Vintage Airplane - Mar 2005

VOL. 33, NO.3

2005

CONTENTS
1

Straight and Level

2

VAA News
Mail
Reminiscing with Big Nick


4

5

My 35-Year Love Affair (Part 1)

by Nick Rezich

8

The Vintage Instructor

Patterns in the sky

by Doug Stewart


10

Factorv Falco
Plywood butterfly reborn

by Budd Davisson


14

by Bob Gehring and Steve Krog

24
26

BACK COVER: John Sarsfield, Longmont, Colorado,
is an EM Master Artist , and he recently painted
the Reginald Mitchell designed Supermarine 55. A
pair of 55's won both first and second place in the
1927 Schneider Cup trophy races in Venice, Italy.
Flight lieutenant S.N. Webster and O.F. Worsley
flew the pair, with Webster coming out on top with
an average speed over the course of 453.282
km/h (281.656 mph). Our thanks to John for shar­
ing his acrylic painting.

S TA F F

Monday morning quarterbacking
by Buck Hilbert

Publisher
Editor­ in-Chief
Executive Director/Editor
Adm inistrative Assistant
Managing Editor
News Editor
Photography

Vintage Books
Mystery Plane

Production Manager
Advertising Sales

Arriving in Style
Taking a classIc ride to Tullahoma's Beech Party
by Amy Laboda

22

factory-built Falco is the sole example with an FM
certificate of registration in the Utility category.
The sleek all-metal Italian speedster was restored
by Marc Stamsta and was the Most Unique trophy
winner in the Contemporary category at EM
AirVenture Oshkosh 2004. EM photo using Canon
digital photographic equipment by Jim Koepnick.
EM photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.

Type Club Notes
Removing and installing a prop on a Continental tapered-shaft
engine, from the Luscombe and Cub Club newsletters

18

COVERS


FRONT COVER: The only one of it"s kind; this

Pass It To Buck

by H.G. Frautschy
28
30

Calendar
Classified Ads

Classified Ad Manager
Copy Editor
Graphic Design

Tom Poberezny
Scott Spangler
H.G. Frautschy
Theresa Books
Kath leen Witman
Ric Reynolds
Jim Koepnick
Bonnie Bartel
Julie Russo
Loy Hickman
913-268-6646
Isabelle Wiske
Colleen Walsh
Olivia Phillip

GEOFF ROBISON
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

"Working" at the Airport

f late it seems that I hear
more and more folks talking
about the age-old question
of "why we fly. " A Vintage
member recently reminded me of yet
another personal perk that aviation
provides him and others who fly. Even
though this member mentioned the
various successes he has experienced in
lithe business of aviation, he put much
greater value in having the opportunity
to "go to work at the airport" each and
every day. I had never really thought
much about that as a concept.
Although I am fortunate to have a job
I like (most of the time), I am now forever
envious of those who go to work at the
airport every day of the week. You really
have to stop and think about it. I know
clearly what "being at the airport" does
for my emotional state. Other than my
family, there is little in my life that gives
me greater pleasure than hanging around
at the airport with my aviation friends.
You know how that works! You go
out to the hangar to work on your trav­
eling machine or your current project,
and suddenly there are a couple of
people hanging around. If you're lucky,
at least one of them is helping you do
what you intended to accomplish on
this particular day. But most of the time
the conversations evolve, and suddenly
there's more hangar flying going on
than anything else. So then, you really
have no choice but to come back the
next day and try again, right? One just
naturally desires to be a part of what
goes on there. It is absolutely a great en­
vironment to exist in, and I learn some­
thing new about aviation on nearly
every trip there.
Aviation people are a big part of this
"airport experience" I speak of. It goes
hand in hand with the statements one

O

II

hears when people talk about the "Osh­
kosh" experience. It's the airplanes that
get you to come to AirVenture, but as
most of you readers already know, it's
mostly about the friendships made in
Oshkosh that get you to want to come
back to the world's greatest aviation
event year after year.
Speaking of great aviation events, by
the time you receive this edition of Vin­
tage Airplane, the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In will
be just a month away. The 31st Annual
Spring Celebration of Flight in Lakeland,
Florida, is scheduled for April 12-18,
200S. This spring aviation ritual is always
an excellent way to launch into the new
flying season. I hope to see you there.
Over the past few years a portion of
the Vintage parking area at AirVenture
has hosted a wonderful collection of
specially parked aircraft types. This all
started when VAA Director Roger Gomoll
decided that type-club parking seemed
to require a "secret encoder ring" to get
a spot. That wasn't our intention at all,
so Roger, who had become the chair­
man of the type-club tent during that
same period, decided to demystify the
process and announce a unique oppor­
tunity to all the type clubs. Each club
could have their day in the limelight at
VAA AirVenture. We now invite them to
participate in this truly wonderful op­
portunity that allows them to park their
aircraft types together at AirVenture in
the Vintage area. Roger's efforts have
continued to payoff for the member­
ship and for the everyday EAA AirVen­
ture Oshkosh attendee who now has
the unique opportunity to see a truly
wonderful collection of different aircraft
types, all parked together in a specific
area. It's become so popular with the
clubs, that for the past two years this
deSignated area has been fully commit­

ted by the middle of January.
For those type clubs who have partici­
pated in this unique opportunity, please
understand that we can accommodate
only a specific number of aircraft in this
deSignated area, so it has now become
necessary to limit the number of type
clubs we can accommodate each year.
We also ask each of the type clubs to
recognize that it is important to share
the wealth with this popular program,
and each club will take turns organiz­
ing a group for display. Please be sure to
contact us at our main e-mail address:
vintageaircraft@eaa .org with any ques­
tions you may have.
To date we have pledged type-club
parking space for the 200S event to the
International Cessna 170 Association,
the Swift Foundation, the Taylorcraft
Foundation, and the Bellanca-Cham­
pion Club. Be sure to come join us for
all the fun .
Just a reminder, the "Friends of the
Red Barn" fund-raising campaign is now
in full swing. This campaign directly
finances all the various events and ex­
hibits provided to the membership in
the Vintage area during AirVenture each
year. Please be sure to review the pro­
gram benefits in the February edition
of the Vintage Airplane magazine or on
the Web at www.vintageaircraft.org, and
give serious consideration to donating
to your organization. Also, our sincere
thanks to all those members who have
already made their pledges. Your assis­
tance is greatly appreciated.
Let's all pull in the same direction
for the good of aviation . Remember,
we are better together. Join us and have
it all.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

Vintage E-Mail Address

AirVenture: Need to Know


Because of the incredibly high
volume of junk e-mail being
received at the [email protected] e­
mail address, as of April 1, 2005,
that address will be shut down and
replaced with a new e-mail address,
[email protected]. Please make
a note of it in your contacts list.

Admission Prices:

VAA Articles

Price is the same as last year. EAA members receive significantly reduced
admission. Visit www.airventure.org/200S/planning/admission.html.

One of the highlights of
membership in the VAA is the
ability to share information with
one another. We do it during
meetings and fly-ins, at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh, and here in
the pages of Vintage Airplane. If
you have something you think
would be of interest to your fellow
members, why not turn it into an
article? We need technical articles
and are interested in historical
articles as well. We don't need
"How I flew from the state of XYZ
to XGX airport" articles, nor is
there much interest in non-Vintage­
related materials . If you're not sure
if there would be interest, drop us
an e-mail at vintageaircraft@eaa.
org or call us at 920-426-4825. Let
us know what you'd like to write
about, and we'll see if it matches
our needs. Become famous-help
a fellow member-become a writer
for Vintage Airplane!

Pitcairn Miss Champion to
Join EAA Museum at AirVenture
When Stephen Pitcairn decided it
was time to select a permanent home
for his rare Pitcairn PCA-2 autogiro
Miss Champion, he turned to EAA
AirVenture Museum's Pioneer Airport.
It will be in good company. Over the
years, he's donated a Pitcairn PA-39, a
Mailwing, and the structure in which
they reside-the Pioneer's Pitcairn
Aviation Hangar.
Pitcairn will fly the aircraft, whose
flight characteristics were once
described as "hopping off the ground
like a giant grasshopper," to Oshkosh
2

MARCH 2005

Gates:
Open at 8 a.m. Monday-Thursday
Open at 7 a.m. Friday-Sunday

Buildings and Exhibits:
Open at 9 a.m.

200fjf
OSHKO

S

H

~TM

Where Can I Stay?
Showpl ane camping, genera l aircraft camp in g, campgrounds,
dormitories, h otels, and more.
Visit www.airventure.org/200S/planning/where_to_stay.html.

Air Shows:
Daily air shows begin at 3:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 2 p.m . on
Sunday
For all this and more, visit the EM AirVenture website, www.airventure.org.

Camp Scholler Opens June 24
Instead of its traditiona l openi ng on Ju ly 1, starting th is yea r Camp
Scho ller wi ll open and be ready to we lcome EAAe rs 31 days before t he
st art of EAA AirVentu re Oshkosh. That means campers who like to get in
early can move in on June 24.
The new schedu le sh ould help members make their AirVenture plan s
because the campground wi ll always open on a Frid ay. Camp Scholler
is open to all EAA mem bers. As in t he past, t ho se who esta bl is h
campsi t es on June 2 4 pay t hrough the end of EAA AirVe nture , an d
receive refunds if t hey depart bef ore t he fi nal day. For more information,
visit www.airventure.org.

at the first good weather opportunity,
in plenty of time for EM AirVenture
Oshkosh, July 25-31. It will take about
three days to cover the 660 miles
from Trenton-Robbinsville Airport,
New Jersey, to Oshkosh.
Miss Champion made its first visit
to Oshkosh in 1986, right after being
restored to its original condition.
PartiCipants at AirVenture 2005
will see the PCA-2 in flight during
the week. The first of 20 PCA-2s
flew in 1930, and it was the first
commercially licensed autogiro
in the United States. "This will be
a fantastic enhancement to our
collection," said EAA AirVenture
Museum Director Adam Smith.
"We feel fortunate and grateful
that Steve considers our facilities

an appropriate final destination for
this important aviation artifact."
The Champion Spark Plug Co.
purchased Miss Champion new in
1931, and it led that year's Ford
National Air Tour. Soon after setting
an altitude record of 21,500 feet in
September 1932, the aircraft "retired"
to the Chicago Museum of Science
and Industry. Just after World War
II it was sold to a private New Jersey
museum, and Pitcairn acquired it
in the early 1980s. "Because of my
association with the EAA, with the
Pitcairn Hangar and theMailwing.as
well as another autogiro (the world's
only remaining example of a PA-39), I
decided to donate it to EAA," he said.
"It seemed to be the logical place for
Miss Champion to go."
......

NOMINATING SOMEONE FOR THE

EAA

VINTAGE HALL OF FAME:


Note: To be considered for induction into the VAA Hall ofFame during the next calendar year, petitions MUST be
received by September 30th of the current year.
If you wish to nominate an individual who you believe has made a significant contribution to the
advancement of aviation between 1950 and the present day, please make a copy of the form below, fill it
out, add supporting material, and send it to: Charles W. Harris, VAA Hall of Fame, P.O. Box 470350, Tulsa,
OK 74147-0350
Be as thorough and objective as possible. Attach copies of materials you deem appropriate and helpful
to the committee.
The person you nominate can be a citizen of any country and may be living or deceased . Their contri­
bution could be in the areas of flying, design, mechanical or aerodynamic developments, administration,
writing, or some other vital, relevant field; or any combination of fields that support aviation.

EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
HALL OF FAME NOMINATING PETITION
Person nominated for induction into the VAA Hall of Fame:

Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Street:
Phone Number: _________________________
City:
State: _ _ _ _ _ Zip :_ _ ___
Date of Birth:
If Deceased, Date of Death: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
Name and relationship of closest living relative._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ _ __

Address:
Phone: ______________

Time span (dates) of the nominee's contributions to aviation:

(Must be between 1950 to present day.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __


Area(s) of contributions to aviation:

Describe the event(s) or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to be worthy of
induction into the VAA Hall of Fame: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Describe other achievements the nominee has made in other related fields in aviation:

Has the nominee already been honored for his/her involvement in aviation and/or the contribution
you are stating in this petition? (Circle one)
Yes
No
If yes, please explain the nature of the honor and/or award the nominee has received:

Additional Information:
Person submitting this petition:_____ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

Street: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ Phone: _____________

City: _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ State: _________ Zip: ________

Please attach any supporting material with your petition for the committee's review.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

3

PIPER WITH A PIPER

Here's a picture of our son, Shawn Piper. He soloed in our
1942 J-3 Piper Cub on his 16th birthday, August 6, 2004. A
62-year-old Piper flown by a 16-year-old Piper.
David Piper
St.
Illinois
THE CASE FOR FRANKLIN

FLEETWINGS SEABIRD ADDENDUM

I always enjoy receiving my copy
of Vintage Airplane, as I have done
so since 1973.
I feel compelled to answer a state­
ment attributed to Butch Walsh in
Budd Davisson's article on Walsh's
Stinson (page 14, November 2004).
"The 108 and 108-1 us ed the
ea rlier lS0-hp light-case engine,
which is more prone to problems
than the later 16S-hp version used
in the 108-2 and -3."
First of all, there was no such
thing as a lS0-hp light case. The
150 Franklin didn ' t have any
cracking problems-the earlier
16Ss did! I refer interested read­
ers to Aircooled Motors SB NOlO,
dated 12-21-50, revised 6-3-52. All
serial number engines No. 33046
and above and/or having casting
numbers 18905/18906 are con­
si dered to be "improved" crank­
cases. Many earlier "light case"
165 engines (by SN) had their cases
replaced with the "improved" ver­
sion at th e factory or in service
centers. The light-case engine can
be operated to this day-subject to
periodic inspection.
Interestingly enough, when
Aircooled Motors introduced the
16S-hp engine, the 150 hp was pro­
duced side by side until production
wound down at the start of the Ko­
rean War. Aircooled Motors contin­
ued to support these earlier engines
with parts and overhaul until the
bankruptcy of 1976.
Dan Cullman
Kent, Washington

Zachary Baugnman's (Vintage Air­
plane, August 2004) downplay of Jim
Reddig's contributions to the beauti­
ful Fleetwings Seabird may be off the
mark. While it is true Fleetwings had
a project going prior to Jim's arrival
there in 1934, it was not the Seabird,
according to company founder Carl
DeGanohl himself. This earlier air­
plane may have actually been built,
according to author Frank Clifford
(FAA Aviation News, January 1970).
Jim Reddig, in correspondence SO
years ago to longtime Seabird owner
Bud Oliver, sta ted that when he
ca me on board, Fleetwi n gs aban­
doned their project and started again
using his experience with Loening. It
should be pointed out that although
the Seabird resembles the Loaning
commuter line, it is a radically differ­
ent engineered airframe. Fleetwings
had to design a production airplane
that could be assembled using their
welded stainless methods. Further,
it was Fleetwings (with Reddig) that
did the wind tunnel and water tank
testing of the Seabird design. Reddig
always gave credit to Loening, but
insisted that h e never actually di­
rectly contributed to the Fleetwings
amphibian. It is also very easy to
see Loening's influence in the early
Grumman airplanes-Grumman and
some of his early team also worked at
Loening, and it clearly shows in the
airframes they produced.
To me, the bigger question is the
actual engineering that went into
the Seabird. Spot welding an entire
airplane togeth er required a pro­

4

MARCH 2005

gressive assembly process that left
little room for error. Nobody knew
this better than Channing Clark.
Clark's airplane was a wreck when
he acquired it, and his amazing res­
toration is a tribute to his skill and
knowledge of the engineering devel­
oped in the 1930s by Fleetwings (or
the Budd Co.). Jim Redding and ev­
erybody I have found associated with
Fleetwings truly believed that is was
Carl DeGanohl who was responsible
for the engineering innovations and
that the Budd Co. was the enemy,
having stolen their work.
A patent search seems to show
just the opposite. The Budd Co.
was a major industrial engineering
force in the world at the time. Now
known as a manufacturer of rail
cars, they were then heavily into
the auto and trucks parts supply
business. Budd is credited with the
first all-steel automobile bodies,
and what we now call spot weld­
ing is a process that Budd helped
develop. The patents of the '20s
and '30s that apply to stainless
steel fabrication were primarily
awarded to the Budd engineering
staff. Th is includes many directly
related to the manufacture of air­
craft components during the very
period of time when the Seabird
was being developed.
The fact that Edward Budd himself
was guest of honor at the christening
of the first Seabird seems to indicate
a more than casual connection to
this truly innovative creation.
Marc Pierce
Colts Neck, New Jersey

REMINISCING WITH BIG NICK

My 3S-YEAR LOVE AFFAIR

(PART 1)

Reprinted from Vintage Airplane September 19 74
Nick Rezich
All Photos Courtesy the Nick Rezich Collection

Before I get carried away with
my love affair, I would like to take
this opportunity to thank you all
for the treasures of mail that have
reached me since the publication of
the "Howard" story.
The following letter is most pre­
cious, and I felt it should be shared
with everyone:
Los Angeles, California
August 22, 1974
Dear Nick,
Thank you for sending me a copy
of the story-article-about us and
our aeroplanes. You told it like it
was-and made it very interesting.
I will not argue with you about
the Howards being one of the great­
est! Do you know that there are sev­
eral of them out here still flying? As
a matter of fact, at one time there
was a Howard Club-all members
owned and flew the Howard.

Again, thank you very much for
everything you wrote and feel.
Best personal regards,
(Signed) Mike Howard
(Mrs. Ben O. Howard)
As soon as the "boss" allows me a
stamp fund, I'll try to answer every­
body. Many letters contain correc­
tions of names, photos, etc.
Let me explain some of these mis­
takes. First, Jack Cox should receive
a medal of the highest order for his
ability and patience in transform­
ing my hieroglyphics into readable
material. (Nick is too modest . . . his
material is a pleasure for me to work
with.-JBC) His lovely wife, Golda,
has come up with the Rezich alpha­
bet, which helps somewhat, but it
still takes her two weeks to unscram­
ble the "i's," lie's," liS'S," etc.
I love writing to doctors-it's my
only chance to get even with them.

Maybe by now you all will under­
stand why some misspelled names
sneak in!
This past June I made a five-day
whirlwind tour of California visiting
some old Howard Aircraft buddies
and family friends . My first stop was
the most significant and the highlight
of my trip. Sunday morning, June 9,
dawned sunny and warm in San Fran­
cisco, where I picked up a rental car for
my tour to Los Angeles. An hour and
a half out of Frisco I pulled into the
Palo Alto Airport, where I met Larry
Low, a gung-ho EAAer and antiquer,
whom I had never met before, but
knew well from our letter exchanges.
Standing in front of his hangar, we
exchanged family introductions-all
but one, the one behind the hangar
doors. I was really getting antsy, and
it showed as I kept pushing on the
locked doors. Larry finally got the
message, and we opened the doors.
V IN TAGE AIRP LANE

5

There she stood, my love-a majestic
lady in all her pomp and glory. The
last time I touched her was almost 30
years ago to the day. With moist eyes,
I walked up and laid a gentle hand
on the door latch and introduced my
wife of 23 years and mother of three
to my first love affair, a Culver Ca­
det that I bought new 34 years ago,
NC20926, serial number 106.
Larry Low had her dressed up in
the latest fashion: urethane paint,
tinted one-piece windshield, carpet­
ing, starter, generator, nav/comm, ELT,
chrome gear, landing, nav and strobe
lights, plus one hell of a lot of tender­
loving care. After 34 years I could not
find a wrinkle in her skin anywhere. I
thought I had a showstopper when I
owned it, but you should see it now!
This fellow, Larry, has put much ef­
fort, time, and money into this price­
less jewel. Oh, sure, I made him an
offer-but he quickly informed me of
others that are available ... but not my
love-at any price!
This whole affair started back in
1939 when the aviation industry was
still reeling from the blow of the De­
pression. The surviving companies
and some new ones were all pushing
new models. The route to recovery
was paved with many new designs.
The OX-5 powered machines had all
been turned out to pasture for a grace­
ful and well-earned retirement.
The machines of '39 all sported
round engines or the new flat, op­
posed 4s, all air-cooled. Prices ranged
from $990 for the Cub to $52,000 for
the executive Lockheed 12. The most
advanced airplane was on the draw6

MARCH 2005

ing boards in a small plant located in
Columbus, Ohio.
The genius behind the slide rule
was Al Mooney, who was known to
many in the industry as a bright, in­
geniOUS engineer.

THERE SHE SAT IN
FRONT OF THE
HANGAR LIKE A
THOMPSON RACER
WAITING FOR THE
STARTER'S FLAG
TO DROP!
When Al Mooney announced he
was building a two-place airplane with
retractable gear that would cruise at
120 mph with a top of 140 mph, have a
service ceiling of 17,000 feet, and have
a cruising range of 1,050 miles with a
IS-gallon auxiliary tank .. .and all this
while powered by only 75 hp and sell­
ing for less than $3,000, he lifted many
eyebrows-including mine!
I anxiously waited to see what this
new design of Mooney's would look
like. I went to the Columbus, Ohio,
plant on the pretense of buying a
Dart, hoping to get a glimpse of the
new Culver. It didn't work. After two
days all I got was a lot of rumors and

no peekaboo. Before I left, I made a
deal with a friend of mine to send me
a snapshot of the prototype as soon as
it was rolled out of assembly.
With the coming of fall and win­
ter came my photo ... wow! When I
saw what that little jewel looked like,
I made up my mind right then and
there-I had to have one! I ordered
one without even having a ride in
one. The price was $2,475 . I received
the sixth one built, serial number 106,
NC20926. A blue and silver paint job
was stock.
The late Art Carnahan of Mono­
coach fame was the area dealer, and
he delivered my new Culver as far
as Joliet, IllinOis, where the snow
stopped him. I drove in a snowstorm
to Joliet to pick up Art and view my
new jewel. There she sat in front of
the hangar like a Thompson racer
waiting for the starter's flag to drop!
I don't think I knew what the word
thrilled meant until that cold evening
in Joliet when I opened the cabin
door and tried that Culver on for size.
Art gave me a fast cockpit check, and
then we hopped in the car and headed
for my home back in Chicago. Dur­
ing the drive Art explained the gear
details and the flight characteristics.
By the time we reached home I was
ready for the races!
To knock off the chill of the drive,
my mother poured us some of our
best homemade wine, which was fol­
lowed by a fiesta supper. After supper
and a gallon of wine later, I stuffed
Art's pockets with $2,000 in fives,
tens, and twenties and put him on
a train for the trip back to Blooming­

Nick and a friend indulging in a little clowning for the photographer. The insignia is that of the Illinois State Militia. Nick
once flew missions for the Militia into flood-ravaged downstate Illinois, landing on roads to deliver blood to hospitals.

ton, Illinois, his hometown.
My first flight in the new Cadet was
two weeks later, when the weather
cleared. Up to that time, I had been
flying Travel Airs, Pitcairns, a Laird,
Bellancas, Stinsons, Porterfields, Rear­
wins, Cubs, and Howards, and from
what Art told me none of the above
flew like the Cadet. My brother helped
me roll it out of the hangar, preflight
it, and cranked me.
As I taxied out, I tried to remem­
ber everything Art had told me about
the Cadet's handling. If felt good and
solid while taxiing, and when I got to
the runway, I was ready. I set the tab
at zero and poured the coal on. The
takeoff was smooth and straight.
I left the pattern and started to
climb to altitude for some turns and
stalls. In the next 20 seconds I learned
all about the Culver's sensitive flip­
pers. I reached up to trim it for climb
so I could concentrate on the gear re­
traction. Well! When I gave the trim
handle the usual husky crank, all
hell broke loose. The nose shot up .. .I
pushed forward on the stick and went
up against the roof...l pulled back,
and I was pushed a foot down into the
cushion! Another push forward ...back
on the roof! I finally got the message
and stabilized and started flying it.
I left the gear down and climbed to
3,000 feet where I practiced medium
and steep turns, slow flight, and some
stalls. The more I flew it, the better I
liked it. Now, I trimmed it for hands
off and cycled the gear a few times.
All went well, so I headed for Willie

Howell's airport on the south side of
Chicago, where I was to keep it. As
the airport came into sight, I dropped
the nose and let it boil. I went over
the office, indicating 170 mph, and
this brought everyone out, so I did it
again, followed by a steep, climbing
turn. I was really getting my jollies!
I dropped the gear, checked the
lock, and started in to land on the
1,800 feet of solid runway the Cubs
were using. With that gang out there
watching, I couldn't afford to goof the
first landing. I dragged it in and put
it on three points, using about 1,200
feet. The roll-out was like a Cub. I tax­
ied in, shut down, and stepped out .. .
the hero of the airport! I had the fast­
est, newest, cleanest, most advanced
airplane on the airport.
I flew that little airplane all over
the country until I went into the ser­
vice in June 1944. My biggest mainte­
nance bill was for wax. I would wax it
every weekend before flying it.
I had no intention of selling the
Cadet when I went into service. I
checked Willie Howell out in it and
told him to give rides in it until I re­
turned. I was home on furlough after
completing my basic training when
I received a phone call from a fe l­
low from Wellington, Kansas. He in­
formed me he was in town to buy my
Cadet. I laughed and told him " no
way"-not for sale, and that ended
that . . . I thought.
The following Sunday, I was out at
the airport flying the bird when this
same fellow from Kansas arrived in

a cab and announced he's come to
pick up the Cadet. We went through
the whole scene again, only this time
he added the green: He started peel­
ing off the big ones, and when he
had $3,500 lying there, I changed my
mind and said, "Okay, it's yours!" He
still had a fist full left and was willing
to part with it.
I asked him if he wanted to go
th rough the logbooks and look the
plane over. He answered, "Hell, I
know this airplane as well as you
do!" I had raced this airplane and
never los t to anyone, thanks to
the help of "Sludge" Doyle and his
"Offy" factory. I had a real hot rod-I
was putting out 90 hp with a super­
thin Freedman-Burnham prop. That
is why this fellow knew all about my
Cadet-he had kept track of it and
wanted it for the speed.
He turned to Willie and said, "Fill
it up." He paid the gas bill, threw his
bag in the back, and said, "Give me a
crank." I cranked him up and went to
the cockpit to shake his hand and say
goodbye. As I reached in he handed
me a twenty and told me to go have
a drink. He took off to the west, and
that was the last I saw of NC20926
untUJune 1974.
After I returned from the California
visit I bragged so much about myoid
Cadet that my son, Jim, sold his beau­
tiful J-3 Cub that he soloed in and
bought a Culver Cadet. Now it will
be a battle around our house trying
to keep the 0 1' man out of the kid's
airplane . . . oh, well, that's love!""""
VI NTA GE AI RPLANE

7

DOUG STEWART

Patterns in the sky

I was flying some pattern work
the other day in my Super Cruiser.
Sharing the pattern with me
was another pilot in an Aeronca
Champ. The airport was a mid­
size, nontowered county airport,
serving a large variety of aircraft.
In the pattern at this airport, it
is not uncommon to find small
tailwheel aircraft, as well as many
of your typical general aviation
(GA) training aircraft, an assort­
ment of corporate and air-taxi air­
craft ranging from light twins up
through King Airs, to a handful of
G4s and their brethren, all burn­
ing kerosene and missing propel­
lers. Added to the traffic mix is an
occasional helicopter.
Because this airport has some
of the lowest 100LL fuel prices for
miles around, it is not unusual to
have numerous aircraft approach­
ing from all corners of the com­
pass. If ever there were a place
in the airspace for proper proce­
dures, this airport, particularly on
a good weather type of day, is it!
Please do not misconstrue what I
have said about proper procedure
and think I believe it is impor­
tant in the pattern. Proper pro­
cedures are required regardless of
the type of airspace in which we
fly. It is just that at those airports
that serve many aircraft, having a
vast dichotomy of aircraft perfor­
mance, as this airport does, if we
don't all adhere to a standard set
of procedures, the stage is set for
8

MARCH 2005

chaos to rule. And it would seem
that many pilots are oblivious to
what those procedures are. This
particular day was one of those.
Let me share with you an experi­
ence I had that day.
To begin with, I heard the fol­
lowing announcement on the
CTAF (common traffic advisory
frequency). "Columbia County
traffic, N12345" (I'll use fictitious
tail numbers for this article), "is
on a 4-mile final for Runway 3.
Any other traffi c, please advise ."

Well my immediate thoughts were
for the safety of the pilot in the
Champ. He was in a NaRDO (no
radio) airplane. Not only was he
unaware of the aircraft out there
on the straight-in final, but he
also was certainly unable to advise
the pilot of the inbound aircraft.
So here were two pilotsoblivious
of each other.
I really wasn't too worried about
the pilot of the Champ. He has
been flying his airplane for many
more years than I have been fly­
ing. And in all those many years
of operation, he has never had a
radio installed in his airplane.
What keeps him safe is his excel­
lent vision and his reliance on the
best piece of collision avoidance
equipment to ever be installed in
the cockpit of every single airplane
out there flying: his two eyes. Be­
cause of the proper use of that
equipment, he has never, ever had
a near miss.

However, the other pilot in­
bound on the straight-in final was
certainly ignorant of that rather
slow airplane in front of me in the
pattern. By the time the Champ
was about to make the base-to-fi­
nal turn, the other aircraft might
be about to share that exact same
piece of airspace real estate. After
all, I didn't know what kind of
aircraft was out there on the "4 ­
mile final." Because the pilot an­
nounced only his tail number, I
had no clue as to whether he was
one of those sleek Gulfstreams fly­
ing a final at 120 knots, a Bonanza
coming at us a little more slowly,
or perhaps even one of the many
new light-sport aircraft arriving
at something more akin to the
Champ's approach speed.
I couldn't just fly along keeping
silent on my own radio. I felt I had
a responsibility here. This person
who was arriving straight in might
not be using the same kind of col­
lision avoidance equipment as in­
stalled in the Champ. He might be
charging on down final, blissfully
unaware of the Champ, relying on
his newly installed Skywatch or
similar traffic information service
(TIS) system to warn him of any
impending collision.
If he were looking out the win­
dow for any lights (I was hoping
he had turned on his own lights,
which would aid the pilot in the
Champ with the operation of his
system), he certainly wouldn't see

any lights on the old Aeronca. For
not only did that airplane not have
a radio, but it also had no equip­
ment whatsoever installed that re­
lied on electricity, other than the
synapses going on in the brain of
the pilot in command of that won­
derful classic airplane. It didn't
have a radio, it didn't have lights,
and it didn't have a transponder.
For the brand spankin' new col­
lision avoidance equipment in­
stalled in the inbound aircraft
to work, it required a transpon­
der signal from the conflict­
ing "traffic." No signal ... no
warning. And with no warning,
would our arriving pilot, who
was counting on his state-of­
the-art equipment to keep him
safe, be aware that he was about
to mate with another aircraft
of much older vintage? It is
one thing for Eagles or Hawks
to have mid-air entanglements
for the purpose of procreating
their species, but when two air­
craft have a mid-air meeting, it
is likely that the only prolifera­
tion will be of airplane pieces
and parts across the ground.
Because the only thing I wanted
to see on the ground, extending
out on the final approach path,
were the sequenced flashing lights
of the approach light system, and
not a mix of Ceconite, spruce,
aluminum, and body parts, my
thumb quickly pushed the push­
to-talk switch on my stick, and I
announced: "Columbia County
traffic, red and cream tail dragger is
on the left downwind for 3 ... and
aircraft on the straight-in final, be
aware that there is a yellow and or­
ange Champ on the base leg, about
set to turn final. He has no radiO,
so keep your eyes open."
There were a few moments of si­
lence on the frequency. Then: "Uh
.. . 345 is looking for the Champ
... not in sight ... uh, oh there he
is. 345 is going around." From my
vantage point on the downwind,
I could see a Malibu rolling to the
right to avoid hitting the Champ
as the faster airplane overtook the

slower one. The difference in final
approach airspeeds between these
two aircraft was about 35 knots.
From my position I could not tell
whether or not the MaJibu had
any lights on. Had I not made my
announcement, would the pilot of
the Malibu have seen the Champ?
Who knows? Perhaps not, and two
fine aircraft might have been de­
stroyed, not to mention the pilots
and passengers on board.

Perhaps the

other pilot might

be relying more

on his ears than

his eyes for

collision

avoidance.

Let's look at the several lessons
to be learned from this incident.
To begin with, we have to be aware
that despite incredible strides in
technology, the greatest device for
detecting other airplanes, particu­
larly in the traffic pattern, is our
own two eyes. I will not deny that
radios and the various TIS systems
can assist our scan. In fact, in this
incident it might very well have
been my CTAF announcement that
made the Malibu pilot aware of the
Champ. However, to announce "all
other aircraft please advise" on the
CTAF, expecting any and all aircraft
to reply, does not mean that every
one will or, in this case, can advise.
Personally, whenever I hear a pi­
lot make that announcement I in­
tensify my scan, with the thought
that perhaps the other pilot might
be relying more on his ears than
his eyes for collision avoidance.
Another thing to be aware of
is that tail numbers do not mean
much in the nontowered environ­

ment of Class E and G airspace. If
I am close enough to another air­
plane to read its tail number, I will
be way too close, at least for my own
personal comfort. In radio commu­
nication with air traffic control, tail
numbers are essential. But in the
traffic patterns of our nontowered
airports, knowing what type of air­
craft is making a position report
makes the visual identification of
that aircraft much easier.
When I hear "yellow Sky­
hawk on downwind," I know
what to look for. When I hear
"N12345," I haven't a clue what
I am looking for. And be aware
that "Cessna 12345" doesn't re­
ally help me much more. Is that
Cessna a "120" or a Citation?
Just slight differences in perfor­
mance I would say. If a Cessna
120 is "10 to the east, inbound
for landing," I could probably
fly at least three patterns before
having to start looking for it.
On the other hand, if it's a Cita­
tion that is "10 out, inbound," I
might want to hold short.
As for the Malibu flying a
straight-in, 4-mile final, I won't
necessarily say that it was im­
proper procedure. It is permissible
per the regulations. And there are
certainly times when it can be, and
is, a safe way to approach a non­
towered airport. But if we are fly­
ing a long, straight-in approach,
we are definitely increasing the
risk factors not only for ourselves,
but also for every other airplane
that might be sharing the pattern.
Sometimes that awareness alone
will keep us from doing it.
Next month I would like to take
a look at some of the other proce­
dures that we have to be aware of
as we fly the traffic pattern. I am
sure that we are all aware that the
vast majority of mid-air collisions
occur in or near the traffic pattern.
Awareness of proper procedures in
the pattern could go a long way
toward minimizing and managing
that risk. It would be great if you
would join me in attempting to re­
duce that risk.
~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

9

ometimes it's difficult to de­
cide which is most interesting:
an airplane's erratic passage
through history, the passion
that an airplane engenders in an indi­
vidual, a blow-by-blow accounting of
a problematic restoration, or the thrill
of slaying a paperwork dragon to get
the airplane certificated. In the case of
the Stamsta family Falco, the tales are
so closely interwoven that the telling
of one tale absolutely requires telling
the others.
Marc Stamsta is the quintessential
craftsman in that, without saying so
in so many words, he feels his days
are best invested when they end with
something he has crafted with his
own hands. His life story leads up to
the restoration of one of only two fac­
tory-built Falcos on American shores
and the only one that isn't in the ex­
perimental category. But we're getting
ahead of ourselves.
Marc was born in Milwaukee and
now lives on acreage behind the

S

10

MARCH 2005

two-room 1890 schoolhouse his
parents converted to a house where
he was raised. Right from the begin­
ning it was obvious he'd look at life
a little differently.
"My mother," he said, "is a fiber
artist who works in weaving and pa­
per. She even makes her own paper,
and it's not unusual to see her wading
around in vats of paper pulp. I guess
that kind of hands-on creative think­
ing was part of my upbringing."
When Marc graduated from high
school, he went to a technical college
for two years for industrial engineer­
ing, but almost as soon as he gradu­
ated, he went his own way.
"I started making harnesses for car­
riages," he laughs. "In fact, we made
a lot of very high-end rigs for people
like the Rockefellers and the Queen of
England. I did that for 14 years."
While he was working leather,
some part of his brain was becoming
infected with the concept of flight.
"I don't know exactly when or

why I decided I wanted to fly. it's
just always been there. In fact, al­
most as soon as I started getting into
aviation I discovered the Falco, and
that's the first true airplane I ever
actually wanted."
The Falco was, and is, a legend­
ary design by Italian designer Stelio
Frati. Stelio is renown for his ability
to design aircraft that are works of
art and that fly even better than they
look, and they look great. The 150­
hp, all-wood Falco has made inroads
in the homebuilt market because of
the efforts of Virginian Alfred Scott,
whose SeqUOia Aircraft Corp. re­
worked, with Stelio's blessings, the
plans for the Falco. Sequoia Aircraft
now produces kits and drawings.
(While Alfred did the actual pen-and­
ink draWings from the Stelio-sup­
plied copies, he'll be the first to tell
you that well-known aeronautical
engineer Dave Thurston is the man
responsible for the actual redesign
work on the Sequoia Falco series.)

At the time Marc discovered the 12 years old now and calls herself my
Falco, he was just dipping his toes into 'pilot girl.' My other daughter, Tobie,
aviation by starting out in ultralights.
likes horses and spends more time
"Since I was 19 I had been build­ with her mom and the horses, but
ing wooden canoes and kayaks and Maya and I fly a lot. We love taking
had worked a lot in fiberglass. This our little Cessna 120 out camping."
morphed into a side business build­
Having a family and all the associ­
ing dune buggies, and I traded a dune ated medical expenses caused Marc to
buggy for a weight-shift Quicksilver reprioritize life.
ultralight. I didn't know how to fly,
"I couldn't do this loose craftsman
but little by little I taught myself the thing any more. I had to find a regu­
basics and pretty soon was flying it lar job that had medical insurance,
quite a bit.
so I started working with a CNC op­
"In 1982 I decided to go for my eration. I did that for six years and
private pilot license, so I did a bunch learned a lot that helped me in later
of self-studying and
- ......-:-...,.----,
passed the written first
time around. Then I
went to Texas and in 14
days flew 40 hours and
passed my checkride."
While Marc was
courting aviation he
was also courting and
even tuall y marrying
his wife, Gail, and life
began to change.
"We had two daugh­
years with airplanes."
His wife, Gail, has always been his
ters, Maya and Tobie, and almost
immediately we got a rude intro­ strongest supporter, and when she
duction into parenthood."
got a solid job teaching school with
Most people go through life taking all the benefits, Marc was instantly
an enormous amount for granted and back making things with his hands.
never truly get a handle on who they
"I sought out Bill Scheunemann at
are or what they place value on. Marc Scheunemann Aviation Products in
and Gail, however, learned that early. Juneau, Wisconsin (www.woodwings.
"Maya was a baby, and they dis­ com). He builds wood wings, specifi­
covered she had a brain tumor and cally wing kits for the One Design and
wasn't likely to live. When someone Pitts Model 12. I guess because I knew
tells you your daughter won't live an­ what a gusset was, he hired me," Marc
other hour, instantly everything you laughed. "Also, I knew how to run his
had placed value on before dwindles three-axis CNC machines, so it was a
to nothing. In a matter of seconds good combination.
your priorities are totally rearranged.
"Even better, I found that Bill
Believe me, if your kids are healthy, not only loved the Falco, but actu­
you don't have any problems.
ally had a set of plans. We thought,
"When you're waiting around ICU '¥eah, why not build one .' So, he
with parents who have been told their started putting the plans into CAD,
children are likely to die, and you're and we actually had started making
one of them, your life gets very sim­ up fuselage jigs when he got a call
ple. ¥ou want her to live and nothing from Gar Williams."
else matters.
Gar Williams needs no introduction
"Maya lived past that hour. And in these pages other than to say he's
the next one, and the next. She some­ highly revered as a restorer of some ex­
how hung on and survived the sur­ otic antique airplanes as well having
gery that gave her a normal life. She's interests in all fields of aviation.

"Gar said to Bill, 'I hear you have
someone up there who would like
to have a Falco; if you aren't too far
along building yours, stop right now!'
He was talking about me."
It turned out that Gar had the
damaged airframe of a factory-built
Falco, only the second one to be im­
ported into the country in addition
to the one Alfred Scott at Sequoia
had. Gar was the latest in a long
string of owners.
"This airplane is serial number 212,
although there were only 75 built,"
said Marc, "and the Europeans really
don't like to see them
leave the country. They
stopped building them
in 1960, and there are
seven flying over there
and eight in museums.
They consider them na­
tional treasures.
"The original buyer
of the airplane was an
ex-Luftwaffe pilot who
really loved the airplane
and flew it 800 hours. I have some of
his old tires, however, and he wore
them right down to the cords before
replacing them , and I think that's
what caused his accident.
"In 1974 he landed and had a flat
tire. The airplane has only one brake
pedal that actuates both brakes at the
same time. So, when he lost the tire,
the airplane got sideways. The nose
gear folded, which crushed the bot­
tom of the cowling, and one of the
mains punched a hole in the wing."
The airplane was definitely repair­
able, but apparently the German pilot
didn't want to go that route.
"He disassembled the airplane and
put it in a barn, but bought another
Falco almost immediately."
The airplane sat in the barn for a
decade before an American Falco en­
thusiast started tracking down the
whereabouts of every singl'e Falco man­
ufactured. He found that the German
airplane had been taken off the records
and called the owner, who was per­
fectly willing to sell it. Unfortunately,
while the airplane was en route to the
United States, it was heavily damaged
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

11

Marc Stamsta

when other cargo crushed its relatively
fragile fuselage structure. According to
a note from previous owner Charlie
Yates, who sold the airframe, the next
owner had some bad luck-the truck­
ing company ran a forklift through the
crate holding the aluminum control
surfaces, practically destroying the
parts inside.
"When Gar got the airplane, he did
a terrific job of rebuilding all the con­
trol surfaces and the gear doors, but
he put the project on a shelf and let
it sit for a while because of paperwork
problems. Then he called me."
liThe truth is I couldn't even begin
12

MARCH 2005

to afford this airplane. I could
barely afford my little Cessna 120.
By this time I was managing a ski
slope during the winter and do­
ing stained glass and helping Bill
Scheunemann during the sum­
mer, and the Falco was worth far
more than I could come up with.
Besides, I knew Gar had a check
from a European for $60,000 just
the way it was."
What Marc didn't know was
that Gar really wanted to see the
airplane fly again and wanted to
see Marc Stamsta get it.
lilt turned out that the other
buyer was planning on parting
the airplane out in Europe where
he would make far more than
the $60,000 he paid, and this re­
ally bothered Gar. He knew how
badly I wanted the airplane, but
I told him I'd never be able to af­
ford it. Then he did something I
couldn't believe.
"He knew how important it
was for me to fly. I have to fly; it's
as simple as that, and I had the 120 at
the time. Gar said, 'If you sell your air­
plane you'll have the down payment,
and I'll set up a payment schedule for
the rest. Since I know how badly you
want to fly, you'll have to finish the
airplane to keep flying, and that's my
guarantee that you'll finish it.' I abso­
lutely couldn't believe Gar would do
that for me, and I was very flattered
that someone of his stature put that
much stock in me."
Marc trucked the remains home
and began doing an inventory of the
damage and missing parts.
liThe good news was that there was

no rot," Marc said. liThe airplane had
been in dry storage all its life, but be­
sides the original accident damage and
shipping damage, a lot of stuff was
gone or destroyed. Many parts of the
airplane, like the dorsal fin and the
fairings, are pretty fragile. They are
made of laminated 1/32-inch veneer,
so it can't survive rough handling, and
I had to make entirely new ones.
"Most of the major structure, like
the fuselage longerons and wing
spars, were in great shape, but the
skins in many areas were split or bro­
ken. The bottom of the cowl and the
nosebowl were badly crunched, and
the windshield was broken, although
the canopy itself was still usable, al­
though it was crazed in the comers.
liThe interior was in shreds, and
much of it was missing. The interior
of a Falco is actually glued to the ul­
tra-thin 1/32 plywood that is glued
to the inside of the fuselage as part of
the structure, and most of that ply­
wood was missing. The seat frames
were there, and fortunately the rear
seat and single belt were also there.
Only a few Falcos were built with the
child seat in the back that would ac­
commodate a 66-pound child."
Marc's background in building ca­
noes and kayaks became directly ap­
plicable in restoring the Falco.
"Many pieces, like the wing root
fairings, were made the same way
we'd make boats. You take 2-inch
wide strips of 1/32-inch veneer and
glue them edge-to-edge at an angle
over a form. Then, you glue another
layer at an angle to the first layer.
With that method you can make
a plywood part of any shape and
thickness. It sounds tedious but re­
ally isn't. When I was doing the wing
fairings, I even scabbed in some of
the original fairings in an effort at

keeping the airplane original.
"I'm much more comfortable with
wood than I am with metal, but this
airplane forced me to learn a lot of
new skills. The cowling, for instance,
had me using a shot bag and English
wheel, but I was able to save it all
without using Bondo.
"I'd never worked Plexiglas, and
the windshield turned out to be dif­
ferent than Alfred's airplane in that it
wasn't a flatwrap. It had a slight com­
pound curve to it, so we made up a
mold and heat-formed the Plexiglas
over it. I had to do the same thing for
the nav light lenses in the wingtips."
From the time when Marc first
started speaking with Gar about the
airplane, FAA paperwork was a major
part of every conversation. The Falco,
although theoretically certificated in
the United States, was a victim of a
classic Catch-22 situation.
"Part of the type certificate said
the airplane had to be inspected by a
representative of the FAA during con­
struction to ensure that it conformed
to the TC for it to be granted a stan­
dard airworthiness certificate in the
U.S. The catch was that the type cer­
tificate wasn't issued until 1961, and
the airplanes went out of production
in 1960, so there was no way that re­
quirement could be met.
"Alfred Scott had run up against
this with his airplane, and after fight­
ing the Feds for a long time, gave up
and put the airplane in Experimen­
tal-Exhibition, Group 1 category.
Gar was convinced I could get it into
standard category, and that became
one of my goals; I wanted to have the
only Falco in history with a standard
U.S. airworthiness certificate.
"In a lot of ways I was tremendously
lucky to be doing this where I was, be­
cause some key FAA people were lo­
cated in my area. One of them worked
for the local FSDO and was part of my
ski patrol on the ski slopes I was man­
aging. I was talking about my airplane
problem with him, and he said, 'You
need to be talking with Bill Copper­
noll. I'll mention it to him.'
"One of the problems in taking this
kind of project to the FAA," Marc said,

"is that there is no real reason for them
to want to help you with it. The at­
titude in some places, especially after
9/11, is that the world really doesn't
need a certified, 240-mph, Italian two­
place airplane, and to a certain extent,
you can see their logic.
"I called Bill Coppernoll in the
Milwaukee FSDO, and he was already
familiar with my problem because of
my ski patrol contact. Fortunately,
Bill's primary FAA job is certifying
foreign aircraft that come into the
U.S. for commercial purposes. For
instance, he's worked on aircraft like
the Short Skyvan. So, we were talking
about an area with which he was re­
ally familiar."
It's seldom a private airplane owner
with a severe certification problem
like Marc's who stumbles on the right
person at the FAA at the right time,
but this was clearly the case with Bill
Coppernoll.
"He came up to look at the airplane,
and as he walked past it, he reached
out and petted it. It was at that exact
moment that I knew I stood a chance
of making this work. He looked at me
and said, 'Why isn't this a certified
airplane?' and I explained the prob­
lem. He then said, 'This is why you
pay your taxes, to get guys like me to
work these things out.'
"Bill said there had been a subtle
change in the foreign type certifica­
tion process, and in the case of the
Falco, if I could prove beyond a
shadow of a doubt that the airplane
conformed exactly to the type cer­
tificate, as it was originally issued in
1961, then he'd be able to certify it in
Utility category."
Marc smiled as he remembered,
"Bill got this serious look on his face
and said, 'If you do exactly as I say,
it'll work out, but if you give up and
try to go experimental, I'll fight you
every inch of the way. You just have
to be patient.' He wanted this to work
as much as I did."
Marc's challenge at that point was
to come up with the proper Italian
paperwork that documented his air­
plane's construction and the type cer­
tificate to which it was certified.

"I had to find the operations and
maintenance manual and have it
translated, but when I tried that, it
turned out that the translators didn't
know anything about technical stuff
and wouldn't certify that it was cor­
rect, so I had to find an engineer, who
translated it and notarized it as being
correct. Then I had to do the same
thing with the pilot's operating hand­
book, only it was in German. Then I
had to find paperwork that tracked the
airplane's exportation to Germany and
then from Germany to here.
"Bill's attitude was, 'If the airplane
was being built today, I'd be the FAA
rep inspecting it for the type certifi­
cate, and all I would be asking was
whether it conformed to everything
mentioned in the type certificate.'
"As it happens, my airplane was
custom built for the German owner
with a fixed-pitch prop, while the type
certificate calls for a Hartzell constant­
speed prop mounted on a [Lycoming]
0-320-A1A, so I had to modify my
airplane to that configuration."
"While I was going through this, I
had any number of experienced peo­
ple tell me it couldn't be done, but
because of Bill Coppernoll's direction
and the help of a lot of other people,
we made it work. Along the way I met
some really interesting people, and it
was exciting to be talking to Italy one
day, Germany the next, and working
with the translators.
"Along the way I came to really
appreciate our own government. We
may complain about how slowly they
handle paperwork, but compared
to many foreign governments, they
are extremely efficient and lightning
quick. Gar had tackled part of this be­
fore I got the airplane, and he actually
had to go to Europe to get some of the
documents because the people over
there just weren't helping."
It would be logical to ask why Marc
was willing to invest nearly a year
of his time on the paperwork alone,
when putting it in Air Show, Exhi­
bition category would have been so
much easier and would not have af­
fected his flying one bit.
continued on page 29
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

13

TYPE CLUB NOTES
Removing and installing a prop on a Continental tapered-shaft
engine, from the Luscombe and Cub Club newsletters
Bob Gehring and Steve Krog

Vintage Editor's Note: Bob Gehring and Steve Krog have
done the vintage community a great service by carefully put­
ting these procedures together in an easy-to-understand man­
ner. Let there be no more damaged prop hubsf-HGF
Have you ever rummaged through the many piles
of used parts at a typical fly market and spotted a prop
hub for a tapered-shaft Continental engine? For those
of you with a tapered-shaft engine, you may think
you've just found a jewel among the junk and can't
wait to begin bartering for the hub.
But upon closer inspection, the hub appeared to
have been used as a battering ram at some point in
its long life. The prop hub nut is beaten and battered,
and if you had a straight edge in your pocket, you'd
probably find that neither the inner nor the outer
face plates of the prop hub would be flat. The prop
hub nut is probably unusab le. And these hubs are get­
ting hard to find! Especially at a reasonable price.
All of this battering or hammering was unnecessary,
had the previous owner used the correct procedures for
removing or installing the hub in the first place.
The following information and photos will explain
how to properly remove and install a tapered-shaft
prop hub without doing damage to it. Those of you
with a lot of experience in hub removal and replace­
ment may have other procedures that you follow.
And, if so, we'd like to hear from you.

After removing the skullcap spinner, remove the spinner­
mounting bracket. Then remove the AN3 safety-lock bolt.

This is usua lly an AN3 bolt held in place with an elastic
stop nut.
Now, insert a S/8-inch by 4-inch Grade 8 bolt (or a
high-strength steel rod of the approximate same dimen­
sions) through the large round locking nut on the hub.
We like to use a bolt because the bolt head helps prevent
slipping when applying pressure to the locking nut. Slide
a 30- to 36-inch piece of 3/4 inch pipe over the length of
the exposed bolt.

Prop Hub Removal
Before beginning the process, safety first. Make sure
the magneto switch and the fue l valve are in the "OFF"
position and the airplane is firmly chocked. Then discon­
nect all of the spark plug leads from the spark plugs. Re­
member, you may be rotating or rocking the prop, which
could lead to the engine firing if safety procedures are not
followed.
The first step is to remove the skullcap-style spinner
if you have one installed on your airplane. The two
prop bolt nuts holding the spinner-mounting bracket
will also have to be removed for complete access to the
prop hub.
Next, remove the safety-locking bolt from the hub.
14

MARCH 2005

A SIS-inch by 4-inch Grade S bolt is inserted through the
prop hub locking nut. Note that the spinner-mounting
bracket has been removed for complete access to the hub.

You're now ready to do a little grunting. If the prop
hub locking nut has been installed correctly, it will
have approXimately 200-225 foot-pounds of torque
tha t has to be broken or loosened. While having some­
one hold the prop firmly in place, apply pressure to the

The Grade 8 boH has been inserted from the lower right to
the upper left position in the hub nut, and a 30-inch length
of %-inch pipe has been slipped over the extended portion
of the boH. This position is used for ease in applying down­
ward pressure on the pipe to loosen the hub nut.

pipe to break the nut loose} turning the nut no more
than about one-quarter to one-half turn. As you face
the prop hub} turn the locking nut counterclockwise.
Before proceeding further} look directly into the
prop hub and locate the large retaining snap ring. It
should be about 1,4 inch inside of the outer hub ring.
Insert a snap ring retention device (see retention de­
vice description below) into the open gap of the snap
ring. This is important. If you do not do this} the pres­
sure that will be applied to loosen the locking nut will
force the snap ring to pop free. Should this happen}
stop. Pop the snap ring back into place before proceed­
ing any further. The snap ring must remain in place
during prop hub removal to help pop the hub free of
the crankshaft. If you do not do this} the hub nut sim­
ply turns free and can be removed from the prop hub}
leaving the hub firmly attached to the crankshaft.
We use a small homemade tool to keep the snap ring
in place. It was made from a scrap piece of .090-inch
chromoly steel approXimately 3 inches long} tapered
and slightly bent into an arc to fit in the snap ring slot.
With the snap ring reten­
tion tool in place} proceed
with rotating the pipe exten­
sion handle counterclock­
wise} which was slid over the
4-inch steel bolt inserted in
the prop hub locking nut. As
you rotate the pipe extension

handle through approximately two to two-and-a-half
turns} you should feel the prop hub pop. It is now free
of the tapered shaft and can easily be slid off of the
crankshaft when the prop hub locking nut is turned all
the way out to the end of the threads.
NOTE: If you do not feel the prop hub pop free after
two to two-and-a-half turns} STOP. It will be necessary
to tap on the hub to help break it free.
To break the prop hub free without doing any dam­
age to the prop hub locking nut (remember the hub
you spotted at the fly market and how it was bat­
tered and bent on the end)} insert a length of solid
steel shaft inside the prop hub locking nut. The steel
shaft we used was machined from a piece of 1-3;4-inch
stock approximately 4 inches long . About .600 inch
of one end was machined down to approximately
l.SS-inch diameter to fit snugly inside the prop hub
nut. It should slide into the hub nut} with the shoul­
der of the 4-inch steel shaft mating flush with the flat
surface of the hub nut and should not bottom out
against the crankshaft end.

The snap ring retention tool has been inserted
into the snap ring opening, and the pipe exten­
sion is in place. The prop hub nut is now ready
to be rotated counterclockwise approximately
two to two-and-a-half turns.

BEND THISPORTION
IN ARC TO MATCH

3 1N.

x, IN.

NOTTOSCALE

The snap ring insert we used is
made of a scrap piece of .090-inch
chromoly steel 3 inches long and
about 1 inch wide at the widest
end. It is tapered and bent slightly
in an arc equal to the arc of the
prop locking nut. Grind or file the
end of the tool to fit snugly into the
snap ring gap.

We made this tool for helping to remove
the prop hub whenever a bit of persua­
sion was needed to pop the hub free
from the tapered shaft. We started with
a piece of 1-3/4-inch solid steel rod
approximately 4 inches long. One end
was machined or necked down to ap­
proximately 1.55 inches in diameter so
it fit snugly inside the prop hub nut. The
machined portion should be no longer
than approximately .600 inch so it does
not touch or bottom out against the
threaded end of the crankshaft.

This photo clearly shows the snap ring tool in
place and the steel rod inserted into the lock­
ing hub nut. Note how the outer diameter of
the steel rod rests finnly against the outer flat
surface of the hub nut.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

15

the threads on the crankshaft, and with a firm grip on
the prop, gently guide the prop and prop hub off the
tapered shaft.
You've now removed the prop hub without doing
any damage.

Prop Hub Installation
While applying light pressure to the back side of the prop, in·
sert the steel shaft into the hub nut and tap lightly with either a
rubber mallet or lead hammer. The light pressure prevents the
crankshaft journals from banging against the engine case when
applying the light tapping to the inserted steel shaft.

Once the hub has popped free and the hub nut turned
counterclockwise until free of the crankshaft threads, the
prop can be guided off the shaft.

The exposed tapered crankshaft should be inspected for
corrosion, then thoroughly cleaned and lightly lubricated
for prop installation.

While applying light pressure or tension to the back
side of the prop, insert the 4-inch steel rod into the
locking nut. Tap lightly on the steel rod using either a
rubber mallet or a lead hammer to break it loose. One
or two light taps is all that should be needed.
Once the prop hub has popped free, turn the lock­
ing nut the remainder of the way out until it is free of
16

MARCH 2005

Before installing the prop and prop hub on the tapered
crankshaft, inspect the crankshaft and the prop hub for
dirt and corrosion. Old grease, dirt, etc., can easily be re­
moved using a good cleaning agent such as lacquer thin­
ner or mineral spirits; a 3M cleaning pad; and a good .
clean cotton rag.
Caution: If using lacquer thinner, be careful to not splash
it on the nosebowl, the outer surfaces of the prop hub, or
the prop itself, for it will also remove paint and varnish,
allowing a place for corrosion or wood rot to start.
Once the tapered crankshaft and the inner prop hub
have been thoroughly inspected and cleaned, use a light
lubricant, such as 3-in-l oil, to completely lubricate the
entire surface of each. Do not use an excess of the light
lubricant. More is not better in this case, as any excess
will be slung out, causing unsightly streaks on the back
and front hub plates.
With both surfaces cleaned and lightly lubricated,
you can now start the installation process. Begin by first
locating the locking keyway on the tapered shaft. With a
firm grip on the prop, locate the mating keyway slot on
the hub and position the prop in front of the shaft, align­
ing the hub keyway with the shaft keyway.
Slide the aligned prop and prop hub onto the shaft.
Don't force it. It should slide freely onto the shaft. Then
start the prop hub locking nut and finger-tighten it.
Snug down the locking nut using the 4-inch long
Grade 8 bolt used to loosen the prop hub nut and the
30- to 36-inch length of pipe. Do not overtighten at this
point; just snug it firmly.
Now it is time to properly tighten the hub locking nut
to the correct 200 to 225 foot-pounds of torque pressure.
This is the one step that is most often done incorrectly
when installing a tapered shaft prop hub, as most people
don't have the correct tools for executing. Rather, they'll
guesstimate the torque by literally hanging on the pipe
extension or by getting a longer extension to make sure
it's good and tight. Over the years we've found this to be
the case when trying to break loose a prop nut. It was so
overtorqued, it was nearly impossible to break loose. This
causes undue stress loads on the hub and shaft, creating a
situation for cracking and rendering the hub useless.
Using the special socket described (above right), insert
the socket into the hub locking nut. Align the holes with
the holes in the locking nut and insert the 4-inch Grade
8 bolt through the nut and socket. You now have an
easy-to-use socket for correctly torquing the locking nut.
Using a torque wrench, begin tightening the locking nut,
beginning at about 150 foot-pounds, and work your way
up to the desired 200 to 225 foot-pounds.

The installation of the
prop h ub is now complete,
and torque values are accu­
rate, assuring long life for
that valuable tapered sh aft
prop h ub. However, the job
We use another homemade is not yet finished.
Now is also a good time
tool for correctly torqu­
to check and re-torque th e
ing the prop hub nut, as it
prop bolts. Remember, with
does require 200 to 225
the seasonal changes in tem­
foot-pounds of torque for
peratures and humidity, that
proper installation. This
beautiful (and expensive)
tool is made using a 112
wooden prop shrinks and
inch drive 1-1I16-inch
swells accordingly, requiring
socket. Aflat washer, used
re-torquing of the prop bolts.
for rigidity, is welded over
Remove all cotter pins
the open socket end. Then
from the six prop bolts (two
a 5/S-inch diameter hole is
were already removed when
drilled completely through
the skullcap spinner and spin­
the socket.
ner-mounting bracket were
removed), and loosen all nuts. Install the spinner bracket,
and snug the nuts, holding it in place to finger-tight.

The special socket is in place, and correct torque values
are now applied to the hub nut.
This is an over­
head view of the
four special tools
we made and use
when removing
and installing prop
hubs on tapered­
shaft Continental
engines.
• The item at left is the 4-inch by I 314-inch solid steel rod with
one end machined down to I I12-inch. Machine down approxi­
mately 314-inch of the end of the rod. This is the portion that will
be inserted into the hub nut and should not bottom out against the
end of the crankshaft.
• The second item is the SIS-inch by 4-inch Grade S bolt.
• The third item is the special tool made from .Ogo-inch chro­
moly stock inserted into the snap ring gap.
• The final item is the 1I2-inch drive I 1I16-inch socket with a
flat washer welded over 'one end. A SIS-inch hole is drilled through

the socket.

.......

The specially designed hub socket has been inserted into
the hub locking nut and the Grade S bolt inserted through
the nut and socket. This setup allows for properly torquing
the hub nut using a torque wrench.

Using the proper method for re-torquing the prop
bolts, begin torquing the bolts to the desired 16 to 19
foot-pounds. Again, use the step-up method, beginning
at approXimately 10 to 12 foot-pounds, and work your
way up to the desired 16 to 19 foot-pounds. (We use 18
foot-pounds on our wooden props.)
After torquing to proper values, allow the prop and
hub to sit for 10 to 15 minutes and then re-torque again.
Now, check the propeller for proper tracking. See the
September/October Cub Clues No. 124, page 10, for step-by­
step details. (Vintage Editor's Note: These instructions will also
be published in the April 2005 issue of Vintage Airplane.)
The final step is then to install the cotter pins and
skullcap spinner.
NOTE: Sensenich recommends that its wooden props
should have its torque values checked periodically, espe­
cially if the aircraft is kept in a climate that experiences
significant seasonal changes.

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VINTA G E AIRPLA NE

17

AMY LABODA

nce upon a time, round
radial engines were
kings. They spun mas­
sive props that chewed
through the skies, pulling aircraft
on a mission. By anyone's defini­
tion they were big airplanes, and
their pilots needed a certain com­
bination of muscle and finesse to
steer them through the air. Flying
these aircraft was a luxury for those
whose time meant something.
One of these magnificent air­
planes is N5959F, a Twin Beech Su­
per H18 that is on only its fourth
owner in more than 9,000 hours of
flying, with Graham Manufacturing
Co. of Batavia, New York, being its
caretaker of longest tenure, 28 years.
The flags of many nations adorn
its hull and clamshell door, and its
logs tell of at least two trips to Eu­
rope. It's equipped for wet and cold
weather with windshield wipers, de­
icing boots, alcohol de-icing for the
windscreen, and pads for electrically
warming the props in flight.

O

18

MARCH 2005

Beech Aircraft (Beech craft in the
days when N5959F was manufac­
tured) was and still is considered to
be one of the premier providers of ex­
ecutive transportation in the world.
Standing tall on factory-installed tri­
cycle gear, N5959F was one of the
last 37 Beech Super H18s off the as­
sembly line at the factory in Wichita,
Kansas, and one of only 20 built in
1965. Climbing aboard the airplane
is to travel back to the era of the
airplane's birth. Original sumptuous
white leather with blue and green
madras plaid wool inserts brightens
the seating for five. Mahogany tables
are recessed into slots on each side
of the fuselage, and on the partition
that divides the cockpit from the
cabin is a classic flight phone, ready
for use.
With a useful load of more than
2,900 pounds, the Beech weighs
roughly 7,000 pounds when empty,
heavier than the book values of its
time, according to Robert K. Par­
merter, author of The Beech 18, pub­

lished by the Twin Beech 18 Soci­
ety, a division of the Staggerwing
Museum Foundation Inc., located
in Tullahoma, Tennessee. The win­
terization kit, integral oxygen, and
air conditioning account for the ad­
ditional weight.
With the Pratt & Whitney Wasp
Junior R-985 engines drinking from
318 gallons of usable avgas at 42
gph, at 65 percent power it'll cruise
at 190 mph for more than 1,000
miles with IFR reserves. Equipped
for all-weather flight with a Century
III autopilot and industrial strength
remote mounted avionics that were
state of the art in their time, as this
workhorse aged its owners installed
an Argus 5000 moving map display,
a King KLN90 GPS, and radar.
Today, the Twin Beech flies for
pleasure, not business, and this
flight's destination is a home­
coming trip to the annual Beech
Party, an outgrowth of the Beech
17 Staggerwing Reunion that has
been held for more than 30 years in

Left: From the Travel
Air to the Staggerwing
and beyond, to the Twin
Beech 18 and now the
Bonanza and Baron, the
Staggerwing Foundation's
home in Tullahoma has
grown to become a must­
visit aviation destination.

Tullahoma, Tennessee. We roared
down the narrow airpark's 3,200­
foot runway and lifted off with
room to spare, even though the
Beech was loaded with four adults,
two English bulldogs, and food and
clothing for the weekend. Climbing
through a low overcast to its cruis­
ing altitude of 6,000 feet in just a
few minutes, the airplane settled in
for the long haul. But there wasn't
much settling to do. The plush
leather seats begged sitting in, and
the five-place layout left plenty of
stretch-out room to get comfort­
able for the 4.S-hour journey from
Right: One of the manyTwin Beech
18s that come to the annual "family"
gathering in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

South Florida to Tennessee.
An intercom aids communica­
tion between those in front and in
back, so those behind don't need
to unbuckle and lean forward . Not
that you could not do so, just to
stretch your legs . The cabin height
is adequate (and positively spacious
for someone of my build-I could

stand up straight from mid-cabin to
the cockpit). With standard head­
sets, the noise was nominal in back
and a bit higher in the cockpit,
which is perfectly aligned with the
three-blade props. It's easy to see
why owners Chris and Lisa Kelley,
of Fort Myers, Florida, chose the
Beech Super HI8 over a late-model

Like the new Bonanza-Baron hangar,
the Twin Beech 18 Owner's Society
hangar is an integral part of the
Staggerwing Museum complex in
Tullahoma, Tennessee. During the
annual get-together, the hangar floor
doubled as a banquet facility.

AMY LABODA PHOTOS

Cessna 210 when they were shop­
ping for a cruiser in 2002.
N5959F is the kind of airplane
in which a couple of couples could
travel cross-country without worry­
ing about overgrossing the airframe
or missing creature comforts. Our
progress was piston-engine slow,
but the sky was such a joy to be­
hold through the nearly panoramic
windows that we hardly noticed the
time. And soon enough we were de­
scending through the overcast to a
gentle landing at Tullahoma, Ten­
20

MARCH 2005

nessee, just south of Nashville.
The low weather kept many
at bay on the opening day of the
2004 Beech Party, but that was all
the better for those enterprising
instrument-rated pilots who made
the trip. We had the run of the mu­
seum and its facilities, and the Stag­
gerwing Museum has a collection
of Beech 18s that are to die for (oh,
yes, and their Staggerwings are re­
ally nice, too! But I'll get to that).
Of the 149 Twin Beech Super
H18s, only 100 live on the registries

today. N5959F is one of few that
are, to date, unrestored and the
only unrestored Super H18 to at­
tend the 2004 Beech Party reunion
on the Tullahoma Regional Airport.
Starting with the Beech airplane
it was named for, the Staggerwing
Museum has grown in the past 30
years to encompass hangars dedi­
cated to the Beech 18, Travel Air,
and Bonanza-Baron.
"This museum grew out of the
hopes and dreams of a small group
of people who all shared a passion
for the Staggerwing," said Lorraine
Carter, the museum's executive di­
rector. "For 27 of its 31 years, the
museum, which now encompasses
three hangars, the original cabin,
and the Olive Ann Beech Chapel,
was run completely by volunteers,
and just look what they accom­
plished," she said, sweeping her
arm out to pOint across the room at
the vast array of aircraft on perma­
nent display.
Carter's favorite part of the mu­
seum houses no aircraft at all. The
Louise Thadden Library occupies
the cabin that was the entirety of
the original museum, Carter ex­
plained as we step through a low
doorway and into a theatrically lit
room full of trophies, newspaper
clippings, pictures, plaques, and
thick scrapbooks.
Pointing to a picture of Thad­
den leaning against the wing of a
Staggerwing at the 1973 gathering
at Tullahoma, Carter said, "Louise
strongly encouraged the group to
build this Staggerwing Museum."
Thadden had been a saleswoman
and test pilot for Beech in its early
days and was deeply committed to
the company. Her flying suit, Ben­
dix trophy, and other memorabilia
rest with the museum now, but not
her Travel Air. "That belongs to the

Our beautiful magic carpet from the GuH Coast to Tullahoma was this Twin
Beech Super H18 owned and flown by Chris and Lisa Kelley. The unrestored tri­
gear Beech was the only model H present at this year's convention.

Ninety-Nines," said Carter. "But we
sure wish they'd loan it to us so we
could show it off with our Travel
Air collection," she said.
Harold Bost is president of the
Bonanza-Baron Museum Founda­
tion, and he led me down a narrow
concrete path to its spacious, newly
opened 9,OOO-square-foot hangar.
"This museum was always on the
long-term planning of B.J. McCla­
nahan, the founder of the American
Bonanza Society (ABS)," said Bost.
"John Parrish, one of the founders
of the Staggerwing Museum, spoke
to me about Tullahoma, but I wasn't
sure because I thought, who will
come here? When I learned about
the ... Staggerwings and Beech 18s
already in this great facility, then I
knew that Tullahoma was the right
place to bring this museum. Now
Tullahoma is quickly becoming the
Beech museum. And best of all, if
you are a member of the Stagger­
wing Museum Foundation, admis­
sion to all the hangars is free. For
others the admission is still only $5
for access to all the museum's facili­
ties. That's a good deal."
In the Bonanza-Baron hangar
Bost points to a polished alumi­
num 1947 Bonanza with red strip­
ing, serial number 18, a rare Super
Bonanza, one of only 16 twin-engine
V-tails made. On the wall are at least
five more aircraft promised to the
museum, and more are being found
every day, Bost said. It won't be
long before the foundation breaks

ground on another 9,OOO-square­
foot hangar to house its growing
collection.
Barons and Bonanzas have been
coming to the Beech Party for a de­
cade or two, as have members of
the Twin Beech 18 Society. All three
organizations hold their meetings
along with the Staggerwing Own­
ers Society meetings in the muse­
um's Olive Ann Beech Chapel dur­
ing the three-day Beech Party. The
meetings are informative gather­
ings, where owners swap stories,
mechanical heartaches, and, of
course, solutions.
Twin Beech 18 Society President
Ron Hyde said the challenge is col­
lecting original manufacturing data
on all the Beech 18s from the salt
mines outside of Wichita, where
Beech stores them. The group is
also compiling a complete record of
every STC approved for the Beech
18, and it has more than 50 in its
possession to date. Members such
as Robert K. Parmerter, the author
of Beech 18, A Civilian and Military
History, spend copious amounts of
time researching the whereabouts
and ownership of the STCs.
"All of this will someday reside
here at the museum in Tullahoma
for reference," Hyde said. Other
tasks include lobbying for less oner­
ous airworthiness directive (AD)
compliance, particularly regarding
an AD that deals with cracks that
have been detected in some Beech
18 wing spars, which has challenged

Twin Beech 18 Society

President Ron Hyde.


owners for years. Late-model Beech
18s, such as N5959F, are less suscep­
tible to the wing spar deterioration
and cracking because those models
wear an improved wing spar cap.
With the arrival of the sun on
the second day, more aircraft from
across the nation arrived for the
Beech Party. N5959F stood proud
at the head of the line of Beech 18s
that spanned decades of produc­
tion-a run that produced nearly
9,000 aircraft before the King Air 90
took its place on the sales floor in
the 1960s.
In his book, Parmerter deftly
tells how Olive Ann Beech always
insisted on flying in a Twin Beech
18, until the day the factory test
pilot convinced her to take a ride
in the new, turbine-powered, pres­
surized King Air. She sat in the
back and silently soaked in the
smoothness and performance of
the newer airplane. When they
landed Mrs. Beech went to her
production manager and said she
would take the next King Air off
the line as her own. Not long after
that, Beech workers put the fin­
ishing touches on the last Twin
Beech, one of a large group that
went to Japan Airlines.
Today aircraft as pristine as
N5959F, still sporting the original
interior and instrumentation, are
rare indeed. When you spot one, be
prepared to do a little time travel­
ing of your own. Believe me, the
escape is pure pleasure.
.......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

E.E. "BUCK" HILBERT

Monday morning quarterbacking

I've said many times, pilots
and aviation don't need enemies;
there are always other pilots!
Just let another pilot stub
his toe, like bend a wingtip or
maybe have something happen
that looks bad, and then listen
to the comments from other pi­
lots. You'll hear 13 different the­
ories on what should have been
done, and most of them will be
far less than complimentary.
We need to take a page from
the American Medical Associa­
tion "handbook." Pilots should
stick together. We should defend
one another, rather than criti­
cize and condemn.
I know pilots are an indepen­
dent group, self-confident and
at times aggressive. We're built
that way. It takes a certain atti­
tude like that to be able to fly.
We all feel we're the best, that
we can handle any situation,
and the thought of someone do­
ing something dumb invokes im­
mediate comment.
I found years ago that when
it comes to aviation incidents
and accidents, I could get some
real bruises by jumping to con­
clusions. It's easy to be a check
pilot; your eyes can pick up
things you feel the other guy
missed. Since you aren't bur­
dened with the routine opera­
tion, you are about 10 seconds
ahead of the guy and you are
apt to jump the gun.
22

MARCH 2005

When there is an incident or
an accident, the media solicits
comments from anyone who
will make them. This is where
you can head off a condemna­
tion or make it worse. Better one

Except for the
time warp
and maybe a
streak of luck,
it could have
been you!
should keep his or her cool and
say something like, "The NTSB
will make an investigation," or
"The FAA will be here." Let them
ask the accident investigators.
Meanwhile, defend the pi­
lot, and don't emphasize the
negative. What did the pilot
do right? Don't compare your
theoretical action with what
that pilot did; give him or her a
break. Except for the time warp

and maybe a streak of luck, it
could have been you!
Maybe some of you saw the
pictures and read the news
item about my number three
son, Lee, putting our Champ
into the water, without floats
of course. In any event, the
media went wild. There was
coverage from local and distant
TV, radio, and the press-some
factual, some wildly imagina­
tive, and some critical.
There are no aviation editors
working in the general mass
media these days. The cub re­
porter is often the one sent to
the scene. It's our job to educate
them, tell it like it is, and disarm
what the public thinks is an elec­
trifying bit of news. A routine
operation to the uninitiated can
be spectacular when the media
gets through with it. In my son's
case the engine quit, and he ex­
ecuted a safe forced landing on
the ice in a fairly restricted area.
Nearby was a narrow channel
with open water in the middle
and piers jutting out from the
shores on either side.
The forced landing was suc­
cessful right up to the edge of
the open water. After he exited,
the ice gave way and the Champ
sank. No damage to the pilot or
property.
The media went berserk! News
helicopters and reporters were at
the scene, plus there were many

VAA LOGO

BLANKETS


subsequent phone ca ll s from
Du ri ng the winter months
the press and TV people. They
wr ap your sel f in th i s
called every listed surname in
sweatshi rt-soft blanket
the books, looking for spectacu­
that sports our VAA logo.
lar information. It was a crash to
Ta ke it along on trips for
them; whereas to a pilot, it was
the
added comfort. Comes
a successful forced landing.
in th ree great colors.
The news was out, and then
the fun began. Many of our
Hunter Green
V02213
friends and relatives, Young Ea­
Gold
VOO933
gles, and others who had been
Royal Blue
V02213
given rides in the airplane all
began to ca ll. Some were un­
believing, some thought it was
good for a laugh, while others ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_
were sympathetic and offered to
help. As one person said, "a cast
of thousands" descended on the
scene . Okay, maybe not thou­
sands, but there was no short­
age of spectators or stories, to
be sure.
The local, co u nty, and state
police; the DNR; the FAA; and
the N TSB were all there. The
unofficial conclusion was it was
an "incident." Unfortunately, it
concluded by the aircraft sink­
ing through the ice.
The interesting part is that in
this Chain of Lakes area, there
are several cases of automobiles,
snowmobiles, and ATVs going
through the ice every year. Un­
less there is a fatality, they se l­
dom even get noticed by anyone
but the Department of Natural
Resources.
The gist of this story: Defend
your fellow pilot from unfair
criticism. Don't let yourself get
trapped into making statements
The legendary sounds and senses of fl ight from days gone by
or giving out information that
live again in the Legend Cub! This great aircraft blends the best
aggravates the Situation, es­
of fun, affordable flying with modern parts and materials to
pecially in the case of the un­
give you a ready-to-fly certified light sport aircraft. Call today.
educated public. It's not that
they're dumb; they just haven't
Start living the legend.
been taught. Help them learn by
keeping your thoughts positive .
Let the NTSB or the FAA conclu­
sion be the official one.
And with that, it 's over to
you!

$27.95


THE LEGEnD CUB

... the Legend Lives!

AMERICAN LEGEND AIRCRAFT COMPANY
P.O. Box 1220 • 1810 Piper Lane, Sulphur Springs, TX 75483 • 903.885.7000 Fax: 903.438.9933
www.legendaircraftcompany.com
VINTAGE AIRP L ANE

23

On Patrol, True Adventures of an
Alaska Game Warden, by Ray
Tremblay
I'll admit it; I'm always a sucker
for books on aviation in the 49th
state, Alaska. A number of Alaska­
related aviation books have been
published in the last year, and
they're all fascinating reading.
The first one of the pair that
will be mentioned here is On Pa­
trol, True Adventures of an Alaska
Game Warden, by Ray Tremblay.
It's a great folksy account of wild­
life management aviation during
the days just prior to Alaskan state­
hood and the subsequent changes
that followed after 1959. Tremblay
neatly keeps the larger issues af­
fecting the Alaska territory and his
personal experiences in covering
vast regions of the state interwo­
ven in his narrative, and the indis­
pensable use of aircraft to oversee
the area is made clear in On Patrol.
My only disappointment related
to the book was to learn of the
passing of Ray Tremblay only a
month prior to the book's release.
He would have been an interest­
ing fellow to meet in person, but
after reading his account of flying
in Alaska, I almost feel I did.
On Patrol (ISBN 0-88240-573-X)
is published in softbound volumes
by Alaska Northwest Books and re­
tails for $14.95.
24

MARCH 2005

Mercy Pilot, The foe Crosson StOlY,
by Dirk Tordoff
Pioneer Alaskan aviator Joe
Crosson has always been an in­
teresting subject for me; he origi­
nally came to my attention as the
big brother of Marvel Crosson, a
promising and accomplished pilot
(she held the women's altitude re­
cord of 23,996 feet in May of 1929)
whose death in the 1929 Women's
Air Derby marred an otherwise
outstanding event. Joe Crosson
was a pioneer in every sense of
the word. From his days as the
first chief pilot of Alaska Airways,
to his harrowing flights to rescue
other flyers or recover the bod­
ies of those lost in the forbidding
Artic lands, this biography, while
needing the touch of a talented
copy editor, nonetheless does a
fascinating job of letting us meet
Joe and his family while filling in
many details surrounding many
of early aviation's most newswor­
thy events. Crosson was a friend
of Wiley Post, and it was he who
was first to arrive on the scene of
the Post/Rogers crash in Barrow
and to bring the remains of the fa­
mous pair back to civilization. I'm
pleased to see that Joe Crosson's
short but accomplished life has
been so clearly documented. 254
pages, with over 150 photos, Mercy
Pilot, The foe Crosson Story (ISBN 0­
9708493-7-0) is published by Epi­
center Press and retails for $17.95.

The Barnstormers, Pioneers of the
Sky DVD
It's been a few years since a video
has given us a good look at avia­
tion history, and to their credit,
the producers of The Barnstormers
did their best to find at least one
living 1920s era barnstormer to in­
terview. After an overview of the
history of barnstorming, which
features a fair amount of period
film footage, the DVD sets out to
profile a number of modern day
barnstormers. I felt, however, the
definition of barnstormer was
loosened up a bit when the sub­
jects included a number of excel­
lent performers who do not travel
about the land offering rides, but
whose primary involvement is fly­
ing for air shows. Admittedly, in
this day and age there are few who
are able to make a living by flying
from town to town, and the Lock
family's barnstorming business us­
ing a pair of beautifully restored
New Standard biplanes is a nota­
ble exception. The Lock family's
operations are highlighted in the
modern day barnstorming section,
showing how they expose the
public to a form of aviation many
thought was long gone.
Excellent air-to-air footage is
used to illustrate the modern day
performers. The Barnstormers, pro­
duced by Up In The Air Pictures,
is a fun 54-minute DVD (no VHS
available) that most vintage en­
thusiasts will enjoy. It's priced at
$20.00 and is available from most
aviation booksellers.

WW I AERO AND S K YWAY S

In addition to the wide variety of
books and videos seen over the past
few months, some publications are
welcome, regular visitors to our
desk. Two of the most interesting
periodicals are WW I Aero, Th e
Journa l of the Early Aeroplane and
Skyways, The Journal of the Airplane
1920-1940, both painstakingly
published by Leonard E. "LEO" Op­
dycke. Leo has been compiling the
most fascinating and rare minutia
concerning pioneer aircraft since
1961, nearly half a century, and his
equally dedicated gang of contrib­
utors reads like a "who's who" of
aviation historians: Carroll F. Gray,
whose books and articles have
helped set the modern day stan­
dard for well-researched and writ­
ten historical pieces on early avia­
tion, and Robert Gordon, whose
continuing series on the Gallaudet
story has been absolutely amaz­
ing. There are plenty of others who
contribute from U.S. shores and
far afield, and their subjects range
from one-of-a-kind airplanes built
just after the turn of the 20th cen­
tury through World War 1. Modern
replicas and reproductions (and the
differences between them) are dis-

cussed, along with drawing
reproductions and a generous help­
ing of vintage photographs, often
published for the very first time.
Skyways, edited by David Os­
trowski, is equally interesting, and
both magazines threaten to domi­
nate hours of leisure time each
quarter they arrive. The July 2004
issue, for instance, features a biog­
raphy of Korvin-Kroukovsky, EDO
aircraft's chief engineer, written by
Dan Pattarini, who worked with
the talented Russian immigrant.
There's even a photo of the Maiolo,
an amphibian that was never put
into production, but is strikingly
similar in layout to some of the
modern day lightplane amphibi­
ous aircraft now being produced.
Skyways also has a feature familiar
to VAA members-a mystery plane
column called ID UNK. The July is­
sue highlighted the Hawke Duster,
a one-off design that saw three air­
planes in service, the last one being
withdrawn after 15 years of dusting
crops in Arizona and California. In­
cluded with the photos is an excel­
lent pair of drawings by Lawrence
Beidleman of the Hawke.
It would be disingenuous to
think of WW I Aero and Skyways
as simply magazine subscriptions.
In particular, Opdycke and his

nonprofit World War I Aeroplanes
organization has served the WW
I community with information,
drawings, and expertise since the
start of the 1960s, and many, in­
cluding this reviewer, credit much
of that era's preserved historical in­
formation to his relentless activity.
He finds himself now at the
crossroads many of us are ponder­
ing. Where will all this knowledge
go? Who will follow to maintain
what we've collected and add to it,
if possible? Many organizations are
seeing declining membership num­
bers and a membership base that
continues to age as fewer young
people become involved in this
level of aviation history and activ­
ity. What can be done to expose
aviation to the masses in a positive
light and invite them to our table
of plenty? These are all questions
without simple answers, ones that
we all must address if our activity is
to remain viable.
Each journal is priced at $42 per
year in the U.S. and both are pub­
lished four times a year. For more
information, please contact th e
folks at World War 1 Aeroplanes
at 15 Crescent Road, Poughkeep­
sie, New York, 12601, phone 845­
473-3679.
....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

2S

BY

H.G. FRAUTSCHY

THIS MONTH'S MYSTERY PLANE COMES TO US FROM A GROUP OF PHOTOS

SENT TO US MANY YEARS AGO BY LONGTIME MEMBER TED BUSINGER .

Unfortunately, when first submitted, it was unusable, but through the wonders of modem technology, we've been
able to clean up the image so it is reproducible. No changes were made in any way to the image ofthe aircraft; only the
sky needed alterations in this particular photo. Whenever a Mystery Plane is reproduced for your pleasure, at times we
may remove the registration number and/or any other obviously identifying marks, but to keep it fair and accurate, no
other changes are made to our original document.

Send your answer to EAA, Vintage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Your answer needs to be
in no later than April 10 for inclusion in the June 2005 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 I/(Month) Mystery Plane" in the subject line.

DECEMBER ' S MY ST ER Y

ANSWER

ur December Mystery
Plane was foreign to the
shores of the United
States, and that usually
means the number of answers is
pretty limited. It does give our vin-

O

26

MARCH 2005

tage enthusiasts from overseas an
opportunity to weigh in with their
observations.
Here's our first letter about the
December Mystery Plane:
It is an Avro 503 (originally

dubbed Type H).
It was first flown from the river
Adur, next to Shoreham Harbour
on the south coast of England on
May 28, 1913, by AVRO's test pilot
EP. Raynham and carrying as a pas­

senger John Alcock-later to fly the
Atlantic in 1919 in a Vickers Vimy,
along with Arthur Whitten-Brown.
On June 5 the 503 proved to be
a success, climbing to 1,300 feet in
5 minutes on its 100-hp Gnome ro­
tary engine. Before the end of June
the machine was purchased by the
German government, and on Sep­
tember 3, 1913, it became the first
aircraft to cross the North Sea from
Wilhelmshaven to Heligoland, a
40-mile trip. A sister aircraft was
ordered by the Peruvian govern­
ment, but before it could be deliv­
ered to them, it was handed to the
British Admiralty on the outbreak
of the First World War. Three fur­
ther 503s were built for the Royal
Naval Air Service, numbered 51,
52, and 53. 53 remained in service
until January 1916.
David Cooper-Maguire
St. George's Wood Cottage, Has­
lemere, Surrey, United Kingdom
Another correct answer was re­
ceived from Princeton, Minnesota,
where Thomas Lymburn writes:
The December 2004 Mystery
Plane is the Avro 503 Type H sea­
plane . Based on the earlier Avro
501, but with increased wingspan,
the first 503 was flown at Shore­
ham by Fred Raynham on 28
May 1913, powered by a 100-hp
Gnome engine. John Alcock, of
Alcock and Brown fame, then an
instructor at the Avro School, was
the passenger.
The Avro 503 attracted the in ­
terest of the German Naval Air
Service, and the prototype (No
12) was purchased and shipped to
Germany in June 1913. Under a li­

cense agreement, Gotha built 503s
as the WD.1 with Gnome engines
from April 1914. These served on
coastal patrol in the early days of
World War I. Five later Gotha-built
aircraft, delivered between Febru­
ary and April 1915, were powered
by the 100-hp Mercedes 0 I.
The Roya l Naval Air Service pur­
chased at least three 503s, one of
which (No. 16) was converted in
August 1913 as a landplane, serv­
ing at Eastchurch Naval Air Station
as a trainer. As a landplane, the 503

Flight Control Cables
Custom Manufactured!

proved capable of 65
mph, while the twin
float version clocked out
at 50 mph. Wingspan
was 50 feet, length was
33 feet 6 inches, and
the loaded weight was
2,200 pounds. The final
development of the 503
was the Avro 510, five
of which served from
1914 with the RNAS as
coastal patrol seaplanes. This model
was powered by a 150-hp Sunbeam
engine.
A photo very similar to yours of
the 503 appears in Donald Hanna's
Avro (Key Publishing, 1983). Harry
Holmes' Avro: The History of an Air­
craft Company (Airlife, 1994) tells
the story of German naval interest.
Also answering correctly were
Russ Brown of Lyndhurst, Ohio,
and Craig Ryan of Corona Del Mar,
......
California .

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VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

JULY SolO-Alliance, OH-Barber Airport (201) 33rd Annual
Fly-In and Reunion sponsored by Taylorcraft Foundation,
Owner's Club, and Factory Old-Timer's . Breakfast served Sat
& Sun by EAA Ch. 82. Info: www.taylorcraft.orgor 330-823­
1168.
JULY IO-IS-Dearborn, MI-Grosse lie Municipal Airport. Int'l
Cessna 170 37th Annual Convention. Info: 936-369-4362 or

www.cessna170.org.
...

J

<r .

~~'==~~~~~~~~ ' WM~W~

The following list of coming events is furnished to our readers
as a matter of information only and does not constitute ap­
proval, sponsorsh ip, involvement, contro l or direction of any
event (fly-in, seminars, fly market, etc.) listed. To submit an
event, send the information via mail to: Vintage Airplane, P.O.
Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Or e-mail the information
to: vintageaircra{[email protected]. Information should be received four
months prior to the event date.
APRIL 24-Half Moon Bay, CA-15th Annual Pacific Coast
Dream Machines Show. 10 am - 4 pm. Hundreds of avia­
tion wonders will be on display. Fly-ins welcome. Spectator
admission: Adults $15; 5-14 yrs and 65+ $5; Kids 4 and
under free. Info: 650-726-2328 or www.miramarevents.com.
APRIL 30-MAY I-Oshkosh , WI-Pioneer Field. Ercoupes, Cubs,
and Aeroncas Fly-In. Special permission is required to land.
Contact Syd Cohen for required documents and more info,
715-842-7814 or [email protected]. Cost $50 per person for
food and lodging.
MAY 6-8-Burlington, NC-A1amance County Airport (BUY).
Carolinas-Virginia VAA Chapter 3 Spring Fly-In. BBQ at the
field Friday Evening, judging in all classes Saturday. Awards
Banquet Sat. Night. Everyone welcome. Info: 843-753-7138 or

[email protected].
MAY 7-Meridian, MS-Topton Air Estates, EAA Ch. 986 Annual
Fly-In. Free BBQ lunch to all who fly in. Everyone welcome.
Info: 601-693-1858 or ([email protected].
MAY 13-IS-Kewanee, IL-Municipal Airport (EZI). 3rd Annual
Midwest Aeronca Festival. Flying events, food, seminars.
Breakfast 14th & 15th. On field camping or motels. Info:
Jody, 309-853-8141 or [email protected]

www.angel(ire.com/stars4/aeroncafest.

MAY IS-Romeoville, IL-Lewis Lockport Airport (LOT). EAA Ch.
15 Fly-In Breakfast. 7am-Noon. Info: 630-243-8213.
MAY IS-Warwick, NY-Warwick Aerodrome (N72). EAA
Ch. 501 Annual Fly-In. lOam-4pm. Unicom advisory
frequency 123.0. Food available, trophies for various classes.
Registration for judging closes at 1pm. Info: 973-492-9025 or

[email protected].
MAY IS-IS-Tallahassee, FL-Air Fest. All vintage owners, pilots,
and enthusiasts are welcome. Info: Pete, 850-656-2197 or

JULY 11-14-McCall, ID-McCall Airport. Cessna 180/185 Int'l
Convention. Many fun things planned. Call for hotel and
other info: 530-622-8816 or ml.ll/[email protected].
JULY 22-2S-Waupaca, WI-Waupaca Airport (PCZ). 2005 An­
nual Cessna and Piper Owner Convention & Fly-In. Info:
888-692-3776 ext. 118 or www.cessnaowner.org or

www.pipero wner.org.
AUGUST 6-7-Santa Paula, CA-(SZP) Santa Paula 75th An­
niversary Air Fair. Exhibits, vintage and experimental
aircraft displays, flybys, hangar displays, vendor booths,
dinner-dance, and other community activities. Info: 805­
642-3315.
AUGUST 7-Queen City, MO-Applegate Airport 18th Annual
Watermelon Fly-In. 2 PM 'til dark. Info: 660-766-2644.
SEPTEMBER 3-Marion, IN-(MZZ) Fly/ln Cruise/In. Info:

www.FlylnCflliseln.com.
SEPTEMBER 16-17-Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Field (BVO).

49th Annual Tulsa Regional Fly-In. Info: www.tulsaf/yin.com
or Charlie Harris at 918-622-8400.

REGIONAL FLY-IN SCHEDULE
Sun 'n Fun Fly-In
April 12-18, 2005
Lakeland, FL (LAL)
www.sun-n-fun.org
EAA Southwest
Regional Fly-In
The EAA TEXAS Fly-In
May 13-15,2005
NEW LOCATION!
Hondo, TX (HDO)
www.swrfi.org
Golden West EAA
Regional Fly-In
June 3-5, 2005
Marysville, CA (MYV)
www.goldenwestflyin.org

f/yn([email protected].
MAY 21-Middletown, OH-Middletown Municipal Airport
(MWO). "Chris Cakes" Pancake Breakfast Fly-In, 7am-11am.
Sponsored by the Middletown Aviation Club. Info: Bill, 513­
423-1386, Bob, f/[email protected].
MAY 28-30-Welland, Ontario, Canada-Beside Niagara Falls,
New York. USA-Canadian Stinson Fly-In. 37 Stinsons coming
so far, trying to get at least SO Stinsons. All welcome. Niagara
Falls tour. BBQs. Camp on airport, or hotel. Info: Roger, 416­
919-3810 or [email protected].
JUNE 3-4-Bartlesville, OK-Frank Phillips Field (BVO). 19th
Annual Biplane Expo. Info: www.biplaneexpo.com or Charlie
Harris 918-622-8400.
JUNE S-DeKalb, IL-DeKalb-Taylor Municipal Airport (DKB).
EAA Ch. 241, 41st Annual Fly-In Breakfast. 7am-Noon. Info:
847-888-2719.
28

MARCH 2005

Rocky Mountain EAA
Regional Fly-In
June 25-26, 2005
Watkins, CO (FTG)
www.rmrfi.org
Northwest EAA Fly-In
July 6-10, 2005
Arlington, WA (AWO)
www.nweaa.org

EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh 2005
July 25-31, 2005
Oshkosh, WI (OSH)
www.airventure.org
EAA Mid-Eastern Fly-In
August 26-28, 2005
Marion, OH (MNN)
Virginia State EAA Fly-In
September 17-18,2005
Petersburg, VA (PTB)
www.vaeaa.org
EAA Southeast
Regional Fly-In
October 7-9, 2004
Evergreen, AL (GZH)
www.serfi.org
Copperstate Regional
EAA Fly-In
October 6-9, 2005
Phoenix, AZ (A39)
www.copperstate.org

Falco

continued from page 13

He said, "It was a challenge. Here
we were working on a one-of-a-kind
project, and how often do you get a
chance to be involved in something
like that?"
Of course, the fact that it was a
one-of-a-kind certified airplane caused
other problems.
"When I needed an lA to do the fi­
nal inspection, I had a little difficulty
because whom do you ask to inspect
an airplane when they've never seen
one like it before? Again, I was lucky
because Pau l Anderson, a local lA,
had worked with Bill Coppernoll on
some foreign certifications and knew
exactly what he'd be looking for. Be­
sides, it's a simple airplane."
So now that it's flying, what are his
thoughts?
"First, I can't believe I actually own
this airplane. It's a Ferrari. It... handles
like a dream. But, with the flaps down
it could be a 150 on landing, and it's
so smooth in the air. There is simply
nothing like it.
"A side thought on this is that fly­
ing a Falco was always a dream of my
CFI, Caris Fryatt, who is extremely
sick right now, so in some ways, we've
accomplished his dream as well as
mine, and that makes me feel good.
"Unfortunately, I've priced myself
out of the Falco market. I'm flying an
airplane that is worth so much that it
is no longer carefree aviating because
I have to think about what it is worth.
The responsible thing to do for my
family is to sell it, and I probably will,
but I love this airplane so much. I can
just sit and look at it, and it's almost
as much fun as actually flying it.
"One side benefit of getting the air­
plane certified is that now it will last
forever regardless of what happens to
it. As long as that data plate exists, the
airplane exists. What has been built
once can be built again, but without
that certified datap late you have no
starting point."
Like we said, the story of any air­
plane restoration always has its per­
sonal side, but this one is a little more
personal than most.
....

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to Aircraft Building • Sheet Metal Basics

• Composite Construction. Fabric Covering

April 3 - 4

Calgary, Canada

• Sheet Metal Basics

April 23 - 25

Corona, CA

• RV Assembly

May 14-16

Oshkosh, WI

• RV Assembly

May 14-16

Griffin, GA

• TIC Welding

May15-16

Griffin, GA

• Finishing and Spray Painting

May 22-23

Frederick, MD

• Sheet Metal Basics • Fabric Covering
• Composite Construction • Cas Welding
• Electrical Systems and Avionics

June 4 - 6

Corona,CA

• RV Assembly

June 11-13

Denver,CO

• RV Assembly

1-800-WORKSHOP
1-800-967-5746
YOU CAN BUILD IT! LET EAA TEACH YOU HOW.
VINTA G E AIRP L AN E

29

Something to

buy,

sell

or trade?

Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per 10 words, 180 words maximum, with boldface lead-in on first line.
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 (Le., 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 card, card number, and
expiration date. Make checks payable to EM. Address advertising correspondence to EM Publications Classified Ad Manager, P.O.
Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
BABBITT BEARING SERVICE
- rod bearings, main bearings,
bushings , master rods, valves,
piston rings. ' Call us Toll
Free 1-800-233-6934, e-mail
[email protected] Website
www.ramengine.com VINTAGE
ENGINE MACHINE WORKS,
N. 604 FREYA ST. , SPOKANE,
WA 99202

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.

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)

Flying wires available. 1994 pricing.
Visit www.flyingwires.com or call
800-517-9278.

AERO CLASSIC
"COLLECTOR SERIES"

Vintage Tires
New USA Production
Show off your pride and joy with a
fresh set of Vintage Rubber. These
newly minted tires are FAA-TSO'd
and speed rated to 120 MPH. Some
things are better left the way they
were, and in the 40's and 50's, these tires were perfectly in
tune to the exciting times in aviation.
Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart from
the rest, but also look exceptional on all General Aviation
aircraft. Deep 8/32nd tread depth offers above average
tread life and UV treated rubber resists aging.
First impressions last a lifetime, so put these
bring back the good times .....
New General Aviation Sizes Available:

500 x 5, 600 x 6, 700 x 8

Desser has the largest stock and
selection of Vintage and Warbird
tires in the world. Contact us
with

DESSER

TIRE &. RUBBER COMPANY
Of Aviation Since 1920. ...

30

MARCH 2005

~

lfi

,

TelePhone : 800-247-8473 or
323-721 -4900 FAX: 323-721-7888
6900 Acco St. , Montebello, CA 90640
3400 Chelsea Ave, Memphis, TN 38106

www.desser.com

For Sale - 1939 Spartan Executive,
3500TT, 10 SMOH. 214-354-6418,
www.ipjetservices.com
Airplane T-Shirts

150 Different Airplanes Available

WE PROBABLY HAVE

YOUR AIRPLANE!

www.airpianetshirts.com
1-800-645-7739
A&P tA.: Annual, 100 hr. inspections.
Wayne Forshey 614-476-9150
Ohio - statewide.

Philip Ruley
Marion, IN

In troduced to aviation by
father who owned a
1946 Taylorcraft BO-12
Currently working towards
instrument ticket
Owns an Aeronca
l1 AC Chief

" I appreciate AUA's partnership and interest in vintage aviation .
Thank you for helpi ng keep the classic fleet ai rborne."

- Philip Ruley

AUA's Exclusive EAA Vintage Aircraft Association Insurance Program Lower liability amd hull premiums
Medical payments included

Fleet discounts for multiple aircraft carrying all risk coverages

No compo(ler)t parts endorsements

No hand-propping exclusion

Discounts for claim-free renewals carrying all risk coverages

The best is affordable. Give AUA a call - it's FREE!

800-727-3823
www.ouaonline.com

VINTAGE

AIRCRAFT

ASSOCIATION

OFFICERS
President
Geoff Ro bison
1521 E. MacG regor Dr.
New Haven, IN 46774
260-493-4724
chie(7025@aoi .colII

Vice·P resident
George Daubner
2448 Lough Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
262-673-5885

[email protected]

Secretary

Treasurer

Steve Nesse

Cha rl es W. Harris
7215 East 46th St.

Tul sa, OK 74147

918-622-8400

[email protected]

2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507-373-16 74
stnes@deskmedia .com

DIRECTORS
Steve Bender
85 Brush Hill Road
Sherborn, M A 01770
508-653-7557

[email protected]

Da le A. Gustafson
7724 Sh ady Hills Dr.
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317-293-4430
dalefaye@ms'l .com

a"tiqller@itJreac/z. (o m

Jea nni e Hill
P.O. Box 328
Harvard, IL 60033-0328
815-943-7205
di"[email protected]

John Berendt
7645 Ech o Point Rd.
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
507-263-24 14
mjb([email protected]

Espie "Butch" Joyce
704 N . Regional Rd.
Gree nsboro, NC 27409
336-668-3650
[email protected]

Robert C. " Bob" Brauer
9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60620
773-779-2105

[email protected]

Steve Krog
1002 Hea th er Ln.
Hartford, WI 53027
262-966-7627
sskrog@aol. com

Dave Clark
635 Vestal Lane
Plainfield, IN 46168
317-839-4500
davecpd@iquest .net

Robert D. " Bob" Lumley
1265 South 124 th St.
Brookfield, W I 53005
262-782-2633
J/[email protected]

John S. Copeland
lA Deacon Street
Northborough, MA 01532
508-393-4 775
copeland l @juno,com

Gene Morris
5936 Steve Court
Roanoke, TX 76262
817-4 9 1-9110
genemorris@el' l .fI et

Phil Cou lson
284 15 Springbrook Dr.
Lawton, MI 49065
269·624-6490
[email protected]

Dean Richardso n
1429 Kings Lyn n Rd
Stoughton, WI 53589
608-877 -8485
da [email protected]

Roger Gomoll
8891 Airport Rd, Box C2
Blaine, MN 55449
763-786-3342
piedgedrive@ms'lcom

S. H. " Wes" Schmid
2359 Lefeber Ave nue
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
414-771-1545
[email protected]

David Benne tt
P.O. Box 1188
Rosevi lle, CA 95678
916-645-8370

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Gene Chase
2159 Carlton Rd.
Oshkosh, WI 54904
920-231-5002
[email protected]

E.E. " Buck" Hilbert
P.O. Box 424
Union, IL 60 180
815-923-4591
b7ac@mc. lJet

Ronald C. Frit z
15401 Sparta Ave.
Kent City, MI 49330
616-678-50 12
rFritz@pathwaynet. com

Membershi:R Services Directory

ENJOY THE MANY BENEFITS OF EAA AND
THE EAA V INTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

~

EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086
Phone (920) 426-4800

Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Site: www.vintageaircraft.org and www.airventure.org
EAA and Divisio n Membersh ip Services
800-843-3612 ., . ..... FAX 920-426-6761
Monday-Friday CST)
(8:00 AM-7:00 PM
- New/renew memberships: EAA, Divi­
sions (Vintage Aircraft Association, lAC,
Warbirds), National Association of Flight
Instructors (NAFI)

- Address changes

- Merchandise sales

- Gift memberships

Progra m s and Activit ies
EAA AirVenture Fax-On-Demand Directory
.... ... .. ...... ......... 732-885-6711
Auto Fuel STCs ....... .. ... 920-426-4843
Build/ restore information ... 920-426-4821
Chapters: locating/organizing920-426-4876
Education ........... ... .. 888-322-3229
- EAA Air Academy

- EAA Scholarships


E-Mail: [email protected]

Flight Advisors informatio n ..
Flight Instructor information
Flying Start Program .......
Library Services/Research ....
Medical Questions , .. . . ... .
Technical Counselors .......
Young Eagles .... ..... . . ..

920-426-6864
920-426-6801
920-426-6847
920-426-4848
920-426-6112
920-426-6864
877-806-8902

Benefits
AUA Vintage Insurance Plan. 800-727-3823
EAA Aircraft Insurance Plan . 866-647-4322
Term Life and Accidental. ... 800-241-6103
Death Insurance (Harvey Watt & Company)
Editorial . ..... ........... 920-426-4825
Vintage ..... ......... FAX 920-426-6865
- Submitting article/photo
- Advertising information
EAA Aviation Foundation
Artifact Donations ... . . ... 920-426-4877
Financial Support. ... . ..... 800-236-1025

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA

lAC

Membership in the Experimental Aircraft
ASSOciation, Inc. is $40 for one year, includ­
ing 12 issues of SPORT AVIATION. Family
membership is an additional $10 annuaUy.
Junior Membership (under 19 years of age)
is available at $23 annually_All major credit
cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 fo r
Foreign Postage.)

Cu rrent EAA members may join the
In ternational Aerobatic Club, Inc. Divi­
sion and receive SPOR T AER OB ATICS
magazine for an additional $45 per year.
EAA Membership, SPOR T AER OBAT­
ICS magaZine and one year membership
in the lAC Division is available for $55
per year (SPORT AVIATION magaZine
not included) _ (Add $15 for Foreig n
Postage.)

EAA SPORT PILOT
Curre n t EAA members may add EAA
SPORT PILOT magazine for an additional
$20 per year.
EAA Membership and EAA SP OR T
PILOT magazine is available for $40 per
year (SPORT AVIATION magazine not in­
cluded) . (A dd $16 for Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
Current EAA members may join the
Vintage Aircraft Association and receive
VINTA GE AIRPLANE magazine for an ad­
ditional $36 per year,
EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE
magazine and one year membership in the EAA
Vintage Aircraft Association is available for $46
per yea r (SPORT AVIATION magaZine not in­
d uded). (Add $7 for Foreign Postage.)

WARBIRDS
Current EAA members may join the EAA
Warbirds of America Division and receive
WARBIRDS magazine for an additional $40
per year.
EAA Membership, WARBIRDS maga­
zine and one year membership in the
Warbirds Division is available for $50 per
year (SPOR T AVIATION magaZine not in­
cluded). (Add $7 for Foreign Postage.)

FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS
Please submit your remittance with a
check or draft drawn on a United States
bank payable in United States dollars. Add
required Foreign Postage amount for each
membership.

Membership dues to EAA and its divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions
Copyright mOO5 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association
All rights reserved .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (USPS 062-750; ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association of the Expelimental Aircraft Association and is published monthly at EM
Aviation Cooler, 3000 Poberezny Rd., PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WISConsin 54903-3088, e-mail: [email protected]. Periodicals Postage paid at Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901 and at add"ional mailing offices. POST­
MASTER: Send address changes to Vintage Airplane, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. PM 40064547 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to World Distribution Services, Station A, PO Box 54, Windsor.
ON N9A 6J5, e-mail: [email protected]. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least !wo months for delivery of VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via suTiace mail. ADVERTIS­
ING - Vintage 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 POUCY: 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 contribut",. No remuneration is made. Material should be sent 10: Edit"" VINTAGE AIRPLANE, PO Box 3088, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Phone 920-426-4800.
EM® and EM SPORT AVIATlON®, the EM Logo® and Aeronautica™are registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks of the Expelimental Aircraft Association, Inc. The use of these trademarks and
service marks without the permission of the Experimental Aircraft Association, Inc. is strictly prohibited.

32

M AR C H 200 5

EAA Members
your next vehicle purchase
Great Program!
bought a Ford
It a great price,
10

sales games.

EAA
2005 Lincoln LS

partner
.
recognition
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VOLVO

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LINCOLN

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JAGUAR