...

THE RESTORER'S CORNER

In August we discussed the dwindling supply of restorable antique
aircraftandone wayofcombattingthe problem, namely, buildingreplicas.
This month wehaveanotherapproach to this sameproblem. RoyRedman
of Minneapolis, who is in the midst of restoring a Stinson SR-8 Gullwing
Reliant, has some interesting thoughts about all of the antiques which are
presently in a "state of suspendedanimation". Iam lending Roy my soap
box, and his comments follow:
"Duringthe15yearsorsothatI'vebeenattendingfly-ins, antiquemeet-
ings, andgenerallymessingaboutoldairplanesI'vecomeacross numerous
situations wherea guyowned an airplane in some state of disassembly-
usuallyacquired in thatstate, sometimes with one partoranother worked
on, notbeing worked on at the moment for one reason oranother, and a
long list of future plans and intentions. After 10 or 15 minutes of conver-
sation I can nearly always tell whether I will see the subject airplane at a
fly-in in a yearor two, orfive, orever- andin this case the judgementis
usually never; while it belongs to this guy, at least. The guy's intentions
are always honorable, and the reasons for delay logical and valid - but
five years lateryou can still meet him atthe fly-in, onfoot, still interesting
to talk to, and with a continuing list of intentions (and problems), but no
airplane. For the sake of our discussion I will call this guy, and his type,
"intenders". Then there is the other type ofguy we all see at the fly-ins.
He's Ed Wegner, orGarWilliams, orJack Lysdale, orDanNeuman, orJoe
Johnson, orDougRounds, orErnie Fillmore- you seldomsee theseguys
when they don't have their airplane flying, and if you do, they talk about
what they are doing, notintending. These guys are the "doers".
"Nowwhat's wrongwith the "intenders", you say? Theydo have rea-
sons you can't put aside, and that doesn't make them bad guys, does it?
Nothingwrong, really, andno, theyaren'tbadguys. What'smycomplaint,
then?
"The flying antique airplane is at the core ofour whole activity. It's at
once the maypole we dance around, the touch stone we grasp, the ideal
weworship. Withoutitwehavelittleornothing. Wehaveno Oshkosh, no
Blakesburg, no magazine articles, no weekend fly-ins - we are mere!y
stamp collectors pasting old pictures in scrap books and talking about the
old days.
"The "doers" then are the guys that make it all possible. The "doers"
were perhaps "intenders" once? I think not - and why not? Talk to any
numberof "doers" you wish and you'll find one thingcommon to all: air-
planework takes priorityin theirspare time. The projectis primary, if you
by J. R. NIELANDER, JR.
will. Nothing stands in the way - geography, vacations, kids, wives,
money - nothing! They all have jobs, and they all have spare time aside
from their jobs. Funny thing, you cansay thatabout the "intenders", too,
butthey puttheairplanedownthelistabit-whichseemsinnocentenough,
butit puts the projectin never-never land.
"It'srarethatyoumeetan"intender"thatdoesn'thaveallthebasicquali-
fications suchas time, money, ability, desire, interest, etc. Hewantsanair-
plane, anddon'tweall. Thedesire to ownmotivateseveryonewhenview-
ing a shiny new car, a fine home, a chunk of lakeshore, and yes, a beau-
tiful antique - or even a nostalgic memory. With today's affluence a guy
canveryeasilywritea checkto satisfy thedesireandbecomean"intender"
in the world of antique aviation - and there goes another airplane that
won'tbeseenatOshkosh, Blakesburg, Watsonville, Lakeland, oranywhere
for a long time, if ever.
"Well, then, whatdowedoaboutthese"intenders"?Theobviousthing,
andwhatis really needed, is to turntheminto"doers". All theyhavetodo
is commit themselves to putting the airplane project up to No.1 spot in
their priorities - and they are "doers". It's like exercise, weight control,
oranything else thathasn'tpreviouslybeen partoftheir wayoflife - it's
tough atfirst, butitbecomessecondnatureverysoon. Those words, "way
oflife", are meaningful, too. I'velearned thatin ordertoreally makea pro-
ject move, it literally becomes your "way of life" which, needless to say,
putsitintheNo.1spot. Iknowitsoundscorny,butanythinglessjustwon't
get the job done on oneofthese old birds .-- Askany "doer".
"EvenwhileI'mwritingthis,I'msuretherearedozensofguysburningup
the long distance lines with their checkbooks in the ready position, about
to become "intenders". With the dwindlingnumberofrestorableantiques,
we can ill afford any more "intenders"- we do need these guys, but we
need them as "doers". What wereally have to dois putoutthe word that
there is another vital part to the program besides the airplane, and that is
the commibnent to restore.
"When you reduceanyprojectdown to simplewords, it becomesthree
things: 1) Airplane; 2) Restorer; 3) Commitment. It doesn't take a genius
to see that if you take any one of these outof the project, there is nothing
viableleft. Ithinkweshoulddowhateverwecantocommunicatetopoten-
tial buyers as well as present "intenders" that the commitment in intent
and time priority is essential to anyproject. Perhaps then some interesting
old birds will start moving outofgarages, barns, backyards, etc."
1
EDITORIAL
STAFF
Publisher
Paul H. Poberezny
Editor Assistant Editor
AI Kelch Lois Kelch
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC DIVISION OFFICERS
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St ilwell,KS 66085
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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE

ANTIQUE/ CLASSIC
DIVISION
of
THE EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION
OCTOBER 1976 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 10
The Restorer' s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Sometimes the Cards are Stacked Against You. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3
"One Man's Family" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 5
Aeronca C-3 Registration Numbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Vintage Album . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 9
Timm Collegiate - The Cityof Los Angeles . .. . . .... . . . . . . .. . ..... 11
The Fair-Child ... .. .. . . . . . ... .. ...... . ........ ... .... . . . . . .. . ... 13
States Parasol . . . . . ... . .. ... ... . ... .. .. . ... . .. . . .. . .. .. . . . .. . .. . . 15
A Rare Face . ... ... ............ . .. .. . . . . . .. .. . .... .. .. . . . . ' . . ..... 17
Whistling In The Rigging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 18
EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIP
o NONEAA MEMBER - $34.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division, 12
monthly issues ofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experimental Aircraft Associa-
t ion,12 monthlyissues ofSPORTAVIATION and separate membership cards.
o NON-EAA MEMBER - $20.00. Includes one year membership in the EAA Ant ique/Classic Division, 12
monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year membership in the Experi mental Aircraft Associa-
t ion and separate membership cards,SPORTAVIATION noti ncluded.
o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includes oneyear membership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division, 12 monthly
issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and membership card, (Applicant must be current EAA member and
mustgive EAA membershipnumber.
PICTURE BOX
(Back Cover) On The Cover
Art Davis' Waco Taper Wing taken at JohnBlouchenjoyingtheresultsofhis
MapletonMuni cipalAirport,June1956, labor. See storypage5.
afterperformance. (Photo by LarryKi te)
( Photo byArtDavis)
Copyright 1976Antique Classic Ai rcraft , Inc.All Rigpts Reserve:J . 2
SOlDetilDes the Cards are Stacked Against You
by Cedric E. Galloway
14624 Willow St.
Hesperia, CA 92345
Learning to fly was my greatest ambi-
tion since I was in kindgergarten. Across
the street from the school was an old ga-
rage auto shop. Behind the building was
a wooden frame braced with many wires,
an old wicker seat, and a stick with a
wooden wheel on top that turned. I al-
ways managed to spend some time climb-
ing around it after school, then got a
scolding from mother for not coming
home right after school.
As I grew older, I read everything
I could find on aviation. My home town
was not 'air minded'. There was no
airport. Once in a great while, a flyer
would land his plane in some large pas-
ture. In 1924, Art Smith's Flying Circus
came to our town. To promote the show
they held a bicycle race for kids under
16 years of age. The winner was to re-
ceive an airplane ride. I just had to win
that ride, so every evening I delivered
my papers in record time. I won the
race even though there were boys two
years older than 1. So I had my first
airplane ride in a Jenny. What a thrill!
From that time on I saved every cent
I could so when I finished school, I
could learn to fly. My friend Ephie Hull
and I talked airplanes whenever we
got together, in school or out of schoo!.
In the Aero Digest were many ads of
Flying Schols. It was quite a challenge
to decide which one I would like to at-
tend. I finally decided on the Braley
School of Flying in Wichita, Kansas.
Wichita was known as the "Air Capitol."
There were many airplane manufactur-
ing companies located in that area, so it
sounded logical to go there to learn to
fly. In corresponding with the school,
I found that it was possible to work in
the dormatory to pay for my room and
board. That was necessary as I had just
The right wing of the Davis was
smashed into many pieces.
enough for the tuition. It was hard work,
and ground school studies took up all
the rest of the time. I decided some day
I would start my own flying school, and
make it easier for a fellow to learn to fly.
After completing the course, I earned
my Private License, twenty hours of fly-
ing time in those days. For the next two
years every cent I could save out of my
pay check went into the savings account
to purchase an airplane. I took the tough-
est job in my department at the Hormel
Packing Co, because it paid a half-cent
an hour more. I lost 12 pounds those
first two weeks.
My friend Ephie Hull had learned to
fly and owned a Stinson Jr. He was a
machinist at the Hormel Co. Danny
Fowlie also worked for Hormel and
learned from Ephie that I was looking
for a Great Lakes. Danny said he could
put me in contact with a man in Minne-
apolis who had a Great Lakes to sell.
We flew up to the Municipal Airport
in Ephie's Stinson Jr. from Austin. I
liked the Great Lakes very much, but
the price was a little steep, $1100. That
was $400 more than I had saved up, but
I made a down payment to hold the
plane for me until I could come up with
the additional cash.
I couldn't borrow that much money
from my Dad, he was having enough
trouble trying to make the small farm
produce enough to pay the taxes and
the family bills. I went to my Uncle and
asked him if he could loan me $400.
When he found out I was going to buy
an airplane, he said, "Why should I loan
you money to get yourself killed?" It
took some doing, but I finally convinced
him that I had learned to fly at a good
school and that I had a license to fly that
kind of an airplane.
On October 29, 1934 I became the
proud owner of a Great Lakes 2T-la,
license number NC856K. Two weeks
later I was reading over the ads in the
November issue of Aero Digest and
came across this ad. ---
Great Lakes: Recently recovered; total
time 300 hrs.; motor time since major
overhaul, 30 hrs.; Air wheels, front
cockpit cover, wing butts, all fittings
streamlined, inverted flying equipped,
$875. Minnesota Aviation Sales and
Service Co., Municipal Airport, Min-
neapolis, Minn.
That s o u n ~ e just like the Great Lakes
I had just bought for $1100. Come to find
out I had paid Danny Fowlie $225 in a
round-about way for putting me in con-
tact with the seller.
I disconnected the inverted flight sys-
tem, covered the front cockpit, and con-
centrated on putting in the required
fifty hours of flying for the Limited
Commercial License. I took the flight
test and written exam at the Rochester,
Minnesota Airport.
There were many young men who
wanted to learn to fly. I decided to
work for an Instructor's rating and per-
haps buy another plane for the students
to build up their flying time on, after
they soloed in the Great Lakes.
I learned that WalterC. Davis in
3
Richmond, Indiana had a Davis V-3 for
sale at a reasonable price, only $750.
Ephie Hull said if I would pay all ex-
penses, he would fly to Richmond with
me and fly the Davis back to Austin.
We picked up the Davis and decided
to fly on to Cleveland for the 1935 Na-
tional Air Races. We spent two days
there enjoying the show.
We took-off for home in poor weather.
Overcas t with a 2000 ft. ceiling. Vis-
ability was so poor we almost missed
the Gary, Ind. airport. We landed there
for gas and decided to stay overnight.
The next day was a little better. Arrived
at Decker Airport in the afternoon, tired,
but happy to have both planes home
safely.
The license for the Davis would have
to be renewed in about two months.
Fabric was OK, but the engine would
have to be majored. So I decided to fly
it a few times, then have Mike Van De
Grift work on the engine. He was a good
mechanic and did a fine job on engine
overhaul.
There were only two small hangars
on the field. One was owned by Ephie
Hull. I made arrangements with him
to park the Great Lakes on one side of
the hangar. There was room to slip the
tail of the Davis in under the wing of
the Stinson Jr. We removed the engine
and trucked it up to Mike's shop. I took
the speed-ring home to work out the
dents and patch a few cracks, then re-
paint it.
One nice Saturday morning I arrived
at the airport to get in a little Great Lakes
time. On coming around to the front
of the hangar, the sight that confronted
me made my hair stand on end, and I
broke out in a cold sweat. The right
wing of the Davis was smashed in many
pieces. How could a thing like that
happen?
I looked up Ephie and he said someone
tried to steal his Stinson the evening
before. He said they evidently started the
engine on the Stinson, intending to warm
it up there before they moved it out
for take-off . Evidently the Stinson
jumped the chocks and the prop tore
up the Davis wing. It didn't sound logi-
cal to me. Everyone I asked about it didn't
know anything. I reported the incident
to the police, but they were not much
help.
Davis informed me that he didn't have
spare parts in stock. He would have to
make up two new spars and fabricate
a set of new aluminum ribs from the
strut section out to the wing tip. Also,
he would have to build a new right
aileron. The cost was too great. I could
see that my planned school was really
shot down.
I advertised the Davis for sale or
trade, as is. The only reply was from a
man in Oklahoma, who was willing to
trade his American Eaglet for the Davis.
The Szekeley engine needed an over-
haul, otherwise it was in good shape.
He trailered the Eaglet to Austin and
The Great Lakes parked at one end of the hangar. The Davis tucked in under the Stinson Jr.'s wing.
picked up the Davis.
The American Eaglet would cost much
less to operate, which would be an ad-
vantage to the students, who could build
up their flying time at a reasonable fee .
Mike Van De Grift again did a fine job
on the overhaul of the Szekeley engine.
While all three problems "::ere being
worked out, Danny Fowlie talked Mar-
celes King into bringing his new Piper
Cub J-2 down from Minneapolis and
they set up their own school. Nearly
all the boys who had talked to me about
learning to fly, chose the bright new
yellow cub over the American Eaglet
for their flight training.
I began to do some serious thinking.
I could see that the cards were stacked
against me, and that I was not going to
get anywhere in this town. I had always
been interested in aircraft design. Maybe
I should go back to school and get into
Engineering.
I sold the Great Lakes to Clem Whiten-
beck of Joplin, Mo. I left the Eaglet in
care of Mike Van De Grift to sell for me.
My brother and I bought our first car
and headed for California.
We enrolled in the Curtiss-Wright
Technical Institute at the Grand Central
Air Terminal in Glendale. My brother
enrolled in the Mechanics Class, and
I enrolled in the Engineering School.
After completing the course in the
spring of 1937, I got a job with Lockheed
Aircraft Corperation. That is another
story. I did put in a total of thirty three
years with Lockheed in many depart-
ments. In recent years I kept my Private
License current by flying sailplanes.
Membership in the EAA Antique/Classic
Division and the AAA have enabled me
to keep in touch with the good old Air-
planes.
4
I

By Deward Peterson
74 Doe Drive
Terre Haute, Indiana
(Photo by Larry Kite)
Left to right : ONE MAN'S FAMILY: John Blouch and his 1909
Reo, 1939 & 1941 Indian 4 cylinder motorcycles, 1946 Indian
Chief, 1949 Indian Scout, and 1949 Piper Clipper.
It is virtually impossible to define a typical EAA'er,
but one common trait is a never-ending fascination for
aircraft that leads him (or her) to do things many con-
sider strange. For example, he can't resist looking up
to see the airplane he hears overhead, he'll spend
hours tramping around hot or cold airfields just look-
ing at aircraft, and he' ll commit several years of spare-
time labor to building or restoring an airplane.
Some victims of this affliction are more severely
affected than others. John Blouch (EAA 75223, A /C
1657) has a particularly bad case which has lasted over
50 years; and, is not even limited to aircraft. In the
last years he has restored all the pictured vehicles
to "showroom" condition . This frequently required
handbuilding parts that were not obtainable, and, in
some instances, improving on the original. For ex-
ample, he designed and built an electric starter and
an improved non-drag clutch for the Indian motor-
cycles. Larry Burton aptly named his award-winning
Cavalier " His Mistress", and it seems logical to think
of John's collection as "One Man's Family".
John has been a pilot for over 40 years, but has never
earned his living in aviation. His boyhood was spent
within a block of the shop in which E. A. " Gus" Riggs
buil t some of his early airplanes, before and after
World War 1. Mr. Riggs later worked as an engineer
with several aircraft companies, and eventually de-
signed the Star Cavalier (SPORT AVIATION Feb. 1975) .
John learned to fly at Paul Cox Field in 1932, taking
his training in a Curtiss-Wright Junior, but also flew
other types, such as Waco 10, Fleet 2, and Curtiss
Robin.
There really isn't anything unique about his Piper
Clipper PA 16; it's just another example of a quality
restoration of a conventional sport airplane. John
bought it in June 1970, almost 5 years after it had been
extensively damaged in a landing accident on a gravel
strip. Fortunately it had been stored indoors, so there
was no significant deterioration due to exposure to
weather. Damaged parts included both wings out-
board of the strut attachments, ailerons, landing gear,
lift struts, cowling, and prop.
In general, the rebuilt consisted of stripping and
sandblasting the fuselage framework, repairing a few
minor rusted areas, then painting with zi nc chromate
and epoxy enamel. A new instrument panel was made,
the cowling was straightened, and the prop repaired
by an approved shop. Replacement wings were ob-
tained, and the framework thoroughly cleaned and
inspected and minor repairs made in preparation for
recovering. Doors were rebuilt because of rusted-out
lower sections, new seat belts were installed, a re-
placement "landing gear was obtained and fitted, and
all new control cables and brakes were installed. The
original doped-fabric cabin liner was replaced with
thin aluminum panels covered with naugahyde to
match the upholstery. All wiring was replaced, and
new navigation and landing lights ins talled . Fuel
tanks were thoroughly tes ted, and new aluminum
fuel lines were installed in such a way that they are
either visible or easily accessible.
The engine, a Lycoming 0-235-C1 was given the
complete Blouch treatment, and he has some impressive
credentials in this department. For several years in
the 1950's he was chief mechanic for the Sumar Racing
Team on the USAC championship auto racing circuit.
His car never won the Indy 500, but he's justifiably
proud of having gone there in 1953 as a rookie chief
mechanic with a rookie driver and crew am,
in the top 100 while competing against the finest teams
in the country.
John has very strong feelings about the care and
feeding of an engine. He believes you should know as
much as possible about the condition of all parts, and
that knowledge can only be obtained by dismantling
the engine, cleaning all parts thoroughly, inspecting
and measuring everything to make sure it meets speci-
He just shakes hi s head when he hears
someone say they have acquired an engine that hadn't
been run for years, but it started easily after they in-
stalled new plugs and changed the oil, so they assume
it's all right to use in their airplane.
So this Lycoming was overhauled. The crankshaft
mains were ground .010 under and the shaft renitrited
and magnafluxed by an approved shop. New pistons,
rings, valves, valve guides and springs, bearings,
ignition harness and plugs were ins tall eq . All major
accessories - starter, carburetor, generator and mag-
netoes - were overhauled.
The repaired framework was covered with Stits
polyfiber and finished with Stits materials. All the
work was completed and N5867 H passed inspection
for relicensing on April 21, 1973, and has since pro-
vided its owner with many hours of trouble-free flying
pleasure.
A few months ago John closed the small manu-
facturing plant he had operated for many years . He's
kept busy helping members of the local EAA chapter,
antique car and motorcycle buffs, and others with their
mechanical problems. And, I'm afraid he still has the
affliction referred to earlier; at leas t he still gets a
gleam in his eye when he starts talking about look-
ing for a UPF 7 or a Fleet that needs restoration.
Cabin area before sandblasting and refurbishing.
Engine components ready for assembly.
By Peter M. Bowers, EAA 977
10458 16th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98168
Here are some details on Aeronca C-3's that are
too often the sort of things tha t get overlooked in
latter-day restorations.
The C-3 is old enough that most surviving examples
certainly went through at least one recover, or at least
a repaint job before the antique movement got under
way in the early 1950's. Up to that time, most old low-
powered airplanes were generally regarded as "Junk
Cheapies" - planes that a low-time pilot could afford
to buy and maintain long enough to build up his time,
or save his money to the point where he could buy a
"real airplane", meaning a more modern one.
Certainly, in those years between 1936, when the
last C-3 was built, and 1950, no one who was fixing
up a C-3 was giving careful attention to the accuracy
of the original finish details. The old NC registrations
were dropped in 1948; existing painted airplanes
were given a grandfather clause by the regulation
that allowed them to keep the C until recover or repaint,
whichever came sooner. What few C-3's the author
saw after that all had their registrations with N only.
In their desire for authenticity in restorations after
the antique boom really got going, the antiquers were
able to get FAA to permit use of the old NC in the old
wing and tail locations for over 30 years old, that being
the age that qualified an airplane as an antique in
the eyes of the FAA. There were plenty of exceptions
for size and location, but that doesn't con.cern this
story.
While a number of C-3's have been restored in
recent years with due consideration for authenticity,
I have noticed that all, without exception, have over-
looked a distinctively Aeronca characteristic. The ac-
companying photos show it clearly - Where the
government regulations covering the marking of
aircraft say that the registration numbers shall be
applied in block figures, the Aeronca C-2's, all the
C-3's, and even some of the later K's used freehand-
painted CURVED figures!
For those antiquers who have C-3's in the shop
and want to add this minor but authentic touch, the
photos should serve as a good guide as to style, pro-
portion, and location. The author has supplied some
restorers with enough photos to guide the job, and is
pleased to report that his suggestion for use of th e
correct marking style is being followed.
It' s probably impossible at this date to determine
just who th e talented painter at Aeronca was, but he
was certainly good! If he is still with us, I hope that
he will be pleased to see this presentation of some of
hi s original work.
__r'"
(All Photos by Peter M. Bowers)
Pete Bowers' 1931 Razorback; NC 11291, is the
oldest C-3 still known to exist. It is shown here
as a seaplane in the markings it carried when
Pete acquired it as a "junk Cheapie:' ' in 1951.
It has since been cracked up, thanks to a motor-
boat cutting in front of it during a landing, but
will be restored - with original-style lettering.
Tom Davis, and Pete traded airplanes for a return
flight from. a fly-in and air show at Sand Point
NavatAir Station in Seattle. Pete flaw-Torn's J-3
and took these pictures of Tom on his first sea-
plane solo in the C-3.
.
A good underside view of a cabin-type C-3 shows This late 1960's restoration of Cabin C-3 NC
the wing figures to be a little slimmer than those 15257 by Jack Bruer of Coos Bay, Oregon, is
on Razorback NC12406. the first to reapply the old-style curved figures.
7
Note that the free-hand curved figures are directly in line with the
Aeronca trademark on the fin of this C-3 with its original fabric.
Above: This C-3 has had a recover or at least a repaint job. The re-
placement registration figures were put on in the block style.
Below: A 1932 "Razorback" C-3 with the optional cockpit side
panels installed. The curved numbers show up clearly beneath
the wing.
The same C-3 as lower left picture, on Edo 1090 floats. Note that the
figures on the tail are in narrower proportion than those under
the wing.
Above: This later cabin model C-3 has still a different style of free-
hand figures on the rudder, this model was over-all yellow.
Below: Note the wide proportion and weighted strokes of the
NC17477 on the rudder. Photo taken in 1937.
.
Vintage
. . ~ . . Men and TIH:
- ~ -
.. ~ ~
~ ~ - - - - 2 . - - - ~ ......~ ~ . - - ~ ~ ..... (Photosb
""'W - - . ~ ~ . - -
1. Lee Parsons 1931 Waco QCF2.
2. Doc. Ed Packard's 1932Waco 1BA.
3. Dave McClure's 1932 Waco RBA.
(Side by side)
7. Gordon Bourland':
"Waco, A5
By Ra
National
2650 W. Ale
Dayton,
The NationalWacoClubwasorganizedatOttumwa,
Iowa in 1958 by a group of Waco owners from coast
to coast. The main purpose of the National Waco Club
has always been, to locate spare parts, give informa-
tion and data that would help to promote the flying
of Waco airplanes_ The entire remaining stock of spare
parts, drawings, prints, photos and sales records,
formerly owned by the Waco Aircraft Company, has
been available to all Waco owners through the Na-
tional Waco Club.
In July of 1959, the National Waco Club began the
sponsoring of an annual Waco Fly-ln. The 1963, 1964
and 1965 Waco Fly-Ins were held at the Waco Airport
alongside the Waco factory in Troy, Ohio and were
the most memorable Fly-Ins. The Waco property was
sold in 1964, and the airport closed. Since 1968, all
Waco Fly-Ins have been held at Hamilton, Ohio on
Memorial Day Weekend.
In February, 1964, the National Waco Club began
publishing the monthly newsletter "WACO PILOT",
,,-- -
Album

Vintage Machines . ., ,..
ill Thumma) _______" t::::. ___
4. Dick Jackson's Waco D (Military).
5. Bill Hogan's Waco Taperwing.
6. John Hatz's 1928 Waco 10.
Any Pilot"
'anley
co Club
,lIbrook Rd.
045459
formerly published by the Waco Aircraft Company on
a quarterly basis. It offers free advertising to all mem-
bers, became a bi-monthly publication in 1973, and is
now being mailed to more than 550 Waco owners,
restorers and admirers. Waco calendars have been
mailed annually, since 1965 to all members subscribing
to "WACO PILOT" . Should anyone desire to see his
Waco's original appearance, it usually can be located
in the National Waco Club files. Wacos, now as in
the past, are efficient transportation and are rapidly
becoming valuable show pieces and collector's items.
Any person who has ever attended a National Waco
Fly-In at Hamilton, Ohio has seen the fines t in work-
manship or craftsmanship in the restoration of these
fine aircraft.
The National Waco Club is dedicated to the preser-
vation of the most popular name among antique air-
planes today, "Waco, ask any Pilot" .
Timm

---
,..
...,
-
THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES
By Jerry Hermanek
4227 N. 64th Dr.
Phoenix, Arizona 85033
Timm Collegiate NC 279V was purchased from
Max Shears on April 23, 1975, by Keith Sheers of Glen-
dale, Ariz. The aircraft was taken to the Glendale, Ariz.
Airport and work was begun immedi ately to restore
the aircraft. Four months later the fuselage was com-
pletely renovated. The only item, other than wood
sea ts a nd fuselage s tringers needing replacement
aft er 30 years of Arizona weather, was the tai lpos t.
The fuselage and emmpenage are ready for cover.
The wing ribs are being rebuilt at the present time by
Floyd Newton, with hopes of compl eting the wing by
Spring.
Of the Collegiate Series, NC 279 is the onl y origi nal
aircraft remaining. It is powered by a Mac Clatchie
X-2 Panther engine. The engine is being majored at
the present time. When disa ssembl ed , two barrels
were found to be pitted, and it is hoped they ca n be
saved. Any information on thi s engine, parts, or an
entire engine, would be grea tl y appreciated by Mr.
Skeers.
The following about NC 279V is taken from "The
Historical Aviation Album", Vol. VIII, written by
Rev. Broadman C. Reed.
"The fifth Collegiate was completed in Dec. 1929
and delivered to J. Warren MacClatchie, whose manu-
facturing compa ny in Compton, Calif. developed an
aviati on engi ne known as the Mac Clatchie X-2 Pan-
ther. The Collegiate was li censed X 279V and became
a flying test bed for the fourth X-2 engine. This was a
7 cylinder aircooled radial of L-head design, having
no rocker arms or push rods, and developed about
150 hp. When the engine received its ATC, the Col-
legiate went to NC 279V on Jul y 11, 1930. In November
Above: The Timm Collegiate " City of Los Angeles"
with its MacClatchie X-2 engine. During endurance
testing 97 gas stops were made. Note the tents for
crew and supplies.
This Timm was an endurance record holder at one
time. It was found in Phoenix.
11
1930 this aircraft and engine established a unique
endurance record at the MacClatchie Ranch near
Rosamond Dry Lake in the Mojave Desert of Southem
Calif. The plane was named "City of Los Angeles" .
The purpose of the flight was to prove that air-
craft with low powered engines were equally reliable
as the big Whirlwinds and Wasps which powered the
record breaking flights of the era. The event was termed
a non-maintenance flight in which landings and take-
offs at four hour intervals to permit a changing of a
pilot and refueling.
Under the observation of a NAA observer, the rules
were set that at no time was the engine or plane' to
be repaired, altered, adjusted, greased or to be other-
wise maintained. Not even a spark plug could be
changed. The engine was never stopped. Three pilots
flew 4 hour shifts every 24 hours. At the end of the
tests the Panther engine was in excellent condition.
The flight s were finally terminated due to a fouled
spark plug. The tabulation was most impressive. The
engine ran continuously for 378 hours, 48 minutes.
Ninety-seven landings were made, the average time
on the ground for pilot change and refueling was 10.2
min., and the plane flew some 27,667 miles. Gasoline
consumption was 2717 gals. (approx. 7.1 gals.lhour).
and 18
1
/2 gals. of oil were used. There were eleven
oil changes accounting for 66 gals . Despite this record,
neither the Panther engine nor the Timm Collegiate
gained any fame or further interest.
A new MacClatchie Panther was installed in it
in March 1936, But NC 279V was sold to a succession
of six private owners in California between Dec. 1935
and June 1941. One month later it was damaged in a
nose-over accident at the San Mateo Airport. In March
1942 the Morris Plan Co. acquired it for $749.00, pro-
bably a repossession. The next owner was the Pres-
cott Arizona Public Schools, but they sold it too even-
tually, and by Feb. 1964 the FAA status report had
the plane stored with plans to make it operational
again in Buckeye, Arizona. Since then, all but the
wings have been moved outside, and in June 1968,
it was seriously deteriorating outside the adobe-brick
hangar at Fram Field, Phoenix, Arizona.
The Collegiate, buit by the Timm Airplane Corp.,
Glendale, Calif. is the result of years of experience
in airplane design, construction and operation. It
was designed to meet the demand for a practical,
high quality training plane. It is, however, ideal as a
sport plane.
Safety and comfort for the pilot were the first con-
siderations . Among the many other principal points
that were carefully considered are the safety factor,
durability, economy of operation and replacement
of parts, minimum work in servicing, etc.
It is designed in accordance with Army require-
ments but with a safety factor of 10 instead of the re-
quired 81/2. All of the materials are of Army specifi-
cation. Fittings and bolts are chromium plated.
The fuselage is constructed entirely of chrome
molybdenum tubing. The motor mounting is detach-
able. Removable dual controls are standard equip-
ment. The seats are well upholstered and have deep
leather covered spring cushion. New small type Pio-
neer instruments, i.e. , altimeter, tachometer, oil
pressure and oil temperature gauges, are used.
The landing gear, of the hydraulic type with divided
axels, is equipped with 30 x 5 wheels. The tread is
71/2 feet. The tail skid with its rudder shock absorber
may be removed as a unit. The skid shoe is surfaced
with "Stoodite" for long service.
The tail surfaces are constructed of chrome tubing.
The stabilizer has a large range of adjustment. ' The
elevator horns are inside of the fin. There are two in-
dependent sets of control wires and fittings to the
elevators and rudder.
The wings are in two sections and are braced
with tubular struts. The wing spars are of I s.ection
with 5-ply webs and spruce caps. The ribs are a' com-
bination truss and web construction. The two fuel
tanks are mounted in the wings. The ailerons are
usually long and narrow, are very effective, and are
easy to operate. They are constructed of plywood
and fabric.
Collegiate restoration is n9w well underway. Look
for future article on completion of this rarest of finds.
SPECIFICAnONS
SPAN ............ .. ....... .... .. .. ............. 35 FEET
LENGTH . . . .. . ... . . . . ... .. . .. . .. ... . . 24 FEET 7 INCHES
HEIGHT .... . ......... ..... ....... ..... 8 FEET 5 INCHES
WING AREA .. . . . . .. .. . .. .. . ...... ... . 236 SQUARE FEET
WEIGHT, EMPTY ..... .. .... .... .. .... . ... 1,246 POUNDS
WEIGHT, LOADED .. ...... ........ . .. . ... 1,952 POUNDS
SPEED, MAXIMUM .. .. . . . . ... ... . . 118 MILES PER HOUR
SPEED, LANDING ... . .. . . .. .... . ... 35 MILES PER HOUR
RANGE ..... .. .... . . ... .. ..... . .. .... . .. .. . .. 500 MILES
Both pictures below: NC 279V as it looked April 23, 1975 at Fram Field. The " Collegiate" had been
sitting here since the mid-forties. Keith Skeers, the owner, and Lyle Alexander look the old bird over.
1"

I bought my F22 from Harold Scheck of Paramus,
New Jersey in July 1966. It was a basket case. I almost
bought a F22 in Michigan about 3 years before, but
got a Waco UPF 7 instead. When I sold the Waco, I
kicked myself for a long time, so had to get another
open cockpit again and decided on an F22. I also own
a Fairchild 24 W which I have had for 18 years - now
I have the right combination for summer and winter
flying.
As I said, the F22 was a basket case - all I had was
a basic fuselage frame on a landing gear. The wings
were both broken. I had to make the wings brand new.
The original metal hardware was usable.
On the fuselage, I had to make all new formers ,
stringers and new sheet metal cowling and instru-
ment panel. I had a new aluminum gas tank made
from the original drawing. I then removed the cable
brake system and installed hydraulic brake system,
same as in the Fairchild 24 and it works beautifully.
I was afraid of the cable system as I found that if a
cable loosened, there was a reverse action on the brake
cam causing the brake to lock which would have been
dangerous on landing.
I had to make all new cabane strut and wing struts.
I had to repair the woodwork on the vertical fin and
repaired the rudder but, the horizontal stabilize and
elevator were in good shape. I picked up a damaged
set of F24 wheel pants for $15.00 and repaired them
and made a bracket to fit the F22. A friend of mine,
Dick Layton, is a sheet metal man, and he repaired my
ailerons. When I finally got everything fixed and re-
paired, I assembled the whole aircraft to rig it. Then
came the job of disassembly to start the covering job.
I used ceconite. In my process I used super seam
cement for cementing to the frame, then I applied
eight coats of clear nitrate dope, 8 coats of silver ni-
trate dope, two coats of butyrate dope, then sanded
for a smooth finish, then applied one coat of DuPont
sealer, 4 coats of enamel. The color was black and
red with white stripes, original color and design.

Finally it was finished! I was to truck it to Cran-
land Airport in Hanson, Mass. on Labor Day weekend
in 1975. Wouldn't you know it rained cats and dogs
that day. We almost called it off, but decided to go
ahead and load it, and away we went. A good friend
of mine donated the tractor and trailer for the trip.
r Qlust say these truck drivers and riggers certainly
of know their business - they did a great job loading
Joe Iacobucci and unloading and never got a scratch on the plane.
19 Independance Avenue r had so much help from friends who volunteered
Quincy, Mass. 02169 to help, I'll be six months giving rides to all of them.
13
It took 9 years to restore this aircraft and I certainly
had my ups and downs whil e this was going on . I ac-
quired my A&P li cense, goi ng to school two nights a
week. I also ran my auto repair and gas stati on busi-
ness. I worked on the plane in between jobs, and nights.
I' ve never done so much corresponding over any-
thing as I' ve done on this plane. FAA in New York
sent me copi es of 80 original drawings. I also wrote to
Glenn L. Mill er in Missouri , who was nice enough to
send me an original bl ue print of the wings. I have a
whole file cabinet full of letters and bills. I have no
actual idea of how many hours of labor I have in it.
Onl y someone who has done res toring, no ma tter
what it is, can unders tand how much labor of love
ca n be put into anyone res toration. If I' d known I
was to put 9 years and about $7000 into it, I may never
have started it. One thing I have to say is I must thank
my friends and customers, who would stop in to see
how I was doi ng, and who would lend a hand when I
needed it, they wanted to see this plane fl y.
Finally, the FAA Inspector came down and inspected
- he really gave it a good going over. He Signed it
off as airworthy. My fr iend Pete Anis, who runs the
airport, reli censed it and supervised me as I went
along. Then came the day of the first flight . I flew it
Above: Note the beautiful cockpit de-
tail, instrument panel, windshield, and
large entry door, etc.
Lower right : Shortly after the first run-
Above: Wing all rigged pulling cowl
up, a newspaper reporter saw it in my
on tp see what it looks like.
shop and I had to pull it out for him to
about Ph hours with my friend Jack Mull in. To my
surprise, we never had to change the rigging a bi t -
it flew hands off controls firs t flight.
I'm really pleased wi th F22 - it is a very fine fly-
ing machine. As I look back now at all the work, I say
it was well worth it.
take pictures - made front page of local
newspaper.
Below: First take-off at Granland Air-
port, Hanson, Mass.
Parasol-wing "States" suitable for training or sport.
By Robert Noyes
20 Hedge Court
Champaign, Illinois 61820
None of the young, and very few of the old antique
aircraft buffs, ever heard of the States B-3. Approxi-
mately 10 or 11 of these aircrafts were built in Chicago
Heights, Illinois in the years 1928 to 1932.
The States was one of many open, two place sports-
trainer type aircraft, produced in the late 20's and early
30's. The majority of these were biplanes powered by
the liquid cooled OX5, or one of the early radial en-
gines. The States, however , was a parasol design
using the 5 cylinder air-cooled Kinner K5 radial en-
gine. Each configuration had its advantages, with the
parasol gaining some popularity due to its good visi-
bility, good inherent stability, and excellent stall-
spin recovery characteristics. Special consideration
was given to the stall-spin traits of this bird from the
drawing board clear through the testing program by
the designer Fred H. Jolly, to enhance its utility as a
sports-trainer.
The B-3 was of standard construction for that
period, using welded 1025 steel tubing for the fuselage
and tail , with wings of solid spruce beam spars carry-
ing truss type spruce and plywood ribs. Narrow ailer-
ons of the Friese type spanned almost the full length
of the wing, giving the aircraft an excellent roll rate.
The fuselage was exceptionally deep, providing roomy,
well protected tandem cockpits. The front cockpit had
a large access door on the left side, and access to the
rear cockpit was facilitated by a step on the side of
the fuselage and a large cut-out in the center of the
trailing edge of the wing.
An 84" tread, wide stance, rugged landing gear
fitted with Goodyear "air wheels", and oleo shock
Struts, smoothed many rough sod strips and even
rougher landings. This gear was sturdy enough to
survive a mild group loop. Not being equipped with
brakes, this maneuver was sometimes ca ll ed upon
to terminate a landing roll short of the fence . This
technique could prove to be harder on one's laundry
than his airplane, fortunately.
In the early 1940's, I came across one of these fine
airplane for sale at the old airport at Danville, Illinois .
The deal was made, and the former owner agreed to
fly it the 40 miles or so to Tuscola, Illinois, where it
was to be based. During this flight I "checked out"
and followed through on the landing and was on my
States
Editor's Note: By way of preface, the fol-
lowing is reprinted from the Civil Aircraft
Register. At least one example of the B-4 was
built in modest quarters just outside of Chi-
cago in the corner of a rented building, shortly
after States Aircraft decided to vacate this
area and try for greener pastures that were
beckoning down in Texas . The company
moved and located in Center, Tex. during
July-August 1933 in a 100 x 200 ft. steel build-
ing on the edge of the city's new airport. In
October of 1933, the company was awarded
a Dept. of Commerce certificate as an Ap-
proved Repair Station, and this eventually
became the bulk of their business. Bud
Downs, Adam Bialorski, and Jos. Isvolt came
down from Chicago with the company with
Leo Childs and Frasaer Baggett, both Texas
men, joining the firm on its location in Cen-
ter. J. B. Sanders, owner of the airport land,
own there and then. "Remember" he admonished,
"it handles like a big heavy J-3, that's all there is to it" .
At that time all my time was J-3 and T-Craft, and I
found his statement to be very accurate, for it had
not one bad habit. From the beginning of our rela-
tionship, I felt that I had found a kindred soul, not
a tricky, squirrely, unforgiving antagonist just wait-
ing for a moment of inattention or indecision to do me
in. This couldn't be said for some aircraft of the period.
The maintenance philosophy in those says was
"When it will no longer work, then fix it or find a
way to fly without it" . The magnetos had been allowed
to deteriorate to the point that had propping (your
only starter) became a real athletic event with ele-
ments of Russian roulette thrown in. An ignition booster
was built from materials at hand for starting purposes .
A 6 volt "hot shot" battery driving a Model T Ford in-
duction coil, and switched from the cockpit was in-
stalled. The high voltage from the coil went to the dis-
tributor section of the left magneto, giving good hot
igniton on one system. The poor guy out front wind-
ing the rubber band needed all the help he could get,
so the cobbled up booster was indeed welcome.
A spring loaded van type airspeed indicator was
mounted in the airstream, wide of the prop wash
15
Parasol
was the firm's general manager. Sketchy
records seem to indicate that up to 10 air-
planes were built at this new facility, but it
is doubtful if all these were the "States"
monoplane. Among some of the more notable
jobs done by States at Center, Tex. was re-
pair to the 1931 winner of the endurance
flight record, not otherwise identified it is
believed to be the Packard-powered " Bellan-
ca" . All 6of the above-mentioned men worked
at various duties in the factory or the repair
shop, and it appears that Leo Childs acted
somewhat in the engineering capacity; Leo
Childs previously had his own operation at
Galveston, Tex . After reasonable success
with the combined manufacturing repair
business, States Aircraft closed its doors in
1937 for reasons unknown; what took place
beyond that time is also unknown. We do
know that " type certificates" were still ac-
tive for the "States" monoplane into 1939.
on the right strut. It was not truly redundant be-
cause the airspeed indicator in the cockpit worked
with very little enthusiasm mostofthe time.
Some previous owner had installed a ground
adjustable Hamilton metal propeller designed for
the higher horsepower Kinner B-5. This meant that
the diameter was several inches longer than standard,
sotakeoffsandlandingsweremadewi th thetail some-
whatlower than normal. There was always some grass
stainon the tips, even with this technique.
The Kinner engine was notoriously thin skinned,
and would cool out very quickly on approach, so you
had to carry some power to keep it ready to go. The
Kinner had s tub exhaust s tacks on each cylinder,
so when peering over either side, you only heard the
cylinders on that side. The sound was not unlike
thatofcement mixers of that day, and could be a little
unsettling until oneadjusted to it.
This engine at cruise worked at 1725 to 1750 rpm,
so you could almost count the blades, divide by 2 and
check the tack. It was along stroke engine with a com-
pression ratio of only 5 to 1 and used 73 octane fuel,
at the rate of 6.5 gph at 75% power. One of the Kin-
ner's weak points was an external oil line carrying
high pressure oil to the front main bearing, and the
" States" model B-3; note novel cowl around Kinner K5 engine.
main thrust bearing. This line had to be removed
andannealed to eliminate embrittlement andbreakage,
aboutevery 25 to 50 hours.
This line broke once, at a most inopportune time,
that being the first flight I ever gave my new bride.
When this happened, it was amazing how quickly the
2
1
/2 gallon oil supply disappeared, andequally amazing
how an airplane, and occupants, could become such
an oily mess in thatsameshorttime.
Below are some specifications and performance
figureson the States B-3:
OVERALL LENGTH......... .... ............22 FT.
OVERALL HEIGHT .................... 7FT. 10 IN.
WING SPAN ............................... 32 FT.
WING CHORD ............................. 72 IN.
TOTAL WING AREA .................. 180 SQ. FT.
AIR FOIL ............................... CLARK Y
EMPTY WEIGHT ........................ 1083 LBS.
USEFUL LOAD........................... 552 LBS.
FUEL CAPACITy ........................ 24 GALS.
MAXIMUM SPEED....................... 108 MPH
CRUISE SPEED ...........................90 MPH
LANDING SPEED ...................... 38-40 MPH
RATE OF CLIMB . ........ .... ............ 750 FPM
CRUISE RANGE ........................... 325 MI.
PRICE AT FACTORy ...................... $3645.00
In general, it can be said that the States was a real
fun bird to fly, particularly if you were not in a big
hurry to get somewhere. During the time I owned
NC12043, the ratio of hours worked to hours flown,
became progressively worse, due to scarcity of parts,
funds and maintenanceknow-how.
Nostalgia being whatit is, I have many fond mem-
ories of this fine old bird, and most of the negative
aspects growdimwith time. As I thinkback to owning
and flying thi s plane, I am convinced that personal
flying would not be where it is without the develop-
ment of both the small opposed cylinder flat engines
with their long life, economy and reliability, and the
low maintenance, efficient modern aircraft to go with
them. Themodern mass producedairplanes, however,
seem to lack the soul, the personality and the
character of the old "one-at-a-time" handbuilt pride
ofcraftmanshipbirdsoftheStatesera,trulythe"Golden
Age ofFlying".
Editor' s Note: The FAA aircraft registrations show
nothing listed for the States. Anyone having knowl-
edge of one please write it up for us.
16
a rare face
Having a soft spot for beautiful, rare old biplanes,
I was quite pleased to get an invitation to visit Marion
and Dave McClure. Marion owns a Wiley Post bi-
plane powered by a model A Ford engine. In spite
of the urging of local fans to see the Post in the air,
Marion kept it on the ground and spotless until I ar-
rived with mycamera. Anaddedattraction wasbrother
Dave's 1932 WACO RBA. This is a side by side sport
model with a Warner engine. The color is basically
red. I mentioned to Dave that it would be nice to fly
along side the Wiley Post to getan air to air shot. The
WACO was off and climbing.
Marion has given me a little history of the Wiley
Post which I will pass along. A gentleman named
ByBill Thumma
1314 Dulee Drive
Elwood, Indiana 46036
Ross Holmes built a Ford powered parasol monoplane
in 1930 at Marshall, Oklahoma. Ross worked for a
Ford dealer named Straughan, who backed him. The
first planes were called Straughans. After bankruptcy,
they became Wiley Post biplanes. NC13961 (pictured)
was serial number12and was restored in 1962 byJohn
Bouteller of Tulsa. Marion also owns Wiley Post serial
number 10 (built in Dec. 1936) which is being rebuilt
for son Barry. The color of No. 12 is a very pleasing
silver and blue.
I wish to thank both Marion and Dave for their
cooperation and hospitality - a couple of dedicated
men of theantique airplane world.
Marion McClure's Wiley Post biplane
poweredbya modelA Fordengine.
Above: A super light with beautifully
simplelines characteristic ofits ilk.
A simple, neat,nestfortwowitha built-
in comfyheater.(Radiator)
17
Whistling In The Rigging
By Tom Poberezny
It is very interesting to read and review the nu-
merous aviation publications, periodicals and tabloids
that arrive at EAA Headquarters. Numerous opinions
are expressed as to what's right and what's wrong
with aviation. The backgrounds and areas of interest
of those expressing opinions varies greatly.
According to many, the number "One" problem
with aviation is the FAA. The FAA is the biggest and
easiest to blame for all our woes and problems. Be-
cause FAA makes all the rules and has the respon-
sibility to enforce them, everyone finds they make it
easy to " pass the buck".
Please ... don't interpret this as a defense of all
of FAA's policies, regulations, programs, budget
and personnel. There are many things done by this
regulatory agency that I disagree with, both from a
business standpoint and from the viewpoint of pro-
moting and furthering aviation, which is also one of
their res ponsibili ties. But, lets not blame FAA for
everything. We the aircraft owners, users, mechanics,
FBO's etc. also must shoulder responsibility for pro-
blems that exist.
Many of us tend to be too complacent rather than
doing anything. It's easy to talk and complain about
this and that, but the true test is whether or not we
as individuals or an organization do something about
them. I would like to mention a couple of cases in
point.
Recently, EAA Headquarters received a notice
regarding safety recommendations the National
Transportation Safety Board made to the Federal
Aviation Administration regarding aerobatic safety.
(For further details, see Headquarters Comment,
page 10, in the October issue of SPORT AVIA TlON.)
Upon receipt of this information, EAA Headquarters
immediately contacted the NTSB and FAA in order
to schedule a meeting so that our recommendations
on this report could be heard.
On September 20th, Headquarters representative
Mike Heuer, along with lAC officers Verne Jobst and
Bob Heuer and Washington Representative, Dave
Scott, went to Washington to meet with NTSB Chair-
man Webster Todd. From Mr. Todd's office, this
group visited FAA Headquarters to meet with repre-
sentatives from Flight Standards and various other
departments. As a result of these meetings, EAA
and lAC will be providing valuable input on this sub-
ject.
Participation such as this allows your Headquar-
ters staff to further develop their working rapport
with FAA and now with NTSB. This is important,
for much more can be accomplished by working with
each other rather than against each other, or by not
working at all!
A recent issue of one of the aviation tabloids had
an editorial about what it termed "The N-Number
Controversy." As many of you know, EAA petitioned
the FAA a number of years ago for smaller N-Numbers.
As of yet, nothing has really transpired.
A portion of the editorial went like this: "EAA
wants just the little numbers on the tail. FAA says
no, little numbers on the tail and big numbers under
the wing. Probably most owners of factory aircraft
don't give a damn - except that any change will even-
tually force them to get up the money for a new paint
job."
I sure hope that most aircraft owners don't feel
the way this editor feels regarding aircraft appearance
and pride in ownership. EAA doesn' t advocate an
N-number change and a simultaneous change in the
aircraft paint scheme. The change can appear on the
new aircraft as they come off the line or at such time
that they are due a new paint job. If a new regulation
was passed, we can certainly live with N-numbers
in either configuration during the transition period.
They don't have to be changed at once.
Most of us take great pride in aircraft ownership.
Great care is put into maintaining our aircraft, both
mechanically and aesthetically. Large numbers on
the side of the fuselage destroys this beauty. How
would your brand new 1977 automobile look with the
license number in 12 inch letters on the door! I hope
that complacency does not replace this pride.
Many times the problems we face seem insur-
mountable. Enough so that sometimes we feel "what's
the use, I'm just one person and there is nothing I
can do." Let's never take that attitude. Granted, it's
easier said than done, but be assured your Head-
quarters staff will continue to work with all organi-
zations, commissions and government toward the
betterment and promotion of aviation.
Editor 's Note : A meeting of your Board of
Directors was held at headquarters last week-
end. The main item of business was a discus-
sion on how to get the membership to take
seriously our plea for new members. The one
for one approach could be so easy! Are we all
too preoccupied to have time enough to re-
cruit only one new member. If you would like
the VINTAGE AIRPLANE to succeed it is urgent
that you use the membership blanks that we
are enclosing in each issue and get at least
one new member!
AI Kelch
18