Vintage Airplane - Jul 1982

STRAIGHT AND  LEVEL 
The Thirtieth Annual EAA International Convention
will begin on Saturday, July 31, 1982 and what an event
it will be! When you think about it, thirty years is "old"
to some of our young members, and simply a part of our
"memory banks" for some of us. A lot has transpired
from the first EAA Fly-In to the '82 Convention. Progress
has been made and there most certainly will be more to
come.
Since the ground was broken during the 1981 Con-
vention for our new EAA Headquarters and Aviation
Museum, the progress of the Capital Campaign Fund
has shown tremendous strides toward completion of the
project, and if all continues to go well we should see our
permanent facilities finished on schedule. When attending
the Convention this year, be sure to visit the construction
site.
Do you recall the day preceding the start of the '81
Convention? That Friday morning dawning clear and the
weather was excellent throughout most of the U.S. A few
early arrivals were on the field that morning but before
the sun had set, the entire Antique/Classic show plane
parking area was full, the show plane camping area was
overflowing and suddenly, acres of parking spaces were
filled. From early morning until darkness a constant flow
of arrivals poured into Wittman Field at Oshkosh. Our
hats were off to the volunteers who directed, ushered
and parked this mass of aircraft.
Our daily Antique/Classic forums will begin on Satur-
day, July 31 and continue through Friday, August 6.
Ron Fritz and Jack Winthrop will host the forums and
they will have daily schedules posted on the bulletin
board at the Red Barn. As we were advised in "Hot Line"
of SPORT AVIATION, NASA will have many interesting
exhibits and forums at the Convention. Each of us will
want to plan our forum attendance to include the NASA
programs too.
During the week, Paul Stephenson will again be
interviewing many restorers concerning their aircraft.
The interviews are always interesting with explanations
of the restorations and significant events in the plane's
early years of flight. Paul will be contacting many
members as they arrive to request participation in his
interview circle, so be prepared when the tips of his
mustache flutter and his eyes begin to sparkle!
The Antique/Classic Hospitality Tent will again be
open and under the able direction ofOX-5er Bob Wallace,
his lovely wife, Freda, and other OX-5 members. We
want to welcome members of OX-5, QBs, Silver Eagles
and all old timers, many of whom have contributed so
much to aviation. When you see these ladies and gentle-
men during your Convention visit, be sure and introduce
yourself and invite them to our Antique/Classic Division
area.
By  Brad  Thomas 
President 
Antique/Classic Division 
On Wednesday, August 4, our Division will be recog-
nized during the daily airshow program when, under the
able direction of Phil Coulson and Willard Benedict, the
annual Parade of Flight will be run. As always, this will
be an airborne display of aircraft from the oldest flyabl e
plane at the Convention up through Classics manu-
factured by December 31, 1955. Nowhere in the world
can a person see, in flight , such representative aircraft
as we present at this spectacle. Phil and Willard will
be requesting participation of certain aircraft in the
Parade of Flight, so if the honor is bestowed on your
plane, this is a fine recognition of your restoration
achievement.
Also on Wednesday, following the air show, the annual
Antique/Classic Division picnic will be held in Vern's
Park on the east side of Lake Louise at the Nature
Center. Director John Turgyan will have tickets avail-
able for the picnic at the Red Barn headquarters. He
will again need the fine support of volunteers as in the
past to make this event the success it always is.
The Red Barn headquarters is the "social" contact
spot for the Convention. Managed by Kate Morgan,
Ruth Coulson and their assistants, the Barn headquarters
will have for sale, back issues of The  VINTAGE  AIR-
PLANE,  Division decals, hats, jackets and other related
Division items. Of interest this year will be the availability
of lapel pins of the 1981 Oshkosh Antique Grand Cham-
pion aircraft. These will be available only through our
Division and they are a limited production item.
Saturday, August 7, 1982 marks the day for our annual
EAA Antique/Classic Division membership meeting, to be
held at 10:30 a.m. in the Division Hospitality tent adjacent
to the Red Barn. Open to all Division members in good
standing and their guests, we invite you to make an
effort to attend and express your thoughts regarding
the management and operation of the Division.
We sincerely hope you will enjoy your visit to the
Thirtieth Annual EAA International Convention at Osh-
kosh. As always, if you need information, please do not
hesitate to stop by our headquarters with your request s.
Fly safely and drive carefully!
2 JULY 1982
PUBLICATION OF THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC.
OF THE EXPERIMENTALAIRCRAFTASSOCIATION, INC.
P.O. BOX 229, HALES CORNERS, WI 53130
COPYRIGHT©1982 EMANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC., ALLRIGHTS RESERVED
JULY 1982 VOLUME 10 NUMBER 7 
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
W. Brad Thomas, Jr. JackC. Winthrop
301 Dodson Mill Road Route 1, Box 111
Pilot Mountain,NC 27041 Allen, TX 75002
919/368-2875  Home 214/727-5649 
919/368-2291  Office
Secretary Treasurer
M. C. "Kelly" Viets E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
7745W. 183rd St. P.O. Box 145
Stilwell ,KS 66085 Union, IL 60180
913/681-2303  Home 815/923-4591 
9131782-6720  Office 
DIRECTORS ADVISORS
Ronald Fritz Morton W. Lester Ed Burns 
15401 SpartaAvenue P.O. Box 3747  1550Mt. Prospect Road
Kent City.MI 49330 Martinsville,VA 24112 Des Plaines, IL60018
616/678-5012  703/632-4839  3121298-7811  • 
John S. Copeland
Claude L. Gray,Jr. ArthurR. Morgan
9JoanneDrive 
9635 SylviaAvenue 3744 North 51st Blvd. 
Westborough,MA01581
Northridge, CA 91324 Milwaukee, WI 53216
617/366-7245 
213/349-1338  414/442-3631 
Stan Gomoll 
104290th Lane,NE 
Minneapolis, MN 55434 
Dale A.Gustafson
6121784-1172
John R. Turgyan
7724 ShadyHill Drive
1530 Kuser Road
Indianapolis,IN 46274
Espie M. Joyce,Jr.
Trenton,NJ 08619
317/293-4430  Box468
609/585-2747 
Madison, NC 27025
919/427-0216 
AI Kelch S.J. Wittman
66 W.622 N. MadisonAve Box 2672
Gene Morris 
Cedarburg, WI 53012 Oshkosh,WI 54901  27 ChandelleDrive
Hampshire, IL60140 414/377-5886  414/235-1 265 
312/683-3199 
Roy Redman
Robert E. Kesel GeorgeS. York
Rt. 1, Box39
Kilkenny,MN 56052
455 OakridgeDrive 181 SlobodaAve.
Rochester,NY 14617 Mansfield,OH 44906
507/ 334-5922
716/342-3170  419/529- 4378 
S. H. "Wes"Schmid
2359 LefeberRoad
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
414/771-1545 
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER EDITOR
Paul H. Poberezny Gene R. Chase
ASSOC. EDITOR EDITORIALASSISTANTS
GeorgeI..  Hardie,Jr. Norman Petersen Pat EHer
FRONT COVER ...Flying over typical
Texas countryside is Gordon Bour-
land' s award winning Waco EGC-8.
This particular airplane has responded
to the deft hands of Howard Hughes in
itsearly years. See story on page 6.
BACK COVER ...An American endur-
ance record of three hOurs, 51 minutes
was established on October 31, 1912
by this Thomas model TA with a 50 hp
Kirkham engine. The bitterly cold flight
between Bath and Savona, NY had
(Photo by Larry Dockery)
Walter Johnson as pilot and Arthur
Blazier as pas·senger. See story on
page 8.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Straightand Level ...By Brad Thomas ............ 2
AlC News . ..By Gene Chase ...... . ........ . . . . .. . 4
Midwest Aero Historians Meet . ..
By George Hardie ...... . . .... . . ..... .... . . ..... 5
Antique/Classic Forum Schedule................... 5
Gordon Bourland's EGC-8 Cabin Waco ...
By Norman Petersen ..... .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. .... .. .. 6
Just "Plane" Tommy;The Story ofthe Thomas-
Morse Aircraft Corporation, Part I ...
By Al Kelch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 8
Eric Baldwin and His Fairchild PT-23 ...
By Timothy L.  Talen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 12
Stinson Model 10- A Super Machine ...
By Eugene Soper . .... ... . .... .... ......... . .... 14
The Cost of Flying Circa 1917 ...................... 16
Collecting Aviation Post Cards . . .
By Bob Krueger . .. .... . . ... . ..... .. .. .. ....... . 17
Borden's Aeroplane Posters From The 1930's ...
By Lionel Salisbury. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Letters To The Editor.............................. 22
Members' Projects . .... .. . ...... . ...... .. ...... . .. 24
Mystery Plane..................................... 25
CalendarOfEvents................................ 25
Page 6 Page 8 Page 12
Editorial Policy: 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 contributor. Material should be sent to: Gene R. Chase, Editor, The VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE, P.O. Box229, Hales Corners, WI 53130.
Associate Editorships are assigned to those writers who submit five or more articles which are published in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE during the
current year.Associates receive a bound volume ofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and a free one-yearmembership in the Division fortheireffort.
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is owned exclusively by EAA Antiquel Classic Division, Inc., and is published monthly at Hales Corners,
Wisconsin 53130. Second Class Postage paid at Hales Corners Post Office, Hales Corners, Wisconsin 53130, and additional mailing offices. Mem-
bership rates for EAA Antiquel Classic Division, Inc., are $14.00 for current EAA members per 12 month period of which $10.00 is for the publication
ofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Membership is open to all who are interested in aviation.
ADVERTISING - Antiquel Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising. We invite constructive
criticism and welcome anyreport of inferiormerchandise obtained through ouradvertising so that corrective measurescan be taken.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
NASA AT OSHKOSH '82
The  theme  of  this  year's  EAA  Convention  at  Osh-
kosh  is  "EAA  Salutes  NASA  Aeronautics",  and  many 
of  the  forums  during  the  July  31  to  August  7  meet  will 
highlight  the  advances  made  by  the  National  Aero-
nautics  and  Space  Administration  (NASA). 
A  series  of  technical  papers  will  be  presented  at 
over  30  forums  by  researchers  from  Ames,  Langley  and 
Lewis  NASA  Aeronautics  Centers.  All  of  the  presenta-
tions  will  be  of interest to  every  sport  and  general  avia-
tion  pilot.  The  NASA  General  Aviation  StalVSpin  Pro-
gram,  Applications  of  Crashworthiness  Technology,  and 
Wind  Tunnel  Airfoil  Performance  are  just  a  few  of  the 
many  topics  that  will  be  explored.  Some  of  the  NASA 
programs  will  be  of  special  interest  to  homebuilders, 
including:  Research  on  Advanced  Configurations  and 
the  Application  of  Composite  Materials  to  Light  Air-
craft. 
NASA  has  confirmed  four  aircraft  for  Oshkosh  '82, 
namely  the  Langley  AA-1  Yankee  (NASA  501),  Langley 
PA-28T  (NASA  519),  Ames  AD-1  Oblique  Wing  and 
the  full  scale  model  of  the  Hi-Mat  vehicle.  In  addition, 
the  NASA  robot  is  being  completely  rebuilt  and  will  be 
seen  at Oshkosh  '82. 
AGE LIMIT FOR PILOTS
We  have  been  told  that  the  FAA  will  soon  publish 
in  the  Federal  Register  an  Advance  Notice  of  Proposed 
Rule  Making  that  will  suggest  an  age  limit  of  60  years 
for  pilots  other  than  those  flying  for  the  airlines.  We 
have  not  seen  the  details  of  this  ANPRM  but  a  good 
guess  is  that  it  will  add  to  the  age  60  rule,  pilots  who 
fly  for  hire  whether  as  air  taxi  or  air  commuter  pilots 
or  those  who  fly  professionally  for  corporate  aircraft 
owners.  There  is  talk  that  this  is  another  step  towards 
the  goal  of FAA's  Office  of Aviation  Medicine  to  ground 
all  pilots  when  they  reach the  age  of 60. 
ARLINGTON '82 FLY-IN
Arlington  '82,  the  Northwest  EAA  Fly-In  and  Camp-
out  at  Arlington,  Washington,  August  27-29,  is  shaping 
•up  to  be  the  best  ever.  This  is  the  thirteenth  year  of 
this  Northwest  tradition,  and  this  year  it  is  dedicated 
to  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  the  Fly  Baby  that  won 
the  1962  EAA  Design  Contest.  Fly  Baby  owners  are 
urged  to  fly  in  for  the  festivities  and  special  awards. 
Friday  activities  will  include  a  spaghetti  dinner, 
exhibits,  and  movies.  Saturday  will  include  a  break-
fast,  awards  judging,  forums,  evening  steak  bar-b-que, 
awards  presentation  and  hangar  party.  Sunday  will 
start  with  breakfast  followed  by  special  EAA  chapter 
forums  for  officers  by  Chuck  Larsen,  Chapter  Director 
from  EAA  Headquarters. 
Canadian  participants  should  contact  Dick  Baxter, 
15845  8th  NE,  Seattle,  WA,  206/763-0210,  for  special 
customs  permits. 
Arrivals  should  monitor  unicom  122.7  and  watch 
for  ultralight  aircraft  operating  off  the  X'ed  runway  at 
the  north  end  of the  airport. 
For  information  contact  Dave  Woodcock,  4515  145th 
PI.  SE,  Bellevue,  WA,  206/747-2748. 
FAIRCHILD 22 - APRIL COVER PHOTO
We  credited  the  ownership  of  the  1933  Fairchild  22 
shown  on  the  front  cover  of the  April  1982  issue  of The
VINTAGE AIRPLANE to  Jack  Schnaubelt  of Elgin,  IL. 
Jack  wrote  to  thank  us  for  featuring  the  plane,  but 
added  that  he  is  one  of  four  owners,  the  others  being 
Ray  Steinbis,  Paul  Olson  and  Harry  Willis.  Paul  and 
Ray  are  active  TWA  pilots  and  Harry  and  Jack  are 
both  retired  TWA  pilots.  The  four  have  based  the  plane 
at Elgin,  IL since  May  1973 .  • 
BOOK REVIEW .. .
LITTLE ROUND ENGINE
FLYER DIGEST
An  80  page  booklet  bearing  the  above  name  and 
further  titled,  Gem Number One has  just  been  pub-
lished  by  Ken  Williams of Rearwin Sportster and Porter-
field  35-70  fame.  Ken  is  highly  knowledgeable  about 
the  operation  and  maintenance  of  the  smaller  radial 
engines  and  for  several  years  he  and  his  wife,  Shirley 
have  edited  a  newsletter  called  "The  Little  Round  En-
gine  Flyer",  and  they  sent  it  to  whoever  asked  to  be 
placed  on  their  mailing  list.  The  venture  was  financed 
(though  not  completely)  by  cash  donations  for  postage. 
The  newsletters  have  become  rare  collectors'  items 
among  antiquers  who  need  to  know  everything  they 
can  about  "little  round  engines".  Over  the  years  Ken 
received  many  requests  for  back  issues  of  the  news-
letter  which  gave  him  the  idea  to  compile  all  the  in-
formation  into one  publication. 
This  is  good  news  even  for  those  lucky  ones  who 
have  every  issue  of L.R.E.F. because  the  new  digest 
has  been  compiled  in  a  meaningful  order  and  is  com-
plete  with  an  index.  It is  mostly  made  up  of correspon-
dence  from  many  of  the  most  highly  regarded  antique 
airplane  restorers  and  operators  in  the  world.  As  a 
result,  the  factual  information  contained  in  Gem Num-
ber One is from  extremely knowledgeable  people. 
If you  are  interested  in  Aircraft,  LeBlonds,  Ken 
Royces,  Jacobs,  Kinners,  Lamberts,  Lenapes,  Warners, 
Szekelys,  etc.,  you  can't  go  wrong  ordering  the  Little
Round Engine Flyer Digest- Gem Number One at $10.00 
(U.S.)  per copy  from:  Kenneth  Williams,  331  East Frank-
lin  Street,  Portage,  WI  53901.  You'll  be  glad  you  did  be-
cause  this little booklet  is  truly  a  gem!  .  .  . Gene Chase.
4 JULY 1982
MIDWEST AERO  HISTORIANS MEET 
By George A . Hardie, Jr.
Committee  member s  and  speakers  at  the  Spring 
meeting  of  the  Midwest  Aero  Historians,  held  on  Satur-
day,  May  9  at  the  EAA  Aviation  Museum  pose  before 
the  museum's  replica  Fokker  DR-1  Triplane.  Kurt  Li e-
bau  who  fl ew  with  J asta  57  in  the  German  Air  Force 
in  World  War  I  related  hi s  experiences. Steve  St.  Martin 
presented  a  slide  talk  showing  European  battle  sites 
and  museums  he  visited  in  hi s  research  on  World  War 
I  aviation.  Tim  Staats,  who  ser ved  as  a  gunner  on  heli -
copters  in  the  Vietnam  War  showed  slides  and  explained 
the  basic mi ssions  in  which  he  participated. 
The  Midwest  Aero  Hi st orians  meet  each  Spring 
and  Fall  at  the  EAA  Aviation  Museum.  The  next  meet -
ing is scheduled for  October  9 and will  feature a  presenta-
tion  of  slides  showing  work  on  the  Ford  Trimotor 
North  Ameri can  P-64  rest or ation  proj ects  for 
museum.  • 
and 
t he 
ANTIQUE/CLASSIC 
FORUM  SCHEDULE 
1982  EAA  CONVENTION 
SATURDAY - JULY 31, 1982
9:00  - 10:15  A.M.  STINSON  108 Series  Airplanes-
Gregg Dickerson 
10:30 - 11:45  A.M.  DeHA  VILAND  MOTHS -
Gerry  Schwam,  Chmn. , D.H.  Moth 
Club 
12:00  - 1:15  P.M.  BEECHCRAFT BONANZAS  -
John Frank Jr. , American Bonanza 
Society 
1:30 - 2:45  P.M.  NA VIONS  - R. G.  Rogien, 
American  Navion Society 
3:00  - 4:15  P.M.  AERONCA  ENGINES & AERONCA 
CLUB  - Ed Schubert 
SUNDAY - AUGUST 1, 1982
9:00  - 10:15  A.M.  CESSNA  120/140's - Richard Paige, 
et aI, W.  Coast Cessna 120/140 Club 
10:30 - 11:45  A.M.  CESSNA  1201140's  - Continued 
12:00 - 1:45  P.M.  RESTORING  FABRIC  PIPERS-
Clyde  Smith, Jr. 
1:30 - 2:45  P.M.  RESTORING  FABRIC  PIPERS-
Continued 
3:00 - 4: 15  P.M.  REARWINS & COMMONWEALTHS 
- Gary VanFarowe &
George  Williams 
MONDAY - AUGUST 2,1982
9:00  - 10:15  A.M.  CESSNA  170's  - George  Mock  & 
Dale Faux,  Cessna  170  Club 
10:30 - 11:45  A.M.  CESSNA  170's - Continued 
12:00  - 1:15  P.M.  RYAN's  & KINNER ENGINES -
Ron  Johnson,  Ryan  Club 
1:30 - 2:45  P.M.  FAIRCHILD  24's-
Ed Wegner,  Fairchild Club 
3:00  - 4:15  P.M.  FAIRCHILD  PT's-
John Berendt,  Fairchild  Club 
(Photo by Ted Kost on)
(L-R): Ken Borkowitz, co-chairman; Don Rich, committee
member; George Hardie, co-chairman; Tim Staats, Vietnam
veteran; Kurt Liebau, World War I pilot ; Steve St. Martin,
World War I historian; and Mike O' Connor, committee mem-
ber.
TUESDAY - AUGUST 3,1982
9:00  - 10:15  A.M.  CESSNA 120/140's - "Curley" Owen, 
International  Cessna  120/140  Club 
10:30 - 11:45  A.M.  LUSCOMBES-
John Bright, Luscombe  Club 
12:00  - 1:15  P.M.  PIPER TRIPACERS & PACERS-
Bob  Fuller , Piper Tripacer  Club 
1:30 - 2:45  P.M.  AERONCAS-
"Buzz"  Wagner , Aeronca  Club 
3:00  - 4:15  P.M.  AERONCAS  - Continued 
WEDNESDAY - AUGUST 4,1982
9:00  - 10:15  A.M.  VAGABONDS  -
Cecile Ogles,  Vagabond  Club 
10:30 - 11:45  A.M.  SWIFI'S-
Charlie  Nelson,  Swift Club 
12:00  - 1:15  P.M.  NATIONAL  WACO  CLUB-
Ray Brandly,  President 
1:30 - 2:45  P.M.  STAGGERWINGS - Jim Gorman & 
George  York, Staggerwing Club 
3:00  - 4: 15  P.M.  BUCKER JUNGMANNS -
John Bergeson,  Bucker Club 
THURSDAY - AUGUST 5,1982
9:00  - 10:15  A.M.  CESSNA  120/140's -
"Curley"  Owens,  International 
Cessna  120/140  Club 
10:30 - 11:45  A.M.  CESSNA  190/195's  - Cliff Crabs, 
Bill Terrell  & Dick  Moen 
12:00 - 1:15  P.M.  CESSNA  190/195's - Continued 
1:30 - 2:45  P.M.  ANTIQUE/CLASSIC  AIRCRAFT 
JUDGING - Claude  Gray 
3:00 - 4: 15  P.M.  Open 
FRIDAY - AUGUST 6,1982
There 
this day. 
are  no  Antique  or  Classic  forums  scheduled  for 
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Sordon
JJovrland's
eSB-a 
BaBin
By Norman Petersen 
EAA  Staff Editorial Assistant 
(Photo from the John Underwood Collection)
1940  photo  of  the  Waco  making  a  landing  with  the  260  hp 
Menasco  engine  installed.  Note  experimental  registration 
NX2334  on  lower  left  wing.  Split  flaps  are  in  the  down  posi-
tion  for  landing.  Retractable  landing  lights  are  clearly  visible 
on  the  upper wings. 
6 JULY 1982
(Photo by Gordon Bourland)
GeHing  ready  to  dismantle  and  load  the  Waco  on  the  trailer 
for  the  trip  back  to  Texas.  Note  how the  upper  right  wing  has 
been  blown  over  the  top  of  the  cabin,  doing  considerable 
structural  damage in  the  process. 
Originally built by Waco Aircraft Company of Troy,
Ohio on September 24, 1938, this month's cover story
subject has a long and unique history. Old CAA records
indicate the original factory configuration to be AGC-8,
SIN 5065, license number NC2334. The first letter indi-
cated a Jacobs L-6 engine of 300 hp installed by the
factory.
The Vega Airplane Company (subsidiary of Lock-
heed), Burbank, California was the first owner. In order
to gain more experience with the Menasco "Pirate"
engine of 260 hp, they installed one in the Waco and
used it for a flying test bed. The results were not satis-
factory and after a short time, the Waco was purchased
by Howard Hughes for his friend and mechanic, Glenn
E. Odekirk, builder and designer of the Hughes HR-1
Racer of 1940.
Glenn installed a factory new Wright 760 E-2 en-
gine of 350 hp, thereby making the Waco an EGC-8
model. This job was credited to Hughes Aircraft Com-
pany in September, 1943. Flown extensively by Howard
Hughes and Glenn Odekirk as a test bed for bomb drop
tests, the Waco had blanket authority for unrestricted
operation during the World War II flying blackout on
the West Coast.
Mr. Odekirk flew newsman William Randolph Hearst,
Jr. from Los Angeles to the Hearst family castle near
San Francisco, California on numerous occasions. They
are still good friends to this day.
By the late 1960s the cabin Waco was in the hands
of Eldon Brezair, Chancellor of Tarkio College in Tarkio,
Missouri. He had the misfortune to damage the air-
plane at Kansas City and it sat rather forlornly at Fair-
fax Airport for nearly four years, sustaining more dam-
age when the top right wing was blown over the cabin
section by a freakish wind gust.
(Photo from Howard Hughes Collection via Glenn Odekirk)
Interior  photo  of  NC2334  taken  circa  1943  showing  the  "full 
panel"  of  the  day.  Note  throw-over  control  yoke  and  dual 
"eyeball"  vents  above windows.  The round  knob  on  the  lower 
yoke  is the  elevator trim  and  the  lever  next to  the  yoke  is  the 
"Johnson  Bar"  brake  handle. 
(Photo from Howard Hughes Collection via Glenn Odekirk)
With installation of the Wright 760 E-2 engine in 1943, the now
registered EGC-S Waco poses for a portrait in the California
sun. External oil cooler is visible below cowl. With Hamilton
Standard controllable prop and super slick paint job, a fast
cruise was obtained. Plane was flown extensively during
WW II by Howard Hughes and Glenn Odekirk.
In 1972, Gordon Bourland (EAA 48424, AlC 151) of
8009 Cahoba, Ft. Worth, TX 76135 was able to purchase
the bird from Mr. Brezair and so began a hair-raising
drive on glare ice with the disassembled Waco follow-
ing (usually) behind on a large flatbed trailer. Some
very tense moments were endured between Kansas
City and Wichita as the cross winds blew the slab-
sided load all over the road. Once past Wichita, the ice
began to melt and the white knuckles changed to a more
normal color.
Gordon turned the rebuild over to Bill Beck, who is
a top flight rebuilder and a boyhood chum of Gordon's.
Bill is a woodworking expert and all the wood in the
plane was replaced during the rebuild. As the months
went by, Gordon assumed the title of "go-pher" and was
responsible for handling supply problems. Bill pro-
ceeded with the many details of a complete and total
rebuild realizing that most of his beautiful workman-
ship would be covered from view.
Over four years of hard work were necessary to
bring the big cabin biplane back to new condition. Final
painting was done in Daytona White and Waco Vermilion
with a black pin stripe for contrast. The original four
block number (NC2334) was carefully painted on the
tail just as it had been done at the factory over 40 years
ago. Final assembly was accomplished and on Decem-
ber 4, 1979, Gordon made his first flight in the newly
restored EGC-8. A little bit of rigging adjustment re-
sulted in hands off flight. As Gordon admits, "It is a
dream to fly - a fine travel in' airplane!"
The five-place interior was tastefully done with an
original fabric on the headliner requiring ten days to
complete while the upholstery was done in 1978 Cadillac
cloth and Naugahyde. The result is an interior that is
both rich looking and functional, right down to the
(Photo by Gordon Bourland)
With a considerable struggle, the big Waco is finally loaded
on the trailer and the wings are tucked alongside the fuse-
lage. The large side area caused the wind to blow the trailer
all over the ice glazed road on the trip from Kansas City to
Wichita.
(Photo by Gordon Bourland)
Following the total rebuild, the fuselage is moved out to the
airport for reassembly. Note how forward end is supported
by both engine mount and landing gear fittings. Quality work-
manship is already evident.
crinkle finish on the instrument panel. Two "eyeball"
fresh air vents, apparently installed by Howard Hughes,
are still functional and make the interior comfortable
in up to 100
0
temperatures.
With 97 gallons of fuel on board and cruising at
about 600/0 power (27" and 1900 rpm) the consumption
runs 17 gallons per hour or in other words, about a 5-6
hour range at 160 mph. When Glenn Odekirk installed
the Wright E-2 engine back in 1943, he mated it to a
Hamilton Standard constant speed propeller using
cuffed blades that help cool the engine. This combina-
tion has proven to work extremely well. The rate of
climb is 1000 feet per minute with a service ceiling of
16,500 feet. Empty weight is 2648 pounds with a gross
of 3800. In short, the big bird can haul a dandy load and
do it in style. The full radio panel and auto pilot really
take the work out of cross-country flying.
Arrivals are no sweat with the low 56 mph landing
speed. The Waco makes beautiful 3-point landings;
however, in cross winds and on hard surface runways,
wheel landings give better control. Once on the ground,
the tail is blanked out with regard to air flow so the
brakes have to take over for directional stability. The
locking tail wheel helps on ground handling.
July 1980 saw Gordon flying the Waco to Oshkosh
for the "big" show and needless to say, the beautiful
restoration drew many close inspections and praises.
Gordon was awarded the Contemporary Age, Outstand-
ing Closed Cockpit award.
When he gets the urge to fly something smaller,
Gordon takes to the air with his Aeronca 7CCM Champ.
If this pretty little trainer doesn't fulfill his desires
on a particular day, the "piece de resistance" is a flight
in his fully restored Waco ATO "Taperwing"! With a
stable of airplanes like this, you have to admit that Gor-
don Bourland is a genuine "antiquer".•
(Photo by Larry Dockery)
Proudly displaying its classic lines in the early morning sun-
shine is Gordon Bourland's Waco EGC-S. Note classic "Lock-
heed stripe" paint scheme. Balanced elevators and rudders
make for excellent handling.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
JUST "PbANE
"
TOMMY 
Earl  Beers,  left,  W.  T.  Thomas,  center  and  Bert  Chambers  without  the  aid  of  power  tools.  W. T.  Thomas  here  learned 
display  the  center  section  of  the  very  first  plane  made  In  the  trick  of  hand  drilling  small  holes  first,  then  following 
1910.  Constructed  in  a  barn  in  Hammondsport,  New  York  with  successively  larger  bits  until  the  holes  were  of  specific 
size. 
The  Story  of  the  Thomas-Morse  Aircraft  Corporation 
By  Al Kelch 
(EAA  35767, NC 700) 
66 W. 622 N.  Madison Avenue 
Cedarburg,  WI 53012 
Preface 
The  following  three  part  article  on  the  Thomas-Morse 
Aircraft  Corp.,  although  extensively  edited  and  further 
researched  by  me,  should  be  credited  to  Robert  G. Elliott 
of Daytona  Beach,  Florida  who  sought  out  William  T. 
Thomas,  Jr. ,  still  living  in  Daytona  Beach.  Information 
was  obtained  through  Mr.  Thomas'  generous  sharing 
of pi ctures  and  recollections  on  his  father,  plus  some 
material  from  the  personal  collections  of Paul  D.  Wil-
son,  one  of  the  three  original  test  pilots.  Robert  sub-
mitted  to  me  fresh  new  material  on  the  earlier  portions 
of the  Thomas  airplane  venture.  On  researching  several 
older  articles,  I  zeroed  in  on  a  wonderful  two  part  story 
in  two  1960  issues  of  "American  Airman",  extensively 
researched  by  Frank  Strnad  with  a  great  deal  of original 
contact  wi th  William  Thomas,  Sr.  Frank  generously 
gave  permission  to  use  all  of  the  material  he  had 
gathered,  to  put  together  one  more  article  specially 
tailored  for  The VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine  on 
the  Tommy-Morse  Scout  of  World  War  I  fame.  For  the 
real  Tommy  buffs,  it  would  pay  to  seek  out  his  exten-
sive  two  part  story  in  the  "American  Airman"  for  June 
and  July  1960.  Frank  also  did  profil e  #68 published 
by  Profile  Publications  Ltd.,  P.O.  Box  26, 1A  North 
St.,  Leatherhead,  Surrey,  England. 
8 JULY 1982
Part  One 
Mr. William T. Thomas, the ingenious guiding light
of the whole Thomas aircraft venture, began his career
in England with an education at Dulwich College, near
London. He later attended Central Technical College
of the University of London at South Kensington, from
which he graduated in 1908 with a degree in Civil and
Mechanical Engineering. To gain practical experience,
young Thomas became an apprentice in the shops of
the British Westinghouse Co., where he was exposed to
the Gas Engine and Turbine Engine Departments, as
well as the Pattern Shop and Foundry. He gathered a
deep background in methods of design and develop-
ment that would serve him well in later years when
the airplane industry began to bud.
So it was, in the early part of 1909 Thomas came to
America where he used his qualifications to obtain a
job with Glenn Curtiss in the drafting room. His first
assignments were in working out designs for motor-
cycle engines and dirigible engines. It was here he got
his first taste of aircraft design and development, and
over a period of time his observations and participa-
tion in the Curtiss designing program whetted his ap-
petite to try his own wings and attempt the design of
even a better airplane. His faith was shared by one
mechanic friend, and the two of them set out to con-
struct and design the first Thomas airplane, right in
Curtiss' own town of Hammondsport, New York.
Needing an engine, they chose the 22 hp Kirkham
automobile engine. This proved to be the first auto-
mobile engine ever flown in a powered aircraft in
America. On June 14, 1910, final assembly and check-
ing of this first Thomas airplane was completed on the
Page Farm, near Canisteo, New York.
Initially the airplane relied for control on dihedral
ailerons (wing warping) and had two vertical panels
for stability between the outer interplane struts. The
test pilot, Bert Chambers, made the first flight on
June 25, 1910. During the next three months many
changes were made, the wing-warping being eliminated,
and flaps attached to the upper wings which operated
in a down movement alternately. Later ailerons were
fitted between the wings, and then an additional set
of flaps added to the bottom wing, all three being
operated together. Final settlement for ailerons be-
tween the wings resulted in the first sustained flights,
which were conducted at North Hornell, New York,
with Walter E. Johnson as the test pilot.
Somewhere during this period, William's brother
Oliver Thomas joined the efforts. With the continued
intent to manufacture the airplane, a suitable factory
was located at Bath, New York. The two brothers formed
the Thomas Aeroplane Company for further develop-
ment of a Pusher type airplane, similar to the Curtiss
efforts, but containing many different innovations
from the fertile mind of William Thomas.
The later Kirkham engine, redesigned for a lighter
structure having an aluminum case, developed a speed
of 1750 rpm's. This, of course, was too high a speed for
the propellers of that day. The result was a well de-
Model TA, 1911, during second flight, powered by 22 hp Kirk-
ham engine.
signed chain-drive coupled with a low speed propeller
with sufficient power to develop and assure sustained
flight.
This plane was developed and built totally by hand,
Modified Model TA with dual controls for instruction flights.
Powered by 50 hp, 6 cyl. Kirkham engine. Note two narrow
radiators, mounted vertically.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
Bud Carey piled up a 1911 pusher on frozen Lake Cayuga.
The plane was rebuilt within several days and successfully
flown.
Walter Johnson, pilot in Model TA with 50 hp 6 cyl. Kirkham
engine used for many exhibition flights. W. T. Thomas stands
at left of pilot.
Model T A, 1911 pusher with Walter Johnson at the controls
during exhibition and races at New York State Fair, Syra-
cuse. Glenn Curtiss flew an 80 hp pusher and Walt Johnson
beat Curtiss in a race with his 65 hp powered TA. The Fair
buildings appear much the same today as they did in 1911.
The original Kirkham engine was a geared drive. The day be-
fore the race the gear box failed so Charlie Kirkham worked
all night converting the engine to direct drive and replacing
the prop. W. T. Thomas also added additional fairings to re-
duce drag.
10 JULY 1982
with nothing but hand tools, the work being carried
out in a barn. William, Jr., in his interview, gave us a
picture of the untiring efforts that must have gone into
the construction of such a machine without adequate
tools. He quotes, "Pa said that when it came to drilling
holes with a hand drill for fittings and bolts, he would
start with the smallest bit possible and by slowly en-
larging the holes with progressively larger bits, they
would eventually be bored to the proper size" with
patience and a lot of elbow grease. Mter great effort,
with many modifications and changes, the airplane
finally became airworthy and accomplished a flight of
about six miles on September 20, 1910.
The obvious use of an airplane being for exhibition
in this period, Mr. Johnson, the company aviator, at-
tempted a show on September 27, 1910 at Binghampton,
New York to thrill the County Fair goers. Unfortunately,
the machine hit the cattle tent on take-off and was dam-
aged. There appears to be a substantial lack of data
concerning the welfare of the cattle housed within the
tent. One can imagine the havoc and scrambling of
those wide-eyed, snorting cattle running loose among
the fair patrons.
The ensuing repair was rushed, which permitted
Walter Johnson to make a circular flight over Concklyn
Field near the Binghampton Fairgrounds on October
11 , 1910. This successful exhibition flight was the
tenth flight for test pilot Johnson.
The following month Thomas and Johnson accom-
panied by a mechanic, trucked the airplane to Rochester,
New York where Johnson made demonstration flights
on November 3 and 10, 1910. Concurrent with these
flights at Rochester, William and his brother, Oliver,
witnessed the International Air Meet at Belmont Park,
New York. The month of December 1910 saw Thomas
again at Bath, New York where the airplane was fitted
with a single rear elevator. Flights were made over the
wintry countryside from Burleson Field near Lake
Salubria. On January 27, 1911 Walter Johnson, flying
from the frozen surface of the lake and with only the
22 hp Kirkham engine for power , carried Florence
Scrafford as a passenger. During this period a further
modification of the machine was made to a twin rudder
configuration, which allowed greater control in flight.
Early in March, Thomas, Johnson and Gene Bell ,
their mechanic, departed for Morgan City, Louisiana
to further continue their exhibition flights in a warmer
climate. A ballpark had been reserved in Morgan City
which proved too small upon examination, and the demon-
stration was moved to a larger field where all went
well until Johnson crashed into a stump on landing.
Repairs were minor, allowing time for a circular flight
the same day to save and assure the success of the
demonstration.
A second demonstration at Houma, Louisiana pro-
duced a second crash into a fence on landing. Again,
minor repairs were needed for the skids.
To satisfy officials, a demonstration was scheduled
on the Colonel Breaux Estate in Lafayette, Louisiana
and witnesses recruited for the occasion to certify that
the airplane had the ability to fly. Such proof was to
be furnished to the flight sponsor, W. I. Swain Com-
pany. A successful straight flight of 300 yards, fol-
lowed by a circular flight at 125 ft. altitude, satisfied
the judges who testified that the flights were genuine
and the airplane performed as advertised.
On the 10th of April, flights were made at Forsythe
Park in Monroe, Louisiana, followed by flights at
Shreveport and Crowley on May 7 and 8. From there
they went to Mississippi and performed at the Delta
Fair in Granville where their exhibition flights drew
very few people; a decision was made to return to the
North. (Continued on Page 23)
Pilot Fred Eells and Earl Beers standing right rear behind
what is probably an 80 hp Kirkham engine. This plane was
Pilot Fred Eells, W. T. Thomas with arms crossed and Earl
flying in 1911.
Beers by prop pose with the plane with which an endurance
flight was achieved on October 31 , 1912.
ERIC  BALDWIN  AND  HIS 
Story  and Photos  by  Timothy L. Talen 
(EAA 8615, AlC 1616)
P.O.  Box 920 
Cottage  Grove,  OR 97424 
Eugene,  Oregon's  Warbirds  in  action! 
Eric  flies  with  Tom  Cochrane  (EAA 
151870, AlC 5504) in his Stearman PT-13, 
N4661 M  and  Grant  Cochrane  and  his 
Stinson  L-5B. 
World War II brought about numerous designs for
primary trainers such as the Navy N3N and Boeing
Stearman biplanes, and the low-winged monoplanes
of Ryan and Fairchild. These were certainly classic
designs which stood not only the test of wartime pilot
training but the exigencies of time as well. Now, with
increasing fervor, the antiquers have returned to these
fine designs and insured their future for generations
to come.
Eric Baldwin and his Fairchild PT-23, N49272,
represents an increasingly more common scenario -
an antique/warbird buff who is flying an aircraft thir-
teen years his senior. Eric is a third generation flyer
(his grandfather, Ray Buckmann, flew in the Howard
Hughes extravaganza, "Hell's Angels") and while work-
ing on advanced flight ratings and his A & P ticket at
Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon, he had
the opportunity to purchase part-interest in the PT.
A full summer of flying to air shows and fly-ins, and
hopping rides, convinsed Eric the PT was worth his
12 JULY 1982
continued efforts to preserve a fine aircraft. Unfor-
tunately, a slight miscalculation terminated the sum-
mer flying and left four rather evenly spaced holes
in the leading edge of the wing, numerous holes in the
fabric and a scarred and bruised Fahlin propeller on
the front of the 200 hp Continental. That was in Sep-
tember, 1980, and five months later the PT emerged
to fly again, but that's getting ahead of the story ...
The Fairchild M-62 design accounted for over 8000
aircraft in numerous models - the initial PT-19, the
PT-26, and the PT-23. What is not often remembered
is that Fairchild was not the only aircraft manufacturer
who built the M-62 design. Aeronca, Howard, St. Louis,
and Fleet of Canada all built the Fairchild PT in order
to fill the numerous military contracts for primary
trainers. There were also at least four variations and
engine combinations within the design. The prototype
M-62 with a 175 hp Ranger engine eventually became
the basic PT-19. Improvements brought out the M-62A
or the military PT-19A which had the 200 hp Ranger.
Eric and his pri de and joy.
But shortages of the Ranger engine conspired to bring
about the two radial engine models - the M-62B which
featured a 165 hp Warner (the approximately 150 that
were built were exported to South American countries
- are there any left?) - and the M-62C or PT-23
which had the Continental 220 hp radial engine.
The PT-23 accounted for 1126 aircraft and they
were built mostly by Aeronca, Howard, St. Louis, and
Fleet - Fairchild apparently only built three of
the -23s. Eric's PT wa built by Howard and bears the
serial number HO-437. Though there are several
hundred of the PT-19 and -26 variants flying, there
are only about twenty of the PT-23s flying.
The first step in getting Eric's PT-23 back in the
sky was a thorough appraisal of the damage and for-
tunately there was nothing too serious. The prop was
immediately dispatched to its maker, Ole Fahlin, who
repaired the damaged tipping, scarfed in new wood
on the trailing edge (carefully matching the grain!)
and sent it back with such a modest charge that one
might suspect that repairing one of his own propellers
is a labor of love. Next, the center section and wing
panels were brought to the author's restoration shop,
the   a g ~ o o d Refactory, and t he damaged sections of
Fairchild PT-23,
N49272 in flight over
Oregon countryside.
the all-wood wings were patched and recovered with
fabric. All the while Eric was manning the sander,
smoothing patches, filling with dope, and preparing
the entire aircraft for fresh paint.
Eric chose a basic military style paint scheme more
in keeping with the PT-19s and -26s - blue fuselage
with yellow wings and tail, red and white rudder, wing
stars and squadron numbers on the sides - not authen-
tic, as most -23s were all silver - but very appealing
nonetheless. The choice of "23" for side numbers was
really quite easy and serves to help answer the most
often asked question, "Which PT is this, anyway?"
Now happily back in the sky, Eric and his PT are
anxiously awaiting the warmer days for open-cockpit
flying and a few sorties in the sky with other members
of the Oregon Antique and Classic Aircraft Club. Also
on the calendar will be the Oregon Antiquer's Fly-In
over the Fourth of July weekend.
These fine antique/warbirds are representative of
a bygone era, and while proudly and silently they fly
with their colorful pasts, for Eric, and many others,
they continue to be faithful and worthy machines to
meet today's challenge in the sky. •
STINSON  MODEL 10 
-- a super machine 
By Eugene Soper
(EAA 27385, AlC 350)
Route 1, Box 93-B
Athol, ID 83801
Photos Courtesy of the Author
On page 23 of the March 1982 issue of The VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, Joe Kasper (EAA 15145, AlC 2471) of
Minot, North Dakota asked about the "Baby Stinson
105". Now maybe I can be of some assistance to our
organization after all. I just happen to own a 1940
model "10" Stinson!
As near as I can figure, there were three different
models of the "Baby Stinson" built in four years. The
year 1939 introduced the HW-75 that was to be powered
by a GO-145 Lycoming (which was a 50 hp 0-145 geared
,
14 JULY 1982
Gene  Soper's  1940 Sti nson ModeJ  10 with  a  Lycoming  0-290A 
for power. 
and super revved to 3,000 rpm to make 75 hpj but the
engine never made it to production and a Continental
A-75 (an A-65 turning 2,700 rpm) was used. There were
270 of this model built. The airframe was slightly changed
in 1940 and an A-80 Continental engine was used (same
mill at 2,800 rpm) for power and designated the model
"10". There were 250 of these built. Then 1941 saw the
same airframe with a shorter nose and a 90 hp Frank-
lin engine with a full electrical system. This was desig-
nated the "lOA" which was continued in production for
two years. There were 500 of this model built. The
moniker " 105" was tagged on all of them eventually
as that was the apparent indicated air speed of them
all. The "lOA" was also known as the "Voyager".
My Stinson (NC26425, SIN 7618) was built in July
of 1940. It was converted from an A-80 to a C-85 Conti-
nental in 1948 and flew that way until 1972 when it
was wrecked. I bought the airplane minus engine, in-
The move to Henley Aerodrome for assembly on a cold day
in January.
struments and radio from Laverne Tegland in Lynden,
Washington, in March of 1973. I started gathering up
pieces here and there such as a windshield from Cali-
fornia; two lift struts from Billings, Montana; an en-
gine mount from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho; engine and prop
from Lewiston, Idaho; a nose bowl from Missoula, Mon-
tana; and a homemade spar from Spokane, Washing-
ton, etc., etc.
It took me six years to put the little bird back in
the air. It was not that bad a job. I just had lots of in-
terruptions, like working on highway construction, a
divorce, three moves and working the air show circuit
on weekends as a barnstormer and air show announcer.
If I had known how good it was going to tum out, I
would have hurried a lot more. I did have a lot of help
though and much more moral support. Like the weekend
I came home from a paving job in Montana to find that
my very good friend, "Skeeter" Carlson and his wife,
Doris, had not only located a piece of spruce but had
whittled it into a spar and put it in the left wing for
me. All I had to do was pull the cover back down and
put on the tapes. Now, those are real friends indeed!
Then there was my son, Steve of "s & S Aircraft"
fame who let me use his shop and pressure pot to shoot
all the color, and in January at that. Do you know how
cold it is in north Idaho in January? Another helper
was Steve Wolf, the other half of "s & S Aircraft"
who laid out and masked, freehand, the Stinson l o g ~
on the tail. This guy is a real Rembrandt. And I have a
lady friend who understands airplane people (and I
know a few who don't). Thanks to "Whimpy" Redfern
at Henley Aerodrome and the top of the line personnel
at Spokane GADO we even got all the paperwork right
the first time. Simply amazing!
Anyway back to the Stinson. Skeeter and I went to
the GADO boys and told them what we wanted to do;
t hey checked with engineering and said since we were
semi-capable they would buy whatever we wanted to
do as long as they got to inspect it when we were
through.
The engine I had gotten was a Lycoming 0-235-C1,
115 hp, off a Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser with a hydraulic
2-position Sensenich "Skyblade" prop. The mount and
14 pages of paperwork was to convert a "lOA" from a
90 Franklin to a Lycoming 0-290A which was a surplus
WW II engine that is obsolete. We reworked the mount
to our satisfaction and added a few pieces of 250
Comanche and Helio Courier exhaust stacks, some
Cherokee baffiing, formed one eyebrow over the crank
centerline to accommodate the starter ring and presto
. .. one modified Stinson "10"! What a fine little air-
plane, quiet and roomy. It has a jump seat crossways
behind the pilot for a third person and excellent for
grandkids.
I put on a PA 22-150 muffier, and the guys at Hen-
ley Aerodrome call it my electric airplane. They can
hear the prop going around but cannot hear the ex-
haust. It has a 20 gallon fuel tank in the right wing
and a 15 gallon tank in the left wing with a selector
valve, so my fuel tests came out quite accurate. We bum
6   1 ~ gph on take-ofT and climb, and 5.73 gph during
CruIse. At 24" hg and 2400 rpm it indicates 110 mph.
I 0gure 100 mph block to block on a trip to Boise, 300
mIles at 10,500'/9,500' and do it on 17 + gallons. It
has a full panel (no empty holes) of an odd assortment
of instruments such as T & B, sensitive altimeter, DG,
magnetic compass, remote magnetic indicator, (Con-
fucious say, "Man with one compass knows where he
is headed; man with three compasses never really sure"),
M.P., recording tach, EGT, oil temp, oil pressure, eight
day clock and key start mag switch. The RMI trans-
mitter and inverter as well as the 35 AH battery are
mounted well aft in the fuselage for weight and bal-
ance purposes, and I still had to add 17 pounds of
lead in the tail to achieve "0" trim at cruise settings.
Empty weight ended up at 1154 pounds, but what
a fine bird. With the flaps and slots it will almost fly
itself. It will climb so steep you can't begin to see over
the nose. I think it is nearly impossible to spin. With
power ofT, I have held the wheel all the way back till
my arms hurt and all it does is porpoise and pitch in
a steady, slow oscillation. I think a guy could go all
the way to the ground like that and still walk away
from the garbage.
I am not much of a "black box" man, but I did put
in a "Bayside 990", 90 channel comm. radio, to give
me access to the few tower controlled fields we have in
our area. Since I tried to keep it as near to authentic
as practical, I painted it the original scheme with fleet
yellow and dark blue trim. The tower says they can see
me nearly as far as they can hear me - hmm - maybe
my radio is not so good after all . . . oh well! •
Steve Wolf did the artwork on the tail.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
FARMAN LONGHORN - Designed by Maurice Farman in
France before WW I, the British rights to the design were
obtained by George Holt Thomas, owner of the Aircraft Manu-
facturing Co. , Ltd., later to become famous as the producer
of the designs of Geoffrey DeHaviliand. The Longhorn be-
came the standard British training aircraft in the early years
of the War.
R.A.F. BE-2c - The BE-2c was a development of a pre-War
design from the Royal Aircraft Factory. Used for reconnais-
sance and occasional bombing attacks early in the War, the
BE was outclassed by the Fokker monoplanes in 1915 and
became the unhappy victim as " Fokker fodder" . However,
in Home Defense duties it was used in shooting down five
German airships.
FARMAN SHORTHORN - The Shorthorn was a redesign of
the Longhorn and was entered in the Military Trials compe-
tition in 1912. It had a longer nacelle than the Longhorn and
the forward elevator structure was removed. Although used
briefly in an artillery spotting role, it reverted to service
with the training squadrons.
SOPWITH CAMEL - Taking its name from the hump caused
by the twin-Vickers gun installation, the Camel, with the
SE-5, was one of the principal British fighters in World War
I. From July, 1917 until the end of the War the Camel ac-
counted for 1,294 enemy aircraft. A total of 5,490 Camels
were built.
THE  COST  OF·FLYING  CIRCA  1917 
Editor's Note: This literary gem appeared in "The Tail-
spinner" newsletter of the Auckland Aero Club, Inc.,
Ardmore, New Zealand, and was submitted by Peter
Strombom, EAA's General Manager. The photos of the
aircraft types involved are from the George Hardie
collection.
The following monthly summary of accidents was
dredged from the December 1917 records of the Royal
Flying Corps.
Avoidable Accidents
1. There were six avoidable accidents:
a. The pilot of a Shorthorn with over 17 hours' ex-
perience seriously damaged the undercarriage on land-
ing. He had failed to land at as fast a speed as possible,
as recommended in the Aviation Pocket Handbook.
b. A BE-2 stalled and crashed during an artillery
exercise. The pilot had been struck on the head by the
semaphore of his observer who was signaling to the
gunners.
c. Another pilot in a BE-2 failed to get airborne.
By error of judgment he was attempting to fly at mid-
day instead of during the recommended best lift periods,
i.e., just after dawn and just before sunset.
d. A Longhorn pilot lost control and crashed in a
bog near Chipping Sodbury. An error of skill on the
16JULY 1982
part of the pilot in not being able to control a machine
with a wide speed band of 10 mph between top speed
and stalling speed.
e. Whilst flying in a Shorthorn, the pilot crashed
into the top deck of a horse-drawn bus, near Stone-
henge.
f. A BE-2 pilot was seen to be attempting a banked
turn at a constant height before he crashed. A grave
error by an experienced aviator.
Unavoidable Accidents
2. There were 29 unavoidable accidents:
a. The top wing of a Camel fell off due to a fatigue
failure of the flying wires. A successful emergency land-
ing was carried out.
b. Sixteen BE-2's and nine Shorthorns had complete
engine failures. A marked improvement over Novem-
ber's figures.
c. Pigeons destroyed a Camel and \,wo Longhorns
after mid-air strikes.
Cost of Accidents
Accidents during the last three months of 1917
cost three hundred and seventeen pounds, ten shill-
ings and sixpence - money down the drain and suf-
ficient to buy new gaiters and spurs for each and every
pilot and observer in the service. (One pound or 20 shill-
ings equalled five U.S. dollars in 1917.) •
I ,
•
In the 1920s and 1930s mail carrying flights were
becoming more common with several different types of
aircraft used. A favorite card subject was the routes
flown by those pioneering airmail pilots, and those
cards are very popular among today's collectors. The
ones really sought after are those showing the routes
flown by specific aircraft.
Charles Lindbergh was the most popular aviator of
the day and many types of items were made to com-
memorate his solo flight from New York to Paris. Many
of these were post cards and they covered just about
everything he did in the field of aviation. I have cards
that show him with his mother, working on his Whirl-
wind engine, bust views, and one taken when he flew
his Spirit of St. Louis to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Also, there were many first day commemorative
issues covering Lindbergh's flights after his 1927 trans-
atlantic hop. Some of these were airmail flights. These
commemorative envelopes are usually identified by the
Ryan airplane stamp and the horseshoe symbol stamped
on the cover. These are choice items for collectors of
Lindbergh memorabilia.
Cards showing the large flying boats are also very
interesting pieces. They are usually shown in flight
or just as they are lifting off the water. The China
Clippers were very well illustrated through the promo-
tional campaigns of Pan American Airways. The huge
Dornier DO-X was an internationally known German
flying boat powered by six tractor and six pusher en-
gines totaling about 7200 hp. It seated about 150 pas-
sengers plus crew members and stowaways. Its top speed
was about 134 mph.
Because of the large number of aircraft produced
in Germany, aviation post cards from that country are
popular collectors' items. Lufthansa Airlines produced
some cards depicting their Junkers Ju-52 both on the
ground and in flight. Examples in my collection are
photo cards and the old 1930s elite style of German writ-
ing on the back sides is as interesting as the photos
themselves. For the record, Adolph Hitler used Ju-52s
for personal transportation for himself and his staff.
Airlines from the 1930s to the present have been
very promotion-minded in competing for the flying pub-
lic, and a favorite method has been through the use
of post cards. A prime source for such cards is gift shops
in airline terminals. My airline card collection includes
the Boeing 247, DC-3, DC-6, DC-7, the elegant Strato-
cruiser, Constellation, and about every other type of
airliner flying. The cards produced during the jet age
utilize beautiful color photography and many are highly
detailed. My two sources for such cards are airports
and flea markets, and they are cheap to buy.
Another popular era for card collectors is WW II.
I have a special interest in aircraft cards from Fair-
child, Curtiss, Boeing, Douglas, Republic, etc. Highly
desirable because they weren't as common are black
and white photo cards from that era. Cards include
fighters in formation and transport and supply air-
craft. Bombers for example include the famous B-17
showing many good views and details and descriptions
of the roles it played in the war effort.
Postmarked "Chi. & Mpls., Sep. 21, 1911, Tr 57" and addressed
to Dr. E. P. Andrews, Lodi, WI, the message was: "This is what
it looked like, dear," and signed I. A. Can any of you readers
identify the airplane, people, or location?
18 JULY 1982
Foreign countries produced many fine cards of their
fighters and bombers. Examples include Great Britain's
Hurricanes and Spitfires and Germany's Junkers,
Heinkels and Dorniers. It would be very difficult to
collect every card from these countries as few actually
got to the U.S. and many were destroyed during the war.
I rejoice each time I acquire one of the foreign airplane
cards.
During WW II many cards contained humorous mes-
sages in an effort to bolster morale. Many were rather
"corny" such as one I have depicting two mechanics
working on an aircraft engine, one using a bellows on
which is inscribed "Insect Powder", and the other shown
with pliers in hand. The card is titled "Getting the Bugs
Out". Other cards show a dog in motion acting out such
aeronautical terms as "tailspin" and "side-banking" .
A very desirable set of cards is the "Keep 'Em Fly-
ing" series showing all the different WW II trainers,
transports, fighters and bombers. Also included in the
set are many of the military airfields in use at the time.
Do the names March Field, Mac Dill Field or Randolph
Field stir a few memories?
With the advent of the jet age after the war, post
cards continued to be produced with such subjects as
Sabres, Thunderstreaks, Shooting Stars, B-47s, B-45s,
B-52s, etc. flown during the "Blow Torch Era". These
post cards are plentiful and very colorful. I have a vast
collection of cards from this era and they are relatively
inexpensive to collect.
The '50s and '60s saw many types of rotorcraft shap-
ing the history of our country in both civilian and mili-
tary roles. Their duties in the Korean and Vietnam con-
flicts included those of troop carriers, delivering sup-
plies, observation, and gunships. Post cards depict all
of these subjects and even some of the experimental
machines which never made it to the production stage.
In addition to photos of the helicopters, many of the
cards include the specifications and duties of the
machines.
The lightplane industry has provided many subjects
for post cards. Aeronca, Beech, Cessna and Piper have
been very active in promoting their products via cards.
Some cards in my collection include detailed data on
the plane including the selling price. These cards were
for promotional purposes and handed out free by many
dealers. Interestingly enough, they are highly sought
by collectors because they apparently were of limited
quantity. The major airframe manufacturers still pro-
duce such cards today.
Museums are wonderful places to start post card
collections. The cards are printed in brilliant colors
and usually the photography is outstanding. The EAA
Aviation Museum in Franklin, Wisconsin is a great
place to start as the variety of their post cards is ex-
tensive. Other aviation museums offer similar services
and cards can be obtained in person or by mail. You'll
be surprised how reasonably most of the cards are priced.
Some of the most exciting searches for cards are made
at flea markets, card shows, and garage sales, etc. You
just might find an extremely rare one which all col-
lectors dream of doing . •
This card is captioned: AH-1G " Huey" Cobra flies above
formation of " Hueys" near U.S. Army Aviation School and
Aviation School Element. Postmarked Nov. 28, 1969, Enter-
prise, AL.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
BORDEN'S
AEROPLANE ROSTERS
FROM THE 1930'S
Article Number 23, Poster Number 9, Series Number 2
By Lionel Salisbury 
(EAA  114523) 
Seven Harper Road 
Brampton,  Ontario 
Canada L6W 2W3 
THE BELLANCA AIR BUS
This is the second poster provided by Mr. Marion sued in the early 1930s by the Borden Company and its
McClure of Bloomington, Illinois. His collection dates predecessor, the Thompson's Malted Milk Company.
back to 1933, and from it we will be able to add a total These were originally printed on stiff card, 19" x 11"
of six posters to the series that has appeard in The  in black and white. Each poster had line drawings on
VINTAGE  AIRPLANE.  A total of 30 posters were is- the back and descriptive notes.
NEXT MONTH-THE BIRD BIPLANE-
The  Personal Plane  of Mrs.  Lindbergh 
20 JULY 1982
---
---
      ~ ~                         ~
THE  BELLANCA  AIR  BUS 
DESCRIPTION  OF THE  BELLANCA  AIRBUS 
Made  by  the  Bellanca  Aircraft  Corporation  at  New 
Castle,  Delaware,  the  Airbus  is  the  largest  single-
engined  transport.  It  seats  a  pilot  and  11  passengers 
with  space  for  1,075  pounds  of  baggage  and  gasoline 
sufficient  for  700  miles  of  cruising.  It is  offered  with 
two  types  of engines as  indicated  below. 
SPECIFICATIONS: (Geared  Conqueror  and  direct  Cy-
clone  powered,  respectively) 
Span - 65  ft.;  65  ft. 
Length  Overall - 40 ft.,  8  in.;  42  ft.,  9  in. 
Height Overall - 11  ft.,  6.5  in.;  11  ft.,  6.5  in. 
Wing  Areas - 652  sq.  ft. 
Curtiss-Wright  Conqueror  - 600  hp;  Curtiss-Wright 
Cyclone  - 575  hp 
Weight Empty - 5,490  lbs.;  5,155  lbs. 
Payloads - 2,573  lbs.;  2,945  lbs. 
Gross  Weight - 9,500  lbs. ; 9,590  lbs. 
PERFORMANCE 
High Speeds  - 147  mph;  139  mph 
Cruising Speeds - 126  mph;  120 mph 
Rates  of Climb - 750  ft.  per min.;  600 ft.  per min. 
Service  Ceiling - 16,000 ft.;  13,000 ft. 
Standard equipment  includes  starter,  brakes,  naviga-
tion,  cabin  and  instrument  board  lights,  individual  heat-
ers  and  ventilators  to  each  seat,  air  speed  indicator, 
bank  and  turn  indicator,  rate  of  climb  indicator,  clock, 
magnetic  compass,  and all  engine  instruments. 
The  fuselage  is  of  welded  chromemolybdenum  steel 
tubing  with  vital  members  of  extremely  large  size.  The 
rear  section  is  braced  by  tie  rods.  The  wings  are  semi-
cantilever  in  type.  The  upper  wings  are  of  wood.  The 
lower  stub  wings  and  auxiliary  wings  are  built  entirely 
of chromemolybdenum steel  with double tie rods through-
out.  Covering  is  of  fabric.  The  lower  stub  wings  form 
part  of  the  landing  gear  structure.  Low  pressure  bal-
loon  tires  and  two  oildraulic  struts  on  each  wheel  are 
standard  equipment.  All  controls  operate  on  large 
diameter  oil-less  bronze  hinges.  Control  bearings  are 
equipped  with  Alemite  lubrication.  Slot-balanced 
ailerons  provide  lateral  control  at  speeds  below  stalling. 
Editor's Note: The Conqueror-powered Airbus was the
Model P-100 manufactured under A.T.C. #360 issued
&'27/30. The Cyclone-powered version was the Model
P-200 which was issued A.T.C. #391  on 1126'31. See
Joseph P. Juptner's U.S. Civil Aircraft, Volume 4.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
LETTERS  TO  THE  EDITOR 
May 14, 1982
W. Brad Thomas, Jr.
301 Dodson Mill Road
Pilot Mountain, NC 27041
Dear Brad:
It was good to see you down at Sun 'n Fun and have
an opportunity to visit with you a bit. We spent two
weeks in Florida and then returned home to more
winter.
For some time we have been discussing your pro-
posal in the March 1982 VINTAGE AIRPLANE which
was an extension of Paul Poberezny's proposal in the
February 1982 issue of SPORT AVIATION. While our
reaction was negative at the onset, we felt that we
needed a wider range of opinion from our membership
prior to our response to you, Paul, and the FAA. We
now have a consensus adequate to respond.
While the EAA proposal has some merit on the sur-
face, it opens up a "Pandora's Box" that would have a
ripple effect for many years. First we all know that
insurance rates on experimental aircraft are higher
than rates on standard aircraft. There goes the money
saved on the annual for more insurance premiums.
What about liability that the owner/seller assumes
when his handiwork is passed on to a buyer?
How about the costs of subscribing to the AD Notes
services to be sure that your airplane is up to par on
the past and current AD Notes? Some more money that
you thought you had saved.
How about the resale value of your airplane when
a potential buyer starts asking questions about how
it was maintained in relationship to FAA Regulations
and while the seller may have done a great job, he may
not be up to knowing the current FARs. After all the
A&P and IA have to spend a lot of time learning and
keeping up with the FARs and AD Notes.
What about the owner who wants to use his antique
or classic in a commercial manner? The Standard cer-
tificate is of great value here and surrendering it to
save a few bucks on A&P and IA inspections is rather
pennywise and pound foolish, wouldn't you say. S.T.C.
approvals aren't that difficult if you have the A&P
background to get them done.
Those who have the mechanical ability and ex-
perience working on their own airplanes have only
another step to go to obtain an A&P and maintain their
airplanes. Bringing the old airplanes down to the low-
est denominator (an owner who wants to save a few
bucks and pass on his mistakes and lack of knowledge
via a dangerous airplane) will not build a better sys-
tem for the restoration and flying of old airplanes.
The AAA is going on record for the upgrading of
our FAA Certificates so our members can restore and
maintain their airplanes WITHIN the present frame-
work of FAA Regulations. We urge you to drop this
ill conceived and potentially dangerous proposal for
future maintenance of antique and classic airplanes.
Yours truly,
Robert L. Taylor
(EAA 839, NC 330)
May 14, 1982
Mr. Paul Poberezny, President
Experimental Aircraft Assn., Inc.
P.O. Box 229
Hales Corners, WI 53130
Dear Paul:
Enclosed find a copy of our letter to Brad Thomas
of the Antique/Classic Division.
We regret we can find no common ground to work
with you folks on this matter. In fact, many of those
we have discussed this with have felt your proposal
presents a real danger to the future values of antique
and classic airplanes not to mention other assorted
problems that will assert themselves IF it comes to
pass.
We would urge you to reconsider this matter very
carefully. The present FAR system is quite protective
of our very valuable STANDARD CERTIFICATES.
Nothing will be gained by changing what we now have
and very likely very much can be lost.
Frankly Paul, I don't think your Antique/Classic
Division has enough hair on its chest yet to make this
come to pass and you can be sure we will do everything
we can to prevent it.
Yours truly,
Bob Taylor, President
Antique Airplane Assn., Inc.
May 18,1982
Mr. Robert Taylor, President
Antique Airplane Assn., Inc.
Route 2, Box 172
Ottumwa, IA 52501
Dear Bob:
Thank you very much for your letter of May 14. I am
sorry that you have taken the attitude you have. At no
time has anyone suggested that the standard category
of antique and classic aircraft be changed. We are talk-
ing about the FAA issuing an Airman Repair Certifi-
cate to the restorer of that one particular airplane, giv-
ing him credit for the fine work which the majority of
the antiquers do in rebuilding and maintaining their
aircraft·
We have some 137 letters from antique people asking
us to support this idea. This has been going on for quite
a number of years, with the usual statement that today's
A&Ps are not familiar with the older aircraft. You've
heard the story before. I cannot see why you don't want
to give credit to these fine craftsmen.
I also would like to point out an error in your third
paragraph to Brad Thomas, where you write "First of
all know that insurance rates on experimental aircraft
are higher than rates on standard aircraft". This is
not a true statement. You can buy insurance for a home-
built aircraft at the same rate, including passenger and
liability, as that for a standard category aircraft.
All the items that you point out to Brad in your let-
ter should be reconsidered and a look should be taken
at the positive side. Certainly there is enough of the
negative thinking in aviation. That is probably why
it has never grown to the proportions that many of us
would like to see.
In your last paragraph you write, "The AAA is going
on record for the upgrading of our FAA certificates so
our members can restore and maintain their airplanes
within the present framework". We don't understand
what you mean. Does this mean that an A&P's standards
must be increased so that members can maintain their
airplanes? As you have stated, that you would do every-
thing to prevent this easing of regulation and hard-
22 JULY 1982
ship for many, many owners, the Officers and Board of
Directors of the Antique/Classic Division feel it is neces-
sary to publish your letters in their publication. You
have now made known you will oppose any effort. Though
much work has to be done, the FAA is very cooperative
and will listen.
Sincerely,
EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT
ASSOCIATION
Paul H. Poberezny, President
AAA Lifetime Member #19
EAA Lifetime Member #1
Dear Gene:
I received my copy of the May 1982 issue of VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE several days ago, and was pleasantly
surprised to find the Stinson featured on the back cover.
If you could provide me with Ted Koston's address, I
would greatly appreciate it. I want to bug him for a
print or borrow the negative.
At the time this picture was taken, N18425 was
owned by a business woman who purchased the air-
craft new and utilized it in the pursuit of her publish-
ing business in and around the Pittsburgh area. In the
picture I notice a small stepping stool under the right
ladder. This was used in aiding her egress and ingress
from the cabin. In addition, the right ladder still ex-
hibits the 4" wide steps which allowed the use of high
heels.
The only log book in my possession which covers
a portion of Pilot C. H. Curry's employment indicates
he did a very meticulous job of record keeping. The logs
kept by subsequent owners left a lot to be desired.
It is the only 9F flying that is equipped with the
original bump cowling and wheel pants. John Neu-
meister of Sussex, NJ spent several days as my house
guest recently in order to make a fiberglass mould
of a section of the cowling. He made an extra one
which we shipped to Stuart Peterson in Boise , ID.
Someday, these 9Fs will also sport a bump cowl. The
original pants and cowl on these birds were made with
grade SO aluminum and they require a lot of TLC.
Best regards,
Jonsey Paul
(EAA 36793, AlC 145)
14418 Skinner Road
Cypress, TX 77429
Ted Koston's address is: 38 Le Moyne Parkway, Oak
Park, IL 60302.
JUST "PLANE" TOMMY ...
(Continued from Page 11)
Their next exhibition was at Erie Beach on June 9,
1911 where Walter Johnson accomplished the first sus-
tained flight ever made in the vicinity of Buffalo, New
York. Extra wing panels on top and bottom had been
added and proved to be very successful.
Further developments had been in progress and pro-
duced a new Thomas model TA which was introduced
on August 6, 1911. A larger engine, made by Kirkham
with six cylinders and producing 50 hp was used in the
new model. This produced much better flight character-
istics and 16 miles were flown from Savona to Ham-
mondsport in 18 minutes. The return flight was made
in 12 minutes, setting an average of 64 mph, which was
considered very good for the period. The new perform-
ance all added up to a new dimension being added to
their exhibitions. A subsequent flight at Danville, New
York produced a truly high altitude demonstration.
The model TA underwent 10 design modifications
and was used extensively at the aviation school at Bath,
New York. Walt Johnson made over 1,000 flights be-
tween January 15, 1912 and April 1913, carrying stu-
dents at the school. This was the first school chartered
by the New York State Board of Regents.
The earlier plane with the four cylinder Kirkham
engine was modified as a preliminary trainer having
been rebuilt for dual instruction. Many exhibition flights
continued around the New York area. At Sylvan Beach
near Syracuse, the TA was flown, after being broken -
it was only natural for the Thomas machine to be in-
cluded for its share of honors.
Pilot Walter Johnson and Earl Beers demonstrate the man-
ner of seating in which pilot and passenger endured the cold
to establish the endurance flight on Halloween, 1912.
Johnson, flying a TA model converted to a larger
65 hp engine, and with a school mechanic as his pas-
senger, established an American endurance record of
three hours, 51 minutes, 15 seconds at Bath, New York.
The flight was between Bath and Savona, New York,
a distance of 235 miles. The passenger weighed 150
lbs. This weight factor was a requirement by the Ameri-
can Aero Club, under whose supervision the flight was
made. Termination of the flight was not caused by
mechanical trouble but by the blustery cold winds of
October, forcing these two to land early that Halloween
evening.
Glenn Tate at the controls in about 1912. The aileron con-
trol cable circled the steering wheel being recessed in a
groove. Note the single foot pedal.
In 1913 Frank Burnside, a former st.udent now ap-
pointed chief pilot, established an altitude record of
13,000 feet to break Lincoln Beachy's altitude record.
The top wing had been lengthened and the tips squared,
and the power plant was changed to a Curtiss 80 hp en-
gine for additional lift . •
(To Be Continued N ext Month)
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
  PRO,) S 
This  section  of  The VINTAGE AIRPLANE is  de':-
icated  to  members  and  their  aircraft  projects.  We  wel-
come  photos  along  with  descriptions,  and  the  projects 
can  be  either  completed  or  underway.  Send  material  to 
the editor at the  address  shown on  page  3  of this  issue. 
Sam Rinaldo and his 1936 Taylor J-2, NC16360.
Dear Gene: 
Enclosed  are photos  of my  Cubs  .  .  . one  a  1938  Piper 
J-3,  NC22726,  SIN  2696  which  rolled  out  of  the  factory 
on  12122/38. It has  been  active  most  of  the  time  since. 
The  airframe  has  3955.30  hours  to  date,  and  is  on  the 
third  engine.  A  50  hp  Franklin  was  originally  installed, 
then  a  65  hp  Lycoming  and  now  it sports  a  Continental 
65.  I  began  this  restoration  in  July  1977  and  finished 
it in June  1979. 
The  other  plane  is  a  1936  Taylor  J-2  which  was 
manufactured  5/9/36 at  Bradford,  P A. It was  originally 
NC16369,  SIN  589,  but now  carries  NC16360.  The  plane 
was  dismantled  in  1946  and  put  in  storage  when  its 
owner,  a  field  representative  for  Franklin  Engines, 
was  transferred  to  Stinson  Aircraft  to  work  with  the 
engineers  regarding  Franklin installations. 
When  I  acquired  the  J -2  in  April  1977  the  original 
N  number  was  not  available  so  I  took  one  as  close  to 
it  as  possible.  This  restoration  was  finished  July  29, 
1980  and  for  awhile  I  was  working  on  both  planes  at 
the same time. 
I  have  known  the  J-2  since  it  was  new.  I  first  flew 
it  in  1943  but  it  took  all  these  years  before  I  could 
acquire  it.  For  several  years  I  instructed  at  the  very 
1938 Piper J-3, NC22726.
field  where  it  was  stored,  and  could  see  the  fuselage 
hanging  from  the  rafters.  When  I  got  it,  it  was  in  quite 
good  condition.  It still  has  the  original  Continental 
A-40-3  engine,  SIN 652.  In  fact  the  entire  aircraft  is 
original,  including the prop. 
The  only  change  I  made  was  the  installation  of 
brakes  for  the  sake  of safety,  as  we  have  a  lot  of cross-
winds  at  some  of  the  fields  in  this  part  of  the  country. 
I  was  fortunate  in  acquiring  all  the  papers  and  log 
books  for  the  J-2.  The  logs  show  900  plus  hours,  air-
frame  and  engine,  including  the  25  hours  I  have  put 
on  it.  I  don't  know  how  many  more  hours  I  can  fly 
before  I  can't  pass  a  physical  as  I  am  72  years  old,  but 
until  then I  will  keep  'em flying. 
It would  take  too  much  space  to  list  the  names  of 
all  the  people  who  helped  in  so  many  ways  in  the 
restoration  of  this  aircraft,  but  they  know  who  they 
are.  I  shall  always  be  grateful  to  each  and  everyone 
of them. 
Sincerely, 
Sam Rinaldo 
(EAA  43793,  AlC 2589)
342  Maple  Street 
Oneida,  NY  13421 
This handsome 1947 Luscombe 8-E,
NC2399K, SIN 5126 Is owned by Jay
Moriarty and Fred L. Pratt (EAA 9781,
AlC 3n4), 21 Westwood Circle, Dover,
NH 03820. The restoration project was
started In March 1981 and completed
In November. It Is finished In light blue
with dark blue trim.
24 JULY 1982
MYSTERY  PLANE 
Here's one for the aircraft airplane
fans. This picture was on a post card
acquired by Norm Petersen, Editorial
Assistant, a native of Minnesota. It 
appears to be an early Curtiss Push-
er - note the wings are single - sur-
face covered. The airplane has all the
characteristics of a genuine Curtiss
except the engine and fuel tanle Note
that it appears the pilot evidently
crashed through the fence in the
background and came to rest in the
corn field. Note that the lower right-
hand tail boom is broken. Mystery
- where and when was the photo
taken and who was the pilot? Re-
sponses will be mentioned in the Sep-
tember 1982 issue of The VINTAGE
AIRPLANE.
The Mystery Plane in the May issue is a Taubman LC-13. The photo was
supplied by Ted Businger, Willow Springs, MO who states it was taken at
either the Mid-City Airport, Hudson, OH or "Slim" Honroth's strip at North-
field, OH. On page 44 of John Underwood's 1974 edition of The Vintage and
Veteran Aircraft Guide he writes about the plane: "Derived from a 1929 de-
sign by V. C. Babcock, the Taubman LC-13 was built in 1930. Production
failed to become a reality and only two examples were completed. The 1941
Bartlett Blue Zephyr was an unsuccessful attempt to  market the craft."
The May Mystery Plane was correctly identified by C. Windsor Auten, Bel-
mont, CA who stated it had a number of new design features, including wheel
brakes and the tailwheel was mounted in the rudder and thus was steerable.
The wings contained windows for pilot visibility downward, and the fuselage
back of the cockpit was triangular in shape with the single longeron on the
bottom.
CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 
JULY  2-4  - CRESWELL,  OREGON  - 2nd  Annual  Oregon  Antique  & 
Classic  Aircraft  Club  Fly-In  at  Creswell  Airport.  For  information 
call  503/895-3859  or  -2913.  Write  OACAC,  P.O.  Box  613,  Creswell , 
OR  97426. 
JULY  3-4  - SUSSEX,  NEW  JERSEY - Flanders  Valley  EM  Antique/ 
Classic  Chapter  7  and  EM  Chapter  238  Annual  Fly-In.  Antiques, 
warbirds,  homebuilts,  and  factory  machines  welcome.  Food,  hangar 
square  dance  and  much  more.  Camping  and  lodging  upon  request. 
Contact  Dave  Sylvernal,  President,  One  Cayuga  Trail,  Oak  Ridge, 
NJ  07961  or call  201/697-7248. 
JULY  3-5  - BLAKESBURG,  IOWA  - Aeronca  Fly-In  at  Antique  Air-
field.  For  information  contact Augie  Wegner, 1432  28th  Ct. , Kenosha, 
WI  53140. 
JULY  1G-11  - ALLIANCE,  OHIO  - Annual  Taylorcraft  Fly-In/Reunion 
sponsored  by  Taylorcraft  Owner's  Club  and  the  Taylorcraft  " Old 
Timers" .  Factory  tours,  many  activities.  Contact  Bruce  Bixler  at 
216/823-9748. 
JULY  18-18  - ORILLlA,  CANADA - Annual  Orillia  Convention  by  EM 
of  Canada.  Orillia  Airport,  80  miles  north  of  Toronto.  Land  and  sea 
plane  facilities,  camping  and  motels.  Convention  UNICOM  123.4. 
Contact  Bill  Tee,  46  Porterfield  Road,  Rexdale,  Ontario  M9W  3J5. 
416fl42-8939.
JULY  18-18  - MINDEN,  NEBRASKA  - National  Stinson  Club  Fly-In. 
For  information  contact  George  Leamy,  117  Lanford  Road,  Sparten-
burg,  SC  29301,  803/576-9698  or  Mike  Emerson,  3309  Overton 
Park  E.,  Fort  Worth,  TX  76109, 817/924-6647. 
JULY 18-18  - LEWISTOWN, MONTANA- 5th  Annual  Montana  Chapter 
AM  Fly-In  at  Beacon  Star  Antique  Airfield.  For  further  information, 
please  contact  Frank  or  Billie  Bass,  Beacon  Star  Antique  Airfield, 
Star Route,  Moore,  MT  59464.  406/538-7616. 
JULY  23-25  - NEW  MILFORD,  CONNECTICUT  - Third  Annual  Air 
Rally,  Candlelight  Farms  Airport.  Camping,  music  after  dark.  Clas-
sics,  antiques,  grass  field  fun.  For  more  information  contact  Roger 
Dunham,  203/354-6734. 
JULY 30 - AUGUST 1 - COFFEYVILLE,  KANSAS- Funk Fly-In.  Antiques, 
Classics,  Homebuilts  invited.  Contests,  trophies,  dinner.  Contact 
Ray  Pahls,  454  Summitlawn,  Wichita,  KS  67209.  316/943-6920, 
evenings. 
JULY  31  - AUGUST  7  - OSHKOSH,  WISCONSIN  - 30th  Annual  EM 
Fly-In  Convention.  It's  never  too  early  to  start  making  plans  for  the 
world's  GREATEST AVIATION  EVENT. 
AUGUST  8-8  - SHELTON,  WASHINGTON  - Sanderson  Field.  Second 
Annual  Antique,  Classic  and  Warbird  Fly-In  sponsored  by  the 
Puget  Sound  Antique  Airplane  Club,  EM  Antique/Classic  Division 
9.  Arrive on  Friday, Public Display Saturday, dinner Saturday evening. 
Fly-a-way  breakfast  on  Sunday.  For  information  contact  Fred  C. 
Ellsworth.  17639 SE  293rd  Place, Kent,  WA  98031.  206/631-9117. 
AUGUST  8-14  - SAN  ANTONIO,  TEXAS  - International  Cessna  170 
Association  Annual  Convention.  Contact  John  D.  Benham,  12834 
Dovetail , San  Antonio, TX  78253. 
AUGUST  9-14  - FOND  DU  LAC,  WISCONSIN  - Annual  International 
Aerobatic  Club  Championships  and  Convention.  Contact  lAC,  P.O. 
Box  229,  Hales  Corners,  WI  53130. 
AUGUST  15  - WOODSFIELD, OHIO - Air Show  at  1:30  p.m.  at  Monroe 
County  Airport.  Phone  614/472-1882. 
AUGUST  2G-22  - VANCOUVER,  WASHINGTON  - Northwest  Antique 
Airplane  Club  23rd  Annual  Fly-In  and  Air  Show  at  Evergreen  Air-
port .  Excellent  camping,  spaghetti  feed  August  20,  breakfasts, 
awards  banquet  and  dance  Saturday.  Contact  Jim  Rosen,  314  S.E. 
118th  Avenue,  Vancouver, WA  98664.  206/254-6606. 
AUGUST  22  - ALDERMAN  AIRPORT,  OHIO  - Tri-Club  Model  Air 
Show  and  EM Fly-In  at  BrUSh  Run  Park,  10  a.m.  to  5  p.m.  Hosted 
by  EM Chapter  341,  Tri-State  Miniature  Aircraft  Association  Chap-
ter  51 ,  St.  Clairsville  Radio  Control  Flyers.  Contact  Larry  VanDyne, 
614/ 472-1882. 
AUGUST 22  - WEEDSPORT, NEW  YORK - Antique/Classic  and  Home-
built  fly-in  sponsored  by  Chapter  486.  Whitfords  Airport.  Pancake 
breakfast ,  air  show.  Field  closed  1-5.  Intermission  for  early  de-
partures.  Contact  Herb  Livingston,  1257  Gallagher  Road,  Baldwins-
ville,  NY  13027. 
AUGUST  27-29  - ARLINGTON,  WASHINGTON - Northwest  EM Fly-In. 
Homebuilts,  classics  and  antiques.  Camping,  meals,  forums. 
exhibits,  awards  and  fun.  For  information  contact  Dave  Woodcock, 
206fl47-2748.
SEPTEMBER  2-6  - TULLAHOMA,  TENNESSEE  - 2nd  Annual  Ole 
South  Fly-In.  Parish  Aerodrome,  Soesbe-Martin  Field.  Saturday, 
Parade  of  Flight:  Sunday,  Air  Show.  Camping.  Contact  Jimmy 
Snyder,  President,  Tennessee  Valley  Sport  Aviation  Association , 
Inc.,  5315  Ringgold  Road, Chattanooga,  TN  37412. 615/ 894-7957. 
(Continued  on  Page  27) 
VINTAGE  AIRPLANE  25 
Classic owners!
Interior looking ahabby?
CJ
Finish  it right with an 
airtex interior 
Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation.
Custom  Quality  at  economical  prices. 
• Cushion upholstery sets
• Wall panel sets
• Headliners
• Carpet sets
• Baggage compartment sets
• Firewall covers
• Seat Slings
• Recover envelopes and dopes
Free Catalog of complete product line. Fabric Selection Guide
showing actual sample colors and styles of materials: $3.00. 
at .,.;r
Qlr  exproducts, inc. 
259 Lower Morrisville Rd. , Dept.  VA 
Fallsington,  PA  19054  (215)  295-4115 
I  VISA
-
I
• 
THE  VINTAGE  AIRPLANE 
ADVERTISING  RATES 
1 Issue  3 Issues  6 Issues  12 Issues 
1 Page $175.00 $165.00 $150.00 $145.00
1/2 Page 105.00 100.00 95.00 90.00
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Rates are for black and white camera-ready ads.
CLASSIFIED RATES: Regular type - 45c per word;
Bold  face  type  - 50c per word; ALL  CAPS  - 55c
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COMMISSIONS: N on-commissionable .
For additional information, including color rates
and required ad sizes, contact:
Advertising Department
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE
P.O. Box 229
Hales Corners, WI 53130
414 /425-4860
Jacket:  Unlined  Poplin  jacket,  features  knit  waist 
and  cuffs.  The  gold  and  white  braid  trim  on  a 
Tan  body  emphasizes  the  colors  proudly  dis-
played  in  the  Antique/Classic  logo. 
Sizes:  X-small  thru  X-large 
$28.95 ppd 
Cap:  Complete  the  look  in  this  gold  mesh  hat 
with  contrasting  blue  bill,  trimmed  with  a  gold 
braid.  Your  logo  visibly  displayed,  makes  this 
adjustable  cap  a  must. 
Sizes:  M  &  L  (adjustable  rear  band) 
$6.25 ppd 
WEAR  the  IMAGE 
in  an  Antique/Classic  jacket and  cap 
Send  Check To: 
EAA  ANTIQUE/CLASSIC  DIVISION,  INC. 
P.o. Box 229  Hales  Corners,  WI  53130 
Allow 4-6  Weeks  For Delivery 
Wisconsin  Residents  Include 4%  Sales Tax 
26 JULY  1982 
CALENDAFl  OF  EVENTS  ... 
(Continued  from  Page  25) 
SEPTEMBER  8-12 - GALESBURG,  ILLINOIS  - 11th  National  Stear-
man  Fly-In. Contact Jim  Leahy  at  P.O. Box 1505, Galesburg, IL 61401 , 
309/ 343-2119  or  Tom  Lowe  at  623  Kingston  Lane,  Crystal  Lake,  IL 
60014, 615/ 459-6673. 
SEPTEMBER  11-12 - GREELY,  COLORADO  - Rocky  Mountain  Re-
gional  Fly-In  at  Weld  County  Airport.  Open  to  the  publ ic,  pancake 
breakfast  and  air  shows. Contact  Bill  Marc, 303/ 966-4396. 
SEPTEMBER  17-19 - BALTIMORE,  MARYLAND  - 13th  Annual  East 
Coast  Fly-In  sponsored  by  East  Coast  EAA  chapters.  Pancake 
breakfast ,  forums,  displays,  awards.  Glenn  l. Martin  State  Air-
port.  Contact  Gene  B'rown,  9026  Hickory  Hi ll  Ave.,  Lanham,  MD 
20706,  301 / 577-3070  or  Bob  Wallace,  1600  Kittyhawk  Rd.,  Balti -
more, MD  21220, 301 / 686-9242  or 666-3279. 
SEPTEMBER  24-26  - TAHLEQUAH,  OKLAHOMA  - 25th  Anniversary 
Tulsa  Fly-In  co-sponsored  by  EM  AlC  Chapter  10,  UL  Chapter 
10,  lAC  Chapter  10  and  AM Chapter  2.  Will  also  celebrate  the  75th 
anni versary  of  Oklahoma  statehood  and  the  100th  anniversary 
of  Tulsa.  Contact  Cal  Bass,  6111  So.  Joplin,  Tulsa,  OK  74136. 
916/ 494-6906. 
OCTOBER  1-3 - CALLAWAY  GARDENS,  GEORGIA  - Internat ional 
Cessna  120/ 140  Association,  Inc.  Annual  convention  and  fly-in. 
For  info  contact  Charles  Wilson,  567  Forrest  Ave.,  Fayettevill e, 
GA 30214. 404/ 461-6279. 
OCTOBER  10 - BOLIVAR,  TENNESSEE  - EM  Chapter  763  Fly-In 
and  Air  Show.  Contact  Billy  Whitehurst ,  P.O.  Box  376,  Bolivar,  TN 
36006.  901 / 656-6262. 
AVAILABLE  BACK  ISSUES 
1973 March through December
1974 All Are Available
1975 All Are Avail able
1976 February through May, August through
December
1977 All Are Avail able
1978 J anuary t hrough March, August, October
through December
1979 February through December
1980 J anuary, March through July, September
through December
1981 All Are Available
1982 - January through March, May, June
Back issues are avail able from Headquarters for $1.25
each, postpaid, except the July 1977 (Lindbergh Com-
memorative) issue, whi ch is $1.50 postpaid.
WORLD WAR 1
~
WORUl WAR I AEROPlAIIES. INC. 1s a tax-exaIPt non-profl t 01"9
1n1
-
zatlon founded i n 1961 to bring together build.M. restoreM.
scal....odell.M. and  nistonans of p ..... 1919 a.rolllanes ; and to
IIIIIU  aval1ael. to. th. infonnatlon aDout parts. drawings. "hole
aircraft. and all til. books and  techniques which would be  of us.
to th••
We work clos.ly with mus_. libraries. collectoM. d.slgn.M.
historians. supply-houses. bulld.M. pilots. and oth.r avi ati on
ol"9anizatlons and journals. We are tile only ol"9anizati on to
d.,,1 solely "lth the design and constl"Uctl on of these machines.
WI and p ..... WI as .... 11.
To tIleS. ends .... publ1sh our journ"l. WORLD WAR I AEROPlAIIES.
flv. tl_ a year for s_ 800 ...meM tllroughout til. world. and
conduct a substantial info,.tion se"lce by mall and t.lephon.;
.... ".Intaln an up-to-date fll. of both anginal and reproduction
alrcnft all 0Yef' til. world ( til .... a... 5_ 700 of til. fo,..r and
s_ 900 of the latter! , .
Th. Ol"9anlzltion nes operated   ~ the beginning on voluntary
contMbutlons for pnntlng. postage, telepttonlng. photograptty.
fees; and .... sell back issues. Xlrox copies of early aircraft and
engine manuals and working drawings. and appropriate advertis i ng.
Sulpl. issue $3.
1.5  CRESCENT  RD., PoUGHKEEPSIE. N.Y. 12.&01 
TM
CLASSIFIED  ADS 
YOUR  PIPER  project lagging? For a share, either I'll 
restore it alone or we can work together. So. Calif. area.
Casual reader , refer to a fri end. 213/680-4631 eves.
ACRO  SPORT  - Single place bipl ane capabl e of un-
limited aerobati cs. 23 sheets of clear, easy to foll ow plans ,
includes nearly 100 isometrica l drawi ngs , photos and
exploded vi ews. Compl ete parts a nd materials list . Full
size wing drawings . Plans plus 88 page Builder's Manual
- $60.00. Info Pack - $4.00. Super Acro Sport Wing
Drawing - $15. 00. Send check or money order to: ACRO 
SPORT,  INC.,  Box 462, Hal es Corners , WI 53130. 4141
425-4860.
FOR  SALE  - 1931 Curtiss-Wright "Junior" CW- 1 pow-
ered with Continental A-65. Licensed and flying. Con-
tact Barbara Kitchens 404/228-0965.
ACRO  II  - The new 2-place aerobati c trainer and sport
biplane. 20 pages of easy to foll ow, detailed plans . Com-
pl ete with isometri c drawings , photos , expl oded views .
Pl ans - $85.00. Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money
order t o: ACRO  SPORT,  INC.,  P.O. Box 462, Hales Cor-
ners , WI 53 130. 414/425-4860.
POBER  PIXIE  - VW powered par asol - unlimi ted in
low. cost pleasure fl yi ng. Big, r oomy cockpit for the over
six foot pilot . VW power insures hard to beat 31;2 gph at
crui se setti ng . 15 large instruction sheets . Plans - $45.00.
Info Pack - $4. 00. Send check or money order to: ACRO 
SPORT,  INC.,  Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 4 141
425-4860.
FLYING  AND 
GLI DER  MANUALS 
1929, 1930. 1931
1932. 1933
2.50 ea . 
SEND  CHECK  OR  MONEY  ORDER  TO : 
EAA  Air  Museum  Foundation, Inc. 
Box 469  Hales  Corners, WI  S3130 
All ow  4-6  Weeks  For  Del ivery 
Wisconsi n  Residents  Incl ude 4%  Sal es  Tax 
VINTAGE  AIRPLANE  27