL

CONVEI\JTION A L

0 , ®.® !::!2I
IDENTICAL .

Figure One

Figure Three

#I 3 BULKHEAD

BLANKED OUT OF"


THIS AREA

ETC.

"'2 BULKHEAD
BLANKED OuT OF
THIS AREA '­

.~ ROLLED SKIN
FORMS

STRINGER.

Figure Two
Figure Four

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

19

The Model 52 with the extension removed.
Only one of each type was built.
The land plane was flown for approxi­
mately 25 to 30 hours (Biasell's esti­
mate) at the Willow Run Airport at
Ypsilanti, Michigan . The amphibian
was never flown; only preliminary
taxi tests were conducted. The hull
was developed and the hydrodynamic
characteristic tests conducted, using
models at the Experimental Towing
Tank, Stevens Institute of Technol­
ogy, in Michigan.
Both the land plane and amphib­
ian were powered by a six-cylinder
Franklin engine that developed 220
hp at 2600 rpm. The design statistics

are as follows :
Landplane (Model 51)
Design max speed. . . . . . . . 168
Design cruise speed. . . . . . . 157
Design stall speed .. . . ..... 53
Wingspan ...... . . . ... 40 feet
Wing area ..... 218 square feet
Length ........ 28 feet 2 inches
Empty weight ... 1,550 pounds
Gross weight .... 2,550 pounds
Seaplane (Model 51A)
Design max speed. . . . . . . . 149
Design cruise speed . . .. . . . 138
Design stall speed ..... . .. 54.5
Wingspan ...... . . . .. . 40 feet

Wing area .... . 218 square feet
Length . ... .. . . 28 feet 2 inches
Empty weight ... 1,700 pounds
Gross weight . .. . 2,700 pounds
As Mr. Biasell put it in his note to
me, "(this) is a little of the very meager
information available. Basic tests were
so preliminary (when the decision was
made to cancel the aircraft program)
that no decisions on the future of these
designs had ever been formulated ."
Like the three Model 52s, after pro­
longed storage (six years) both air­
planes were given to universities for
student instruction purposes. ......

continued
derful flight lasted half an hour as we
circled my hometown and did two gen­
tle wingovers. After that memorable
day, I was forever hooked on flying.
Later on I took flying instructions,
and on my 16th birthday I soloed a )-3
Cub. While I was in college I enlisted as
an aviation cadet in the Army Air Corps,
and after 11 months of flying and the
constant terror of being washed out, I
finally graduated in 1944 and went on
to flying C-47s over-the-h ump and in
the China Burma India Theater.
The flying bug bit me thanks to
Matty Laird and has never let go dur­
ing all these past 68 years. The EAA has
kept the golden age of flying alive with
their great articles about the greatest
designed early airplanes.
......
20

FE B R U ARY 2007

TAiLW~€€L5


o

le

m

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cwtd Slow !§

ake

ble

EA

,----ests.
m-~r~
Barn
Dilamond Plus
$1250
Ken Kotik Aviation Art Print

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V I NTAGE AIRPLANE

21

The Tulsa

Regional Flv-In

A golden anniversary celebration of sport aviation
ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

here's nothing like a mile­
stone anniversary to get the
folks around liT-Town" revved
up . Even in the early stages
of planning for the 50th an­
niversary of the Tulsa Regional Fly­
in , Senior Co-chairman Charlie
Harris observed that lithe harmony
and spirit of cooperation that is pres­
ent within the planning committee is
exceptional and a joy to behold!"
Those plans evolved into success­
ful fruition on Friday, September 22,
2006, when the golden anniversary
celebration of sport aviation com­
menced for the first day of its two-day
fly-in. All manner of aircraft winged
their way over the Great Plains to
alight at Frank Phillips Field (BVO) in
Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

T

Verilable Showcase
Bartlesville is well-known for its
annual ear ly-summer Biplane Expo,
and some of those biplanes returned
in September, enhancing the colorful
array of antique, classic, experimental,
contemporary, and light-sport aircraft
that filled the grassy t ie-down area.
Additionally, EAA Warbird Squadron
10 commanded an impressive pres­
ence-both on the ramp and per­
forming fly-bys-with three AT-6s, a
Harvard, a Yak, an L-39 Albatross, and
even the B-25 bomber Martha Jean.
The FAA's eye-catching Douglas
DC-3, which was built in Oklahoma
City in 1945, was on the field , and
walk-through visitors were welcome
22

F EB RU A R Y 2007

to climb aboard. For many years, N34
was part of the FAA's flight inspec­
tion fleet, and it was listed for pres­
ervation in the Nationa l Register of
Historic Places in 1997. Painted in
the brightly colored Civil Aeronautics
Authority (CAA) orange and white
scheme, this airplane was restored

URV-ins are as line
an opponunilV as we
could possiblv have
to pass on the
knowledge that all
01 us have to the
oncoming aviation
generations."
-Charlie Harris
by FAA employees who volunteered
their time and expertise to keep the
grand old DC-3 airborne.
There were many other historic
and interesting aircraft on the field,
and fly-in announcer Bill Hare pro­
vided expert commentary on these
as he strolled up and down the tlight­
line, microphone in hand. In particu­
lar, a small grouping of monoplanes,

parked adjacent to the taxiway, was
an especially rare Sight-and perhaps
marked the first time that these par­
ticular airplanes have been on dis­
play, side-by-side.
These aircraft represen ted a tim e­
line of the talents and craftsmanship
of Jim Younkin of Springdale, Arkan­
sas, beginning with the replica low­
wing, open-cockpit 1929 Travel Air
Model R Mystery Ship racer, which he
built in 1979. N482N was on display
at the Arkansas Air Museum for many
years, until Younkin returned it to
flying status recently so his grandson,
Matt Younkin, could begin flying it
during air shows. Next came the rep­
lica of Benny Howard 's 1934 Mister
Mulligan, which Younkin debuted in
1982. He built the replica as a tribute
to the magnificent winning perfor­
mances of the original Mister Mulligan
in the 1935 National Air Races. That
high-wing, four-place cabin airplane
won both the Bendix and Thomp­
son trophies in 1935. It was destroyed
when it crashed during the 1936 Ben­
dix Transcontinental Trophy Race;
hence Younkin's replica helps keep
this facet of air-racing history alive.
The third example of Younkin 's
work was N274Y, the Mullicoupe he
designed and the late Bud Dake of
Creve Coeur, Missouri, completed
in 1997. Owned today by Mark Hol­
liday of Lake Elmo, Minnesota, the
Mullicoupe features the 450-hp Pratt
& Whitney engine and scaled-down
wings of a Howard DGA, artfully COffi­

bined with the scaled-up fuselage and
tail of a Monocoupe, creating a high­
performance, two-place rocket ship.
Most recent on this virtual timeline
was Younkin's singular orange Howard
DGA-ll, which started life as a ]acobs­
powered DGA-9 and was converted
to a DGA-ll with a Pratt & Whitney
R-985 back in 1946. Younkin recently
replicated a true DGA-ll tapered-style
cowling for it, giving this Howard a
sleek, original appearance.
Speaking of timelines, there was
a remarkable reminder of the early
days of aviation on the ramp, in the
form of an OX-5 powered Parker­
Curtiss pusher biplane. It's uncom­
mon to see a 92-year-old homebuilt
at fly-ins these days, and Lanny Seals,
project manager for the Phillips Pe­
troleum Company Museum (sched­
uled to open in Bartlesville in May
2007), was eager to share information
about it.
"Billy Parker built about 10 planes
in Colorado between 1910 and 1916,
and this is his design, based on the
Curtiss plans. He strengthened the
structure, and he could loop and roll
this airplane," says Seals, elaborating,
"in 1927, he became the first manager
of the Phillips Petroleum Company's
aviation department. It's covered in
Irish linen, and the wings were re­
stored in the 1950s-but everything
else is original, including the tires that
were made by Phillips 66. It went on
display in the Oklahoma City Airport
in 1965 and was later moved to the
Oklahoma Air and Space Museum. It
will be on permanent display in our
new museum here next year."
Parker flew N66U (the number
represents Phillips 66) at air shows
from the 1940s up to 1960 as a novel
way to promote Phillips' aviation
products. According to Seals, the
plane would be dismantled, packed
in crates, and hauled via truck to the
next airport, where it was reassem­
bled and flown. The presence of this
1914 Parker-Curtiss pusher plane
was a welcome addition to the in­
triguing showcase of aviation his­
tory-from "antiquity" to modern
day-that was displayed at the 50th
Tulsa Regional Fly-in.

ExhibhS, Forums, and AcUvilies
This well-organized grassroots-style
fly-in attracted a wide variety of out­
standing aircraft, but there were also
classic automobiles and well-known
aviation personalities to be found

amongst the friendly crowd . Friends
of fly-in volunteers rolled out their
classic collection of military jeeps
and antique cars next to the exhibit
hangar. Inside the hangar, vendors
were manning their booths of avia­

Here's a rare lineup-(L-R) Jim Younkin's Howard DGA-9/11, Travel Air Mystery Ship
replica, Mark Holliday's Mullicoupe, and Jim Younkin's Mister Mulligan replica.

Charlie Hanis, Mark Holliday, Jim Moss, and Jim Younkin gather next to Younkin's
Mister Mulligan replica.

Tex Hill, a World War II triple ace and original member of ChennauH's Flying Ti­
gers, stayed busy signing autographs while his wife, Mazie, greeted visitors.
VINTAGE A I RPLANE

23

N66U was built by Billy Parker in 1914 and will be on per­
manent display in the Phillips Petroleum Company Museum
in Bartlesville beginning May 2007.

Chuck Gantzer (R) of Wichita, Kansas, talks Pietenpols
with noted aviation author and historian Chet Peek of Nor­
man, Oklahoma.

Antique and classic cars are a welcome addition to the annual Tulsa fly-in.

Lanny Seals of ConocoPhillips Com­
pany had the original Curtiss OX-5­
powered 1914 Parker-Curtiss pusher
on display.
tion-related items, such as hardware,
books, and clothing.
Ensconced in the midst of these
vendors was Brig. Gen. David Lee
"Tex" Hill, renowned World War II
triple ace, original member of Chen­
nault's Flying Tigers, and retired
commanding officer of the Texas Air
National Guard, along with his wife,
Mazie. They stayed busy cheerfully
greeting pilots and fly-in visitors and
signing copies of his autobiography.
OutSide, there were manufacturer
displays of several new aircraft, includ­
ing Cessna's new glass-panel 172 and
turbo 182; Quartz Mountain Aero­
space's 185-hp nosewheel Luscombe
(based on the Luscombe Sedan); two
new Cirrus SR22s; and two new 260­
hp Micco SP26 aircraft (based on the
24

FEBRUARY 2007

Jim Wiebe of Wichita, Kansas, flew the Travel Air Mystery Ship replica, which
was awarded Best Antique.
Meyers 145), which are soon to be
manufactured at Frank Phillips Field.
And for those interested in light-sport
aircraft, the Flight Design CT model
was shown and flown.
An informal dinner was held on the
field Friday evening, and free ground
transportation for pilots was provided
to lodging in town and back to the
field the next morning, for those who
elected not to camp by their aircraft.
On Saturday, a wide variety of pre­
sentations were held, ranging from
World War I replicas and sport pilot

to aviation fuel and medical matters.
Type club forums included Cessna,
Luscombe, RV, Piper Cub, Short Wing
Piper, Aeronca, and Swift.
Yet another forum, "An Hour
With Jim Younkin," offered attend­
ees the opportunity to learn more
about Younkin's numerous aviation
endeavors-most recently, his suc­
cessful autopilot bUSiness, TruTrak
Flight Systems. Younkin, who spent
his time building model airplanes as
a child, learned to fly at the age of
25, in a 1946 J-3 Cub that he bought

The FAA's DC-3 was a popular "walk through" at the fly-in.

Fly-in announcer Bill Hare in action,
microphone in hand as he strolls past
the historical FAA DC-3.
for $360 at the Springdale, Arkansas,
airport. He combined his aviation in­
terest with his career many years ago,
and he has been inducted into both
the Arkansas and VAA Halls of Fame.
Younkin first came to the fly-in
when it was held at Harvey Young
Airport. "To the best of my recollec­
tion, I think I've been to every Tulsa
fly-in since then; I don't think I've
missed one," shares Younkin, "so I've
seen it change, since a lot of myoid
friends who used to come here are
not with us any more. Flying is a lit­
tle different for me today than it was
then, but this is still a very interesting
fly-in. I seem to be doing a forum ev­
ery year-in the old days it was about
building Staggerwings, then it was
metal forming, and then they got me
on autopilots."
Lunch was available on the field
during the day on Saturday, and the
fly-in festivities and forums con­
cluded Saturday evening with a re­
ception and dinner at Bartlesville's
Hillcrest Country Club . When the
numbers were tallied, there were
225 aircraft in attendance to help
celebrate the Tulsa Regional Fly-in's
golden anniversary. VAA Director
Bob Lumley, who represented EAA
Founder and Chairman Paul Pober­
ezny (who was grounded by inclem­
ent weather and unable to personally
attend), presented the attendee­
balloted Grand Champion Aircraft
Award winners, which are as follows:

Asnazzy 1946 Taylorcraft BC12-D, registered to Michael Wannan of Joplin, Missouri.

Brian Launder's sharp-looking 1957 Beech El85 on the flightline.
Best Antique-Younkin's replica
Travel Air Mystery Ship; Best Classic­
Marty Lochman's 1946 Cessna 140;
Best Contemporary-Stephen Law­
lor's 1956 Cessna 172; Best Exper­
imental-Tim Crowell's RV-4; Best
Warbird-Janet McCullough's Vultee
BT-13; and Chairman's Choice-Hol­
Iiday's 1997 Mullicoupe. Bronze me­
dallions were given to invited guests
Tex Hill and Poberezny, in recogni­
tion of their lifelong service to avia­
tion and the nation.

FlY-in Genesis
The Tulsa Regional Fly-in, as we
know it today, is a self-contained en­
tity and is sponsored by Tulsa's EAA
Chapter 10, EAA Vintage Aircraft
Chapter 10, EAA lAC Chapter 10, and
EAA Ultralight/Light Aircraft Chap­
ter 10, along with considerable flying
support from EAA Warbird Squadron
10. Harris, whom you may already
know as EAA VAA treasurer and chair­

man of the Executive Committee or
perhaps as co-founder of the National
Biplane Association and Chairman
of the Biplane Expo, has fulfilled the
role of senior co-chairman of the Tulsa
fly-in for 26 years now. Harris is also a
2006 inductee of the EAA Sport Avia­
tion Hall of Fame and a lifelong avia­
tion enthusiast who learned to fly a
60-hp J-3F Cub in high school. He be­
gan attending the Tulsa fly-in during
the late 1950s and is well-acquainted
with its genesis and evolution.
"The fly-in was initiated in a very
informal way in 1957 by some ladies
in Tulsa who wanted to have an avia­
tion gathering," Harris describes, elab­
orating, "it was quite successful, so in
1958 the men joined in the program
and brought more airplane owners
into it. That was all done at Harvey
Young Airport in Tu lsa . Then in order
to attract more aviation supporters,
they held it in Okm u lgee one year,
Bartlesville the next, then Riverside
V INTA G E AIRPLAN E

25

John Hudec of Collinsville, Oklahoma, takes a passenger for a
flight in the Waco UMF·5 replica that he buiH from scratch.

Mark Holliday of Fort Lupton, Colorado, lands his Pratt &
Whitney powered Mullicoupe, which was awarded Chair·
man's Choice. It was originally buiH by the late Bud Dake.

John Moss' 1944 Boeing PT·17 on takeoff.
Airport. They were really interested
in the versatility of it and encouraged
different groups and personalities to
attend. In the early to mid-1960s,
Harvey Young Airport became home
to the Tulsa fly-in, where it stayed for
about 10 years. In 1972, it was moved
to Tahlequah, and it really blossomed
there; by the mid-1980s we were hav­
ing more than 500 airplanes attend,
which was frankly beyond the capac­
ity of the airport and local hotels.
We were invited by the Bartlesville
Chamber of Commerce to relocate
at Frank Phillips Field, where we had
already started the Biplane Expo in
1987. It was a perfect fit for us, and
26

FEBRUARY 2007

From Lawton, Oklahoma, Bill Carrion's 1947 Stinson 108·3
departs Frank Phillips Field.

Wayne Boyd of Leavenworth, Kansas, co·owner of this
pretty Cessna 180, takes to the skies over Bartlesville.

This pair of sharp Champs are registered to William Clark of Easton, Mis­
souri (left, an 85-hp 7BCM), and Melinda Hopper of St. Joseph, Missouri,
who flies a 65-hp 7AC. All told, there were 225 aircraft attending.

we've been here for 13 years now."
His enthusiasm for the fly-in is eas­
ily contagious, and his love for the
event hasn't wavered in decades, be­
cause he realizes that it provides a
"huge opportunity to expose sport
aviation to the public, and especially
to the kids." Harris elaborates that he
and EAA Chapter 10 members have
worked diligently to bring "a lot of fi­
nancial and accounting structure to
the fly-in. Since 1977, when I got in­
volved, we've never had a single year
when the fly-in did not at least break
even. Part of the reason for that is that
we try to pull upon the best talents
that we have in all of those chapters

and involve their specialties in the fly­
in-whether it be airplane parking,
driving tractors, bringing in guests, or
accounting. And we have some very
disciplined financial people, who are
professionally employed as CPAs, or
top business administrators."

Volunteers
Speaking of those volunteers, you
might be surprised to learn there are
between 250 and 300 devoted vol­
unteers who keep things running
smoothly throughout the event. Har­
ris explains, "Everyone of those peo­
ple have a positive attitude, which
is a plus for sport aviation and will

William Kendrick climbs out after taking off in his 1949
Piper PA-16 Clipper.
hopefully enlist other people to come
into this movement."
"When we advertise the fly-in , our
key point is that families and children
can walk right up to th e airplanes
and have them explained to them,"
says Harris, adding, "for example, this
morning when the B-25 arrived, we
took a remote microphone and wa lked
aro und it, explaini ng what the a ir­
plane is. We interviewed the pilot and
encouraged everybody to walk up and
look in the bomb bay and the nacelles
[wheel wells]. We're just trying to pro­
mote grassroots and sport aviation to
the best of our ability. We don't go out
and solicit major sponsors for our fly­
in; so far, we've tried to avoid giving it
a commercial appearance. We admit
the public by donation, but if they feel
they can't make a donation, they get
to come anyway."

Christopher Hiatt of Ponca City, Oklahoma, now owns this
customized Aeronca 7AC.

a really good fly-in-we've made a lot
of friends in Tulsa whom we didn't
know in the Oklahoma City area."
Perhaps 91-year-old Tex Hill of San
AntoniO, Texas, best described the
atmosphere at Frank Phillips Field.
He commented with out hesitati on ,
"I was fortunate enough to be asked
back h ere thi s year. I was h e re last
year, and I'll tell yo u one of the great­
est things about the Tulsa fly-in . It's
the camaraderie-it 's different from
any other air show I've ever been to,
and I've been to a lot of them. That's
because the guys are kindred soul s;

they are people who have a real inter­
est in restoring historic airplanes. It's
just a different deal h ere-I've never
been to another one like this. "
If you'd like to experience this
grassroots fly -in firsthand, then
you 're warm ly welcomed to become
part of the 51st annual Tulsa Re­
giona l Fly-in this coming Septem­
ber, wh e ther as a volunteer or as
a participant flying your a irplane
(note th ere is a grass runway paral­
lel to the paved runway). Visit www.
TuLsaF Lyln. com or call 918-622-8400
for more information .
.......

Camaraderie
Harris' favorite part of the fly-in, a
sentiment echoed by others, is "t he
people. The sport aviation people who
come to these events and bring such
magnificent airplanes to share with ev­
eryone-they are such special people.
And fly-ins are as fine an opportunity
as we could pOSSib ly have to pass on
the knowledge that all of us have to
the oncoming aviation generations."
Chet Peek of Norman, Oklahoma,
an aviation author and member of
the Oklahoma Avia ti on and Space
Hall of Fame, has been attending the
fly-in since 1966, when it was h eld
at Harvey Young Airport. He says
that he and his wife, Marian, "have
always enjoyed it, and we enjoy the
people. Years ago, we flew up here
when I had a Taylorcraft F-1 9. It's just
VIN TA G E AIRPLANE

27

BY DOUG STEWART

Distractions
A few weeks ago I had to fly with a
client in his Panther Navajo from my
home base at the Columbia County
Airport, just south of Alb any, New
York, to his winter home base of St.
Augustine, Florida. This is a trip we
fly frequently, and the entire trip,
including a half-hour drive at each
end of the trip, as well as the time to
conduct a thorough preflight inspec­
tion, rarely takes more than a total of
seven hours.
Knowing that my client is typi­
cally very eager to be on the way as
soon as he arrives at the airport, I al­
ways arrive early enough to have suf­
ficient time to conduct the preflight
inspection. I learned early on in my
flying career of the dangers of rush­
ing through a preflight. With some
embarrassment I will admit to hav­
ing missed something important on a
preflight inspection because of being
in a hurry. I have learned my lesson,
so I always arrive at the airport suffi­
ciently ahead of my client to be sure I
am not rushed into missing anything
during the inspection.
This particular day the total door­
to-door time was just under six hours,
thanks to some healthy tail winds for
the first two-thirds of the trip. The trip
home, however, courtesy of a national
airline that shall remain nameless,
was to take quite a bit longer. In fact
it took just a tad under eight hours for
the door-to-door excursion to return
to my humble abode. But the fact that
it took almost 2S percent more time
to fly the same trip courtesy of the air­
28 FEBRUARY 2007

lines than it did in a private general
aviation airplane was overshadowed
by some of the things I witnessed and
experienced on that trip home.

.. .it seemed to command

so much of her attention

trying to hear on that

miracle of modern

communication that

she hardly ever glanced

at the airplane.

It all began with the absurdity of
the mentality I had to face as I went
through the security check. All I had
with me was a large flight bag. Inside
of the bag were all the publications
that I might have needed on the trip
down to Florida. This included ap­
proach plates for the eastern third of
the United States, as well as en route
charts, sectional charts, and airport/
facility directory (AFD) for any pos­
sible eventuality or diversion. Then
in one pocket was an assortment
of flashlights, in another my elec­
tronic E6B, and in a third my 396
GPS receiver, along with its assort­
ment of tangled wires for antennas
and power.

Also stashed inside the main com­
partment was my laptop computer
that, sad to say, has become virtu­
ally indispensable to me. (To think
that not too many years ago I was of
a mentality that a pencil and paper as
well as two tin cans and some string
were all that I would ever need to ful­
fill my communication requirements.
Little did I know ...) Other commu­
nication devices in the bag included
my cell phone and its charger, a cou­
ple of extra pens and highligh ters ,
and an old CD that I keep for use as
a signal mirror. In the two pockets
remaining at either end of the bag
were my headset in one and my dirty
clothes from the day before stuffed in
the other.
Needless to say [ am always a wee
bit anxious as to how those bastions
of aviation security, the Transporta­
tion Security Administration (TSA)
checkpoint inspectors, will react to
this baggage. If I intended to use
an airline airplane for my own pur­
poses, I certainly had the tools to
do so. In fact on a previous airline
excursion, the TSA found one of
those tools unacceptable and con­
fiscated my Leatherman, despite
my vehement albeit fruitless pro­
tests . So I will admit that I was not
that surprised to have them pull me
aside, on the far side of the baggage­
screening device, asking me if that
big flight bag was mine.
I had visions of having to repack
everything so carefully so as to en­
sure that it would all fit inside, as

the inspector started her ardent root­
ing in my bag. My greatest fear was
that she would have a problem with
my GPS. My protests of her trying
to confiscate that, should she chose
to, would be more than vehement.
However she passed right by it, as
well as all the other things that I had
thought might present a problem.
This lady inspector was on a mission
to find something even more threat­
ening to the security of flight. And
then, exclaiming "Aha," she held up
a little stuff sack I forgot to mention
in my description of the contents of
the bag.
Wedged into a crevice of the main
compartment was a small nylon stuff
sack. Inside of that sack was the ob­
ject of her search. The stuff sack con­
tained a toothbrush, a comb, and ...
a small tube of toothpaste. "Is this
yours?" she asked, taking the tube
of toothpaste out of the sack, as if it
might belong to someone else? "Yes"
was my simple reply. "Well you can't
take that on an airplane," she said,
as if the tube contained explosives
rather than some minty, alkaline, and
mildly abrasive paste. "You can only
take that on the airplane if it is inside
a I-quart Ziploc clear plastic bag," she
said. Hmm, try as hard as I might, I
couldn't seem to visualize or conjure
up how a Ziploc bag would provide
the requisite protection from the po­
tential explosive qualities that might
reside in the baking powder ingredi­
ent of my toothpaste.
"I think you had better confiscate
that tube then," I said to the lady.
"My flight is already boarding, and
I would hate to miss it for lack of
a I-quart Ziploc bag." With a smug
acknowledgement that her mission
had been successfully accomplished,
she allowed me to continue to my
boarding gate.
I was hoping my flight would leave
on time so I wouldn't miss my con­
nection at the midpoint changeover
stop. On the last flight with this air­
line we had sat at the gate for over
an hour because one of the four lava­
tories on board the aircraft was not
functioning as it should. I guess only
three out of four lavatories function­

ing becomes a no-go item. Thank
God the potty chair residing in the
seventh seat of the Navajo I had just
flown was not on my inspection list.
We might have never gotten airborne
if it had been.
This time my flight miraculously
departed on time, and I arrived in
Philadelphia with more than ample
time to make my connection. Thus
I was able to observe the crew for
that flight arrive and board the air­
plane. From my seat in the terminal
I was also able to observe the first
officer as she walked down the out­
side stairway of the Jetway and com­
mence her walk-around inspection
of the airplane. I did not expect to
see her conduct a thorough preflight
inspection of the aircraft. After all, it
had just arrived at the gate a short
while ago, and I was sure that if there
had been any major squawks (like a
non-functioning lavatory), the crew
leaving the airplane would have writ­
ten them up. However, I was not pre­
pared for what I did see.
This young lady, quite possibly a
recent graduate of one of the numer­
ous flight academies that now prom­
ise "a job with the regionals," started
walking around the airplane. She had
stuck a finger of her left hand in her
left ear and to her right ear she held
a cell phone. It must have been aw­
fully hard to hear anything on that
cell phone as she walked around the
airplane, what with the auxiliary
power unit of the regional jet run­
ning, as well as numerous other air­
planes taxiing by. In fact it seemed
to command so much of her atten­
tion trying to hear on that miracle
of modern communication that she
hardly ever glanced at the airplane. r
was shocked!
r have certainly seen a wide variety
of attitudes exhibited by pilots rela­
tive to inspecting an airplane. There
are some pilots who seem to adopt
the attitude that "kick the tires ...
ligh t the fires" is sufficient, even on
the first flight of the day. Then there
are the pilots that will conduct an in­
spection as thorough as the first pre­
flight of the day, even when they
have just landed and only shut down

long enough to use the lavatory that
they might have wished they had on
board their aircraft.
Certainly prior to our first flight
of the day, it behooves each and ev­
ery one of us to conduct a thorough
preflight inspection. We all have to
guard against distractions and being
in a hurry as we do this. If you are
bringing passengers along or a fellow
pilot who might be sharing the flight
with you, be sure they do not keep
you from paying complete attention
to your inspection. All it takes is one
small distraction, or being in a hurry,
to miss something that might make
a big difference. [My kids have known
since they were little that when dad
needs to do his preflight, no interrup­
tions are allowed. The same holds from
the beginning of the run-up until after
takeoff, once we're outside of the traffic
area, and before I make my first call to
the tower once we're inbound. A simple
"It's time to be quiet now" and then "It's
okay to talk now" does the trick.-HGFJ
I can't help but wonder how many
times a pitot cover was left on or cowl
plugs left in or even, worse yet, gust
locks left in place because of a ques­
tion or comment spoken to the in­
specting pilot in the midst of the
preflight inspection, or because the
pilot was in a rush. Just one small
oversight has the potential to lead to
catastrophic results. r have seen more
than one airplane rolled up in a ball,
because for whatever reason a gust
lock had been left in place.
We all know how complacency
has the potential to lead to disaster,
and this is just as important when we
inspect our airplanes as it is in every
other aspect of aviation, whether it
be a thorough preflight inspection or
just a walk-around after a "pit stop."
So please take the ti me to be thor­
ough in your preflight inspections
. .. even when blue skies and tail
winds are beckoning.
Doug Stewart is the 2004 National
CFI of the Year, a NAFI Master Instruc­
tor, and a designated pilot examiner.
He operates DSFI Inc. (www.DSFlight.
com), based at the Columbia County
Ailport (1Bl).
....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

The "Thing"

The things we did when we were young
BY

aving done my fair share
of flying o ld airplanes
throughout t he New
England area for the past
60 years, I can recall a rather inter­
esting flight I did, with a couple of
passengers (for hire) in myoId 1936
Ryan ST, back in the 1960s.
On this particular occasion I
zipped up to an antique airplane
fly-in, a weekend affair, at Orange,
Massachusetts. On the flight up, a
formation flight at that, was Bill Post
in his DAR and another fellow in his
Meyers OTW. We all pitched tents
under our wings and had a wonder­
fu l time, par for the course naturally.

H

30

FEBR U ARY 2007

Ev

CASSAGNERES

.. .Up we went,
and just as the
airplane reversed
itself and headed
down, I heard a
. .
pIercIng scream
from the front
cockpit ...

Also par for the course was that I
was a bit low on funds, and needed
such things in order to purchase
fue l (cheap back then) and food .
Sensing that many people there
had never flown in an open-cockpit
airplane, I advertised rides in the
Ryan at 5 bucks a head per hop
over the beautiful countryside .
Mother Nature did cooperate that
weekend , and we had severe clear
with a little wind.
My first customer was an Air
Force F-86 pilot, who said he had
never been in an open-cockpit air­
plane and would also like to try his
hand on the "stick." So up we went.

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Another passenger about the same time was this New York
fashion model, with an obvious sense of humor.

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Ev shown here with his 1936 Ryan ST, NC14985, in his au·
thentic traditional helmet and goggles (AN6530).

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No radio or even an intercom in those days , so the
plan of action was to wigg le the stick when I wo uld
give it to him and he'd do th e sa m e to return the air­
plane to me.
Once we got airborne, I decided to demonstrate th e
wonderful flying capabilities of the Ryan to thi s pilot
with a few steep turns and a stall or two. After I let him
handle the ST for a few minutes, I got it back and pro­
ceeded to demonstrate my favorite maneuver, the name

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

31

Turning to
her now
open-mouthed

boyfriend,

I ventured,

"You never know,

do you?"


Typical aviator garb not only from the 1930s, but also from just a few years ago
when a radio was seldom used and pilots wore dashing white helmets, which
were quite practical.

of which I did not know at the time
and even today wonder about.
Here is how it goes (kids, don't try
this at home!)-straight and level,
cruise power, stick neutral. Then
gradually coming back on the stick
and likewise on the throttle. When
the ST pitched up at a 60-degree an­
gle, and at a near zero airspeed, I
would cut the throttle entirely, kick
hard-left rudder, whereupon the
Ryan, probably in protest, would do
a 180, hang inverted for an instant
at zero airspeed, and then slide
nose-first in the reverse direction.
Wow, what a ride.
After I landed, the F-866 pilot
handed me an extra 5 bucks and
said-"Please, when you take my
girlfriend up, you just gotta do that
'thing' maneuver for her."
Well, his girlfriend was this great­
looking, vivacious red-headed Pan-Am
stewardess. Both of them were at Or­
ange to take sky-diving lessons from
the local jump school.
32

FEBRUARY 2007

I told the F-86 guy that I would
do that "thing" only with another
pilot, so he slipped me another five
spot. With that I said, "Okay" (yes, I
was a bit hungry), and up we went.
She wore a large white hard hat (for
jumping), so I could not see her facial
expressions even when she turned
left or right in the front cockpit.
So I first flew over the pretty
countryside with gradual turns
etc., and at one point she did do a
thumbs-up to indicate she was en­
joying the ride.
So, I figured what the heck, it's
time for the "thing." Up we went,
and just as the airplane reversed
itself and headed down, I heard a
piercing scream from the front cock­
pit, and I said to myself, "She will
never fly in a small airplane again."
Not only did I hear the scream,
but also on the way down I no­
ticed one of her arms and hand
go up into the slipstream in what
I thought was protest. "Cripes,

I've really had it now!" So all the
way back to the field I did shallow
turns and a real smooth landing
on the grass.
After landing, parking, and
switching off the Menasco en­
gine, this "Miss Luscious" immedi­
ately climbed out on the wing and
turned toward me. I was expecting
a big slap on the face, or doing me
in some other way, so I cringed and
awaited the onslaught.
What happened? She threw
her arms around me, thoroughly
hugged me, adding several out-of­
this-world kisses and exclaimed,
"That was the most wonderful
airplane ride of my life!" I could
hardly believe it.
I never got their names or where
they were from, but I shall nev er
forget it. I decided then and there
that the "thing" was well worth it.
Turning to her now open-mouthed
boyfriend, I ventured, "You never
know, do you?"
~

Frank Nocera
Winder, GA 30680

• Started flying in the 1960s
• Former Angle Flight pilot

• Has owned several airplanes
• The two airplanes picured 1959 Cessna 150 (at left) and
1956 Cessna 182 - are the first
of their generation

"Why have I done business with AUA for over 15
years? Because they have always been so helpful,
as well as their ability to get me the most insurance
coverage for the lowest price."

- frank Nocera

AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 8oo·843·36J2.

AUA's Exclusive EAA VIntage Aircraft Auociation ',..urance Program

BY H.G . FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE

EAA BOEING AERONAUTICAL LIBRARY ARCHIVES. THIS MYSTERY PLANE IS OF FOREIGN ORIGIN.


Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box
3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs
to be in no later than March 10 for inclusion in the
May 2007 issue of Vintage Airplane.

You can also send your response via e-mail. Send
your answer to [email protected]. Be sure to include
your name, city, and state in the body of your note, and
put "(Month) Mystery Plane in the subject line.
II

NOV E MB ER 'S MY STERY AN S W E R


Wesley Smith of Springfield, Illi­
nois, really outdid himself with his
answer for the November 2006 Mys­
tery Plane. Here's his contribution:
34

FEBR U ARY 2007

"The November 2006 Mystery
Plane is a 1912 Bristol Coanda Im­
proved Military Monoplane (a lso
known as the Improved Military

Coanda) designed by Henri Coanda,
a noted Romanian-born engineer, sci­
entist (and apparently gifted artist)
in 1912. Six original Bristol Coandas
were constructed during 1912 by the
British and Colonial Aeroplane Com­
pany Ltd. (Bristol) at Filton, Bristol,
England. The first aircraft were given
the works numbers 77, 132, 185, 186,
188, and 189. The photograph in Vin­
tage Airplane is identical to that which
appears on page 130 of Peter Lewis'
British Aircraft 1809-1914. A special
version of the original machines,
with side-by-side seating, was given
the Bristol works number 80.
"The original Bristol Coandas were
fitted with sO-hp air-cooled Gnome

'Omega' rotary radials. In mid-1912,
a further two machines were built
for the August 1912 British military
trials. These aircraft had a reduced
span (40 feet versus the original 41
feet 3 inches), an increased length (28
feet versus the original 27 feet), and
the weight increased by 230 pounds
(1,000 pounds empty versus the
original 770 pounds). The decrease
in wingspan reduced the wing area
from 275 square feet to 242 square
feet. Another significant change was
the installation of an 80-hp Gnome
'Lambda' rotary radial in place of the
original 50-hp unit. Given Bristol
works numbers 105 and 106 (mili­
tary trials numbers 14 and IS, respec­
tively), the machines were flown
by Bristol pilots Harry Busteed and
James Valentine. Unfortunately, Val­
entine wrecked No. 105 (14) on the
first day of the trials. The machine
was then rebuilt with a fixed verti­
cal fin placed ahead of the vertical
rudder and continued to be flown by
C.H. Pixton. Prior to the trials, sev­
eral vertical rudders had been tested.
In modified form with the fixed ven­
tral fin, the 'all-moving' rudder was
moved forward of its original loca­
tion. As such, both aircraft were ac­
cepted by the RFC and assigned to
No.3 Squadron.
"Unfortunately, success was short­
lived. On 10 September 1912, a Bristol
Coanda crashed near Wolvercote, Ox­
ford, killing Lts. C.A. Bettington and
E. Hotchkiss (Military Wing, Royal
Flying Corps) . This accident followed
a spate of other accidents which re­
sulted in an unfortunate decision by
the British War Office to ban the use
of monoplanes. The Admiralty, how­
ever, continued to use monoplanes,
although none were Bristol Coandas.
Ex-military trials No. 15 continued to
soldier on as RFC serial no. 262 with
No.3 Squadron, although it is be­
lieved to have flown no more than 15
minutes in RFC hands before being
sent to the Royal Aircraft Factory on
20 February 1913 and finally struck
off on 1 September. Unlike No. 14,
which had been involved in the fatal
crash, No. 15 was fitted with a vertical
rudder of revised form that was used

on all subsequent Bristol Coandas.
No. 14, also assigned to No.3 Squad­
ron prior to the 10 September 1912
crash, was assigned the RFC number
263 (Britain 's First Warplanes. Jack M.
Bruce, pp 96-97).
"In any case, Bristol continued to
produce Coanda monoplanes, ex­
porting them to Bulgaria, Germany,
Italy, and Romania (works numbers
110, 164, 165, 166, 176, and 177).
Romanian and Italian versions had

With the demise

of the monoplane in

RFC service, such was

not the end of

the Bristol Coanda.

a stronger Grandsiegne steel undercar­
riage skids and were apparently the
same as the side-by-side machine, No.
80. In italy, the two imported Bristol
Coandas were entered by the Caproni
e Faccanoni Company in the April
1913 Italian military aircraft trails.
Given competition numbers 11 and
13, the aircraft were flown by British
pilots Sidney Sippe and Collyns Pizey.
In earlier days, Gianni Caproni was
a classmate of Coanda's in Belgium
(Science University at Liege). The pur­
chase of two British-built machines,
and a license to build Bristol Coan­
das, was due to the uncertainty of
any Caproni machines being ready in
time for the trials. Given the Italian
War Ministry prize of 10,000 lire, and
a potential order for IS machines (10
for first place, five for second place),
this was not a trifling matter. Unfor­
tunately, neither machine was admit­
ted to the final trials; however, the
fuselage of works No. 174 was appar­
ently used successfully in a static load
test at Mirafiori on 17 April.

lilt is unclear as to how many Bris­
tol Coandas were eventually built by
Caproni. According to British Aircraft
Before the Great War (Michael H. Good­
hall and Albert E. Tagg, Schiffer, pp
60-61), Caproni built only one Bristol
Coanda. However, Aeroplani Caproni:
Gianni Caproni and His Aircraft, 1910­
1983 (Museo Caproni, Trento, p 29)
states: ' ... Caproni eventually supplied
several Bristols to the Army, the mili­
tary flying field at Somma Lombardo,
near Malpensa, becoming the seat
of the Bristol Caproni monoplane
school with Tenente (i.e., Lt.) Renato
De Riso as instructor. .. .' Nevertheless,
the fuselage of the imported No. 174
survives in the Caproni Museum, the
sole remaining Bristol Coanda arti­
fact. What is clear is that Caproni was
entrusted with the maintenance of
the Bristol Coandas. Some are reputed
to have been fitted with stabilators in
place of the original horizontal sta­
bilizer/elevators of the original ma­
chines. Others were fitted with wheel
brakes. A few of the aircraft were ap­
parently sent to Bristol at some pOint,
but they appear to have remained in
use as trainers in Italy throughout the
whole of 1914.
"In addition to Italy, three Bristol
Coandas were supplied to Romania.
The purported use of Bristol Coan­
das by Bulgaria and Germany remain
elusive . However, Lewis states that
the 1912 Improved Military Coan­
das were fitted with a revised rudder
and increased wingspan of 42 feet 9
inches (as depicted in the Vintage Air­
plane photo). The Military Coandas
were given the Bristol works numbers
118, 121, 122, 123, 131, and 142-154.
All such aircraft were fitted with 80­
hp Gnomes, with the exception of
No. Ill, which was fitted with the
inline, water-cooled 70-hp Daimler
engine taken from Gordon England's
Bristol G.E. 2 (i.e., 'Gordon England
2') . Flown as No. 13 during the 1912
British military trials, No. 111 also
had a lengthened fuselage 30 feet 9
inches in length, a reduced span of
39 feet 4 inches, with a wing area of
260 square feet, and a four-blade pro­
peller. The Military Coandas had a
fuselage length of 29 feet 2 inches,
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

35

a wing area of 280 square feet, an
empty weight of 1,050 pounds, with
a gross weight of 1,775 pounds. The
first Improved Military Coanda (No.
118) had a maximum speed of 71
mph and cost 1,400 pounds.
"With the demise of the mono­
plane in RFC service, such was not
the end of the Bristol Coanda.
"Following the crash of No. 14,
Bristol constructed seven B.R. 7 bi­
planes with 70-hp Renault or 90­
hp Daimler engines. Five were to go
to Spain but were not accepted. Nev­
ertheless, the Admiralty had been im­
pressed enough to order what was
essentially a biplane version of the
Improved Military Coanda, similar
to the B.R. 7, but known as the Bris­
tol TB. 8 (TB., standing for 'tractor
biplane'), using the fuselage of Bris­
tol Coanda monoplane No. 121. Six
converted Bristol Coanda Improved
Military monoplanes, fitted with
a rotary bomb carrier (holding 12 10­
pound bombs) designed by Coanda,
were sold to Romania. Converted No.
143 was sold to R.P. Creagh in July of
1914, and it was soon impressed for
service in the RFC following the out­
break of hostilities in August. Several
others on order were impressed in ad­
dition to Creagh's machine and were
assigned RFC serials numbers 634
(Creagh), 614, 615, and 620. At least
No. 615 was apparently fitted with an
80-hp Clerget rotary radial in place
of the usual 80-hp Gnome. Number
634 was tested at Farnborough in
mid-August but was rejected as un­
safe by the RFC along with Nos. 614
and 620. However, the RNAS (Royal
Naval Air Service) was still quite in­
terested and accepted Nos. 614 and
620 as RNAS Nos. 948 and 917, serv­
ing at Eastchurch and Dunkerque by
October 1914.
"A further dozen T.B. 8s were mod­
ified by Frank BarnwelC who had suc­
ceeded Coanda at Bristol, and were
accepted by the War Office. These T.B.
8s were fitted with ailerons in place of
the original wing warping, had stag­
gered wings and a revised cowling.
Fuel capacity was also increased to 25
gallons. Assigned RFC serials 691-702,
the first was delivered to Farnbor­
36 FEBRUARY 2007

ough on 26 September 1914, with six
more delivered by 17 October. None,
however, were taken on charge by the
RFC. All were reassigned to the RNAS
and renumbered as Nos. 1216-27.
Some of these saw limited use in the
early phases of the Great War, serving
at various RNAS stations. However,
RNAS General Memorandum No. 21
warned of the type's basic unsuitabil­
ity, stating in part: ' ... (the TB. 8s,
auth.) are machines which were pur­
chased for use as practice machines
for advanced pupils. They are not
suitable for flying loaded full up with
petrol and passenger and must not
be used thus loaded, except under
exceptional circumstances by skilled
pilots who understand that the ma­
chines are in an overloaded condi­
tion ... ' (for further details, please see,
Jack M. Bruce's excellent book Aero­
planes of the Royal Flying Corps (Mili­
tary Wing, pp 156-158».
"The TB. 8 had a span of 37 feet 8
inches, a length of 29 feet 3 inches,
and a wing area of 450 square feet.
The weight was 970 pounds (empty),
with a loaded weight of 1,665 pounds.
The maximum speed was 75 mph, 4
mph faster than a Bristol Coanda
Improved Military Monoplane, and
could climb to 3,000 feet in 11 min­
utes. Duration was five hours.
"Born on 7 June 1886, Coanda
first studied at the Technische Hoch­
schule at Chariottenburg in 1905.
This was followed by study at the
Liege Science University. In 1907­
08, he constructed a glider while liv­
ing in Belgium (World War One Aero,
No. 97. September 1983. Coanda, pp
17-23). He graduated from the Su­
perior School of Aeronautics (ecoLe
superieur de L'ae ronautiq/le) at Paris
during 1909. Prior to his association
with Bristol, Coanda had designed
several other powered aircra ft, no­
tably a unique biplane powered by
a hybrid turbine engine (the com­
pressor was actually driven by a 50­
hp Clerget reCiprocating engine).
Whether this machine actually flew
is a matter for conjecture; neverthe­
less, it was displayed at the 1910 sa­
1011 de L'aeronautique at Paris and is
the aircraft for which he is usually

remembered. Coanda next designed
a unique twin-engined high-wing
monoplane, which also proved to
be unsuccessful. Two of these ma­
chines were apparently built and
were possibly intended to serve as
bombers. Both machines were pow­
ered by twin 50-hp Gnome engines,
mounted on either side of the fuse­
lage, driving a single four-blade trac­
tor propeller through a transverse
gearbox and extension shaft.
"After the 1912 Bristol Coanda
series of monoplanes, Coanda de­
signed the B.C. 2 seaplane, which was
not built. This was followed by two
seaplanes fitted with a central main
float, numbered 120 and 121 by Bris­
tol. Harry Busteed nearly drowned
in the crash of No. 120. The second
machine, No . 121, was rebuilt from
one of the Bristol Coandas. With a
new fuselage, it was delivered to the
Admiralty on 2 January 1914, with
works No. 205 (naval aircraft No. IS),
and is sometimes known as the TB.
8H (the 'H' standing for 'hydro' or
'hydroaeroplane,' a contemporane­
ous term for 'seaplane') .
"The Bristol Coanda G.B. 75 (the
designation possibly standing for
'Gnome Bristol,' the '75' referring
to the horsepower of the Gnome
Monosoupape engine) was built
for Romanian Crown Prince Can­
tacuzene and was displayed at the
Olympia Aero Show in March 1914.
Like the T B. 8, it was acquired for RFC
service but disappears from available
records early in the war. The Bristol
Coanda P.B. 8 (possibly 'Pusher Bi­
plane 8'), completed in 1914 (works
No. 99), was completed but not
flown, its engine being requisitioned
for use by the British War Office. A
further deSign, known as the R.B .,
was a second aircraft designed for
Prince Cantacuzene by Coanda that
was apparently never built.
"Returning to France, Coanda de­
signed the Delaunay-Belleville bi­
plane bomber in 1916, one of three
aircraft types he designed for that
company (they were primarily an au­
tomobile manufacturer). A year later
in 1917, Coanda designed the BN 2
for the French S.I.A. company. This

was a large night bomber (bombarda­
ment nuit), resembling the Handley­
Page 0/400, and was powered by two
American 400-hp Liberty engines.
Still under construction at the time
of the Armistice in 1918, the aircraft
used a large amount of duralumin in
its construction and was given a fa­
vorable test flight report after the end
of the war.
"Following the end of World War
I, Coanda engaged in a lengthy study
of fluid dynamics, which led to the
design of a device for which he was
granted a patent during 1934. In
fact, this discovery became known
as the 'Coanda effect,' from about
1937. In 1935, Coanda apparently
designed a circular planform aircraft
which he called an ' Aerodine Len­
ticulara.' He returned to Romania in
1970 and joined the Bucharest Poly­
technic Institute, before passing away
on 25 November 1972.
"Ironically, the 'monoplane ban'
was not lifted until relatively late in
the Great War (late 1916) when Bris­
tol introduced the M.1 (there were
three variants, the M.1A/B/C), an
advanced monoplane fighter pow­
ered by a 110-hp Clerget rotary ra­
dial (and capable of a maximum
speed of 128 mph at 5,400 feet), that
saw only limited wartime use; it is
noted for being the first aircraft to fly
over the Andes Mountains in South
America, when an example given to
the Chilean government by the Brit­
ish was flown across by Us. Godey
and Cortinez on 4 April 1919. The
six M.1s given to Chile in 1917 were
partial payment made by the U.K. in
exchange for two warships comman­
deered by the Royal Navy at the start
of the war that were being built for
Chile at dockyards in England."
Wesley R. Smith
Springfield, Illinois

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Other correct answers were re­
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via e-mail from Jack Erickson, State
College, Pennsylvania, and Jim Hays,
Brownwood, Texas.
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

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2007 MAJOR

FLy-INS

For details on EM Chapter flY'ins and other local aviation events, visit www.eaa.orglevents

Th e (o l/owing li s t o( coming eve nts is
(urnished to our readers as a matter o( in(or­
mation only and does not constitute approval,
sponsorship, in volvement, control, or direc­
tion o( any event (fly-in, seminars, fly market,
etc.) listed. To sllbmit an event, send the in­
(ormation via mail to: Vintage Airplane, P.O.
Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903 -3086 . Or
e-mail the in(ormation to: vintageaircraft@
eaa .org. Information should be received (0111'
months prior to the event date.

APRIL 27-28-Waco , TX-Texas State
Technical College(TSTC). 5th Texas
Aviation EXPO 2007 presented by
The Texas Aviation Association.
Five acres of ramp static display. A
robust agenda of 60 hours of safety
seminars, vast assortments of
vendors showcasing their products
and services , anticipating 700 to
1000 attendees, speakers George
D. "Pinky" Nelson, former NASA
Astronaut and J.w. "Corkey" Fornof,
movie stunt aviation character.
COME SHARE TH E ADVENTURE!
www.txaa .org
MAY 4-6-Burlington, NC-Alamance
County Airport (KBUY) . VAA Chapter
3 Spring Fly-In. All classes welcome.
BBQ on field Fri. Evening, EAA judging
all classes Sat., Banquet Sat. Nite.
Info: Jim Wilson 843-753-7138 or
[email protected]
MAY 31·JUNE 2-Bartlesville, OK-Frank
Phillips Field (BVO). 21st Annual
Biplane Expo. Info: Charlie Harris
918-622-8400 www.biplaneexpo.com
AUGUST S-Queen City, MO-Applegate
Airport (15MO). 20th Annual
Watermelon Ry-In & BBQ. 2pm 'til dark.
Come and see grass roots aviation at
it's best. Info: 660-766-2644
August S-Chetek, WI-Southworth
Municipal airport (Y23). BBQ Fly-In.
10:30am Warbird displays , antique
38

FEBRUAR Y 2007

Sun 'n Fun Fly-In

Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL).

Lakeland, FL

April 17-23, 2007

www.Sun-N-Fun.org
EAA Southwest Regional-The Texas Fly-In

Hondo Municipal Airport (HDO), Hondo, TX

June 1-2, 2007

www.SWRR.org
Golden West EAA Regional Fly-In

Yuba County Airport (MYV), Marysville, CA

June 29-July 1, 2007

www.GoldenWestRyln.org

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
Wittman Regional Airport (OSH ), Oshkosh, WI
July 23-29, 2007
www.AirVenture.org
EAA Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In
Marion Municipal Airport (MNN), Marion, OH
August 25-26, 2007
http://MERR.info
Virginia Regional EAA Fly-In
Dinwiddie County Airport (PTB), Petersburg, VA
October 6-7 , 2007
www.VAEAA.org

Rocky Mountain EAA Regional Fly-ln

Front Range Airport (FTG), Watkins, CO

June 23-24, 2007

www.RMRFI.org

EAA Southeast Regional Fly-In
Middleton Field Airport (GZH), Evergreen, AL
October 12·14, 2007
www.SERR.org

Arlington EAA Fly-In
Arlington Municipal Airport (AWO), Arlington, WA
July 11-15, 2007
www.NWEAA.org

Copperstate Regional EAA Fly-In
Casa Grande (Arizona) Municipal Airport (CGZ)
October 25-28, 2007
www.copperstate.org

and unique airplanes, antique &
collector car displays, and raffles
for airplane rides . Procedes will
be given to local charities. Info:
Chuck Harrison - Office 715-924­
4501, Cell 715-456-8415, fixdent@
chibardun .net; Tim Knutson - Home
715-237-2477, Cell 651-308-2839,
[email protected]
SEPTEMBER I - Marion , IN-Marion
Municipal Airport (MZZ) . 17th
Annual Fly-In Cruise-In. 7:00am until
2:00pm. This annual event features
antique, classic , homebuilt, ultralight
and warbird aircraft as well as
vintage cars , trucks, motorcycles,
and tractors. An all-you-can-eat
Pancake Breakfast is served , with
all proceeds going to the local

Marion High School Marching
Band . www.FlylnCruiseln.comlnfo :
Ray Johnson (765) 664-2588 or
[email protected]
SEPTEMBER 21·22- Bartlesville ,
OK-Frank Phillips Field (BVO).
51st Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In.
Antiques, Classics, Light Sport,
Warbirds, Forum, Type Clubs . Info:
Charlie Harris 918-622-8400 www.
tulsaflyin .com
OCTOBER 5·7-Camden, SC-Kershaw
County Airport (KCDN). VAA
Chapter 3 Fall Fly-In . All classes
welcome. BBQ on field Fri .
Evening. EAA judging all classes
Sat. Banquet Sat. Nite. Info: Jim
Wilson 843-753-7138 or eiwilson@
homexpressway.net




VINTAGE

Membershi~ Services
AIRCRAFT

ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND

ASSOCIATION
THE EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
OFFICERS
President
Geoff Robison
152 1 E. MacGregor Dr.
New Haven , IN 4677 4
260-493-4724
dlie{7025@aol .com

Vice-Presiden t
George Daubn er
2448 Lough Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-673-5885
vaa{lybny(n),nm.cOIlI

Se<.:r~tary

Treasu rer

Steve Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507 -373-1674
stllfs(!JiJeskmeciia.co111

Charles W. Harris

7215 Eas t 46t h St.

Tulsa, OK 74 14 7

918-622-8400
cwh«(l')h v~u.co m

DIRECTORS
Steve Bender
85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn, MA 0) 770
508-653-7557
sst J()@co m cast.l1f't

Jeanni e Hill
P.O. Box 328
Harvard, I L 60033-0328
815-943-7205

David Bennett
375 Killdeer Ct

dillglwU@oU'C.ll('/

Lincoln, CA 95648
916-645-8370

Espie "Butch" Joyce
704 N. Reg ional Rd.
Greensboro, NC 27409
336-668-3650

mltiqller@illreacll .colll

windsock@an/ .com

john Berendt
7645 Echo Point Rd.
Ca nnon Fall s, M N 55009
507-263-24 14

Steve Krog
1002 Hea ther Ln.
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966- 7627

1I1;b(c llldC!l7COIll1f'C t. (OI11

s.~ k rog(tinol.com

Dave Clark
635 Vesta l Lan e
Plainfield, IN 46168
3 17-8 39 -4 500

Robert D. "Bob" Lum ley
1265 South 124th 51.
Brookfield, WI 5300S
262-782-26:n

davt'cpd(q'iqllfst .1Iet

[email protected]

John S. Copeland
l A Deacon Street
Northborough, MA 015 32
508-393-4775

Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court
Roa noke, TX 76262
817-49 1-9 110

(ol,ehmd l @j llllO.com

gellemorris@c/wrtf:'r.llet

Phil Coulson
28415 Springbrook Dr.
Llwto n , MI 49065
269 -624-6490

Dean Richardso n
1429 Kings Lynn Rd
Stough ton, WI 53589
608-877-8485

rcolJ iso1l516@n .com

da [email protected]

D<lle A. Gustafson
7724 Shady Hills Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 462 78
317 -293 -44 30

S. H. "Wes" Schmid
2359 Lefeber Aven ue
Wauwatosa, W I 532 13
414-77 1-1 545

dalefa},e@ms ll.com

sl1scl1mid(g'l1li lwpc.com

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Gene Chase
2 159 Carlton Rd.
Oshkosh, W I 54904
920-231-5002

I.E. "Buck" Hilbert

GRC HA@'ciUlrter.llet

buck l ac@dis. llet

8102 Leech Rd .
Union, IL 60 180
8 15-923-4591

Ro nald c:. Frit z
1540 1 Spa rta Ave.
Kent CitY, M1 49330
6 16-678-5 012

Directory


~

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

Phon e (920) 426-4800

Fax (920) 426-4873


Web Sites: www.vintageaircra(t.arg, www.airventure.arg, www.eaa.arg/memberbenefits

E-Mail: vintageaircra(t@eaa. arg
Flying Start Program .... ........ 920-426-6847
EAA and Division Membership Services
. .920-426-4848
800-843-3612 . ... . . ....... FAX 920-426-6761
Library Services/ Research.
(8:00 AM-7:00 PM
Monday-Friday CST)
Medical Questions ... . ..... ..... 920-426-6112
Technical Counselors ... . .. . .... 920-426-6864
-New/renew memberships: EAA, Divisions
Young Eagles .. ...... . ......... 877-806-8902
(Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC, Warbirds),
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Benefi ts
(NAFI)

AUA Vintage Insurance Plan ..... 800-727-3823
-Address changes

EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan ..... 866-647-4322
- Merchandise sales

Term Life and Accidental ..... ... 800-241-6103
- Gift memberships

Death Insurance (Harvey Watt &: Company)
EAA Platinum VISA Card . . 800-853-5576 ext. 8884
Progra ms a nd Activities
EAA Aircraft Financing Plan .... 866-808-6040
EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory
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.......................
. .. 732-885-6711
.... . . . ...... . . . . . ... . . . 877-GA1-ERAC
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Chapters: locating/organizing .... 920-426-48 76
- Submitting article/photo
Education ..................... 888-322-3229
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Flight Advisors information.. . .. 920-426-6864
Artifact Donations ..
. . ... 920-426-4877
Flight Instructor information ..... 920-426-6801
Financial Support. . . . . . . . . . . .. 800-236-1025

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft
Association, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ­
ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATIO N . Family
membership is an additional $10 annually.
Junior Membership (under 19 years of age)
is ava il able at $23 annually. All ma jor credit
cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 fo r
Foreign Pastage.)

EAA SPORT PILOT
Curre nt EAA members may add EAA
SPOR T PILOT magazine fo r an additiona l
$20 per year.
EAA Membe rship a n d EA A S POR T
PILOT magazine is ava il ab le for $40 per
yea r (SPORT AVIATION magazi n e n ot in­
cluded) . (A dd $16 far Fo reign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
C u rrent EAA members may join the
Vin tage Aircraft Assoc ia ti on and receive
VINTAGE A IRPLANE magazine for an ad­
d itional $36 per year.
EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE
magaZine and one year membership in the EAA
Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46
per year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in­
cluded). (A dd $7 for Foreign Postage,)

lAC

C u rrent EAA m embers may join the
In t e rn a t ion a l Aerobati c C lub, Inc. Divi­
sio n and rece ive SPORT AEROBATICS
magazine for an a d di t iona l $45 per year.
EAA Membership, SPORT AEROBA T­
ICS magaZine a nd o n e year m embership
in t he lAC Divisio n is ava il able fo r $55
per year (S PORT AVIA TIO N magazine
not in cl u ded). ( Add $ 18 fOT Fore ig n
Postage_)

WARBIRDS
Current EAA members may join th e EAA
Warbird s of America Division and receive
WA RBIRDS magazine for an additional $45
per year.
EAA Members h ip, WA RBIRDS maga­
zine and one yea r membe rship i n the
Warbird5 Division is ava ilable for $55 per
yea r (SPORT AVIATION magaZine not in ­
cluded). (A dd $7 for Foreign Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please su b m it yo u r remittance with a
check or draft drawn on a Un ited States
bank payable in United States do llars. Add
required Fo reign Postage amoun t for each
membership.

rFrit z@fJa tllwa}"let.coI"

Membership dues to EM and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
Copyright ©2006 by the EM ,"ntage Aircraft Association, All rights reserved .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM ,"ntage Aircraft Association of the Experimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM Avia­
tion Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd " PO Box 3066, Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54903-3086, e-mail: [email protected]. Membership to ,"ntage Aircraft Association, which includes 12 issues of ,"ntage Airplane magazine,
is $36 per year for EM members and $46 for non-EM members. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ,"ntage Airplane,
PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40032445 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to World Distribution Services, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5, e-mail: [email protected]. FOR­
EIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPlANE to foreign and APO addresses via surtace mail. ADVERTISING - ,"ntage Aircraft Association does not guarantee
or endorse any product offered through the advertising. We invite constructive criticism and welcome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertiSing so that corrective measures can be taken.
EDITORIAL POLlCY: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with
the contribotor. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent to: Editor, VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.
EAA® and EM SPORT AVIATION®. the EM Logo® and Aeronautica Tid are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service mal1o:s of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Inc. The use of these trademarks and
service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Inc. is strictly prohibited.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

39

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Classified Display Ads: One column wide (2.167 inches) by 1 , 2, or
3 inches high at $20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency
discounts.
Advertising Closing Dates: 10th of second month prior to desired
issue date (i.e. , January 10 is the closing date for the March issue). VAA
reserves the right to reject any advertising in conflict with its policies.
Rates cover one insertion per issue. Classified ads are not accepted via
phone. Payment must accompany order. Word ads may be sent via fax
(920-426-4828) or e-mail (classads@eaa .org) using credit card payment
(all cards accepted). Include name on card, complete address, type of

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card, card number, and expiration date. Make checks payable to EAA.

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800-544-8594

Fax 785-594-3922

Address advertising correspondence to EAA Publications Classified Ad

www.mcfarlaneaviation.com
[email protected]

881 VISA'lldl

Flight Comes

~ALIVE!~

View more than 170 airplanes
and 20,000 historic aviation
artifacts at one of the finest
aviation museums in the world.

Members get in FREE!
www.airventuremuseum.org

Phone: (920) 426-4818

Email: [email protected]


Manager, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Airplane T-Shirts
150 Different Airplanes Available
WE PROBABLY HAVE
YOUR AIRPLANE!
www.airp/anetshirts.com
1-800-645-7739
Flying wires available. 1994 pricing.
Visit www.f/yingwires.com or call
800-517 -9278.
THERE'S JUST NOTHING LIKE IT

ON THE WEB!!

www.aviation-giftshop.com
A Website with the Pilot in Mind
(and those who love airplanes)
Warner engines. Two 165s, one fresh
O.H ., one low time on Fairchild 24
mount with all accessories . Also
Helton Lark and Aeronca C-3 project.
Find my name and address in the
Officers and Directors listing and call
evenings. E. E. " Buck" Hilbert.
A&P I.A.: Annual, 100 hr. inspections.

Wayne Forshey 740-472-1481

Ohio - statewide.


/\1 RVENTURE
MUSEUM

~
40

FEBRUARY 2007

CUSTOM PRINTED T-SHIRTS for your
flying club, flight shop, museum. Free
samples. Call 1-800-645-7739 or 1­
828-654-9711

www.aircraftnotes.com : Aircraft
review! Research and Contribute
knowledge about aircraft. What kind
of experiences have been had by
others with a specific aircraft? Add
your comments on aircraft here
BABBITT BEARING SERVICE - rod
bearings, main bearings,bushings, master
rods, valves, piston rings. Call us Toll
Free 1-800-233-6934, e-mail ramremfg@
ao/.com Website www.ramengine.com
VINTAGE ENGINE MACHINE WORKS,
N. 604 FREYA ST., SPOKANE, WA 99202
LET BRENCO HELP YOU GET YOUR IA
CERTIFICATE-Brencohas a 25 year
history of training A&P 's to obtain their
Inspection Authorization. Courses
are offered every year in Battle Creek
MI , Columbus OH , Kenosha WI and
Rockford IL. Call 1-800-584-1392 for
additional information
TIME FOR YOUR MEDICAL?

Blood sugar, cholesterol, triglycerides,

blood pressure issues?

E-mail or write me and I'll send you my

lab results (before & after) and tell you

how I got MY medical.

Richard Denison

104 Teche St.

New Iberia, La 70560

cyc/[email protected]
(337)365-5621

-k.


E ea-!I!~~tion


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X-PLAN VEHICLE PRICING

'

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~,

ENJOY THE PRIVILEGE
OF PARTNERSHIP
DearEAA,
Ijust hadprobably the easiest most
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internet, I entered the Ford dealer­
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East Greenbush, Hew Yom
EAAMember

2007 Ford F-150 continues to offer the industry's widest variety of body configu­
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Get your personal identification number (PIN) and learn about the great value of Partner RecognitionIX-Pian
pricing from the EM website (www.eaa.org) by clicking on the EANFord Program logo. You must be an EM
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Certain restrictions apply. Available at participating dealers. Please refer to
www.eaa.org or call 800-842-3612.
~

LINCOLN

MERCURY

JAGUAR

FOR THE OWNER

o SEEKS

1tdtM~·~'l/l/r.

R~ in

the .irpotts of tfte WOttd •• the mod cfiatiIMJui"," of .1 priv.t.

SPARTAN "Eucutj,;e" is the
t of ~eryt"in9 .... ditcnmi fi"9
Ioob for in penouI tr.mport.t;on: .the nciti 9 beauty of ~bred d "9

plaNe.

""""....
of ultr.
rt cu om-bu t iAttwlon " " • " the Mewity of ..... _tal
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t t .dd.to performane•• nd Mfaty"""
,
_
....t _
..,an .......,• .11 . '
I n. more ....ctiMJ ~ d_nd.. the
~

you _

it to y--tf to i"",amga. the "&.cutin", Sand NCf" If on
.........d for demonatr.tioA or



"t.1ot­

SPARTAN AIRCAAFT COMPANY • • • - - - • - TULSA, OKlAHOMA

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