STRAIGHT AND LEVEL

By Bob Lickteig
Why Oshkosh?
Everyone in the aviation community is talk-
ing about EAA Oshkosh '85. The record
number of aircraft - the early closing of the
field to transient aircraft (rain. prior to the
convention. left some parking areas soggy
and resulted in some delays in moving the
aircraft off the taxiways - our volunteers
are to be commended for their excellent
handling of this situation) - the wonderful
record crowds of aviation enthusiasts and
supporters - the campgrounds filled nearly
to capacity - the lines of autos filled with
convention bound enthusiasts - the thou-
sands of aircraft operations handled with
great efficiency by the dedicated FAA tower
staff - and. of course. the excellent weath-
er.
With the dismal state of the general avia-
tion industry. from student starts to new air-
craft sales. the success of the EAA conven-
tion has astounded the experts. No one will
argue against success. but argue we will
over why. Having been part of and witnes-
sing the growth over the past fifteen years.
it is my opinion that the EAA convention
means different things to different people.
EAA and the Annual Convention all started
over thirty-three years ago. That first conven-
tion was attended by a great number of
homebuilders - people who wanted to build
and fly their own aircraft - antiquers who
loved to work with their hand and mind to
preserve both their aircraft and history - the
warbird owners who preserve the "heavy
iron" - and. of course. our aerobatic friends
and neighbors. For most homebuilders.
building their own airplane was an econom-
ical necessity. This segment of our member-
ship still works in their homes and garages
for two to five years - or more - to com-
plete their aircraft. having one important goal
in mind - to fly it and show it at the Annual
EAA Convention. Here. the results of years
of toil can be proudly displayed.
The campgrounds. capable of accom-
modating some 40.000 people. represent
the family interest. and to these people it is
an annual vacation spent with hundreds of
new friends made each year. Camping in
the heart of 15.000 aircraft - with educa-
tional exhibits. entertainment for all ages.
and the excitement that can only be gener-
ated by aviation. has its own fulfilling re-
wards.
The establishment of EAA Divisions brings
another meaning to the EAA convention.
The EAA Antique/Classic Division. is the
segment of aviation which shares the love of
older aircraft. and the nostalgia of the golden
years of aviation. These airplanes represent
an extremely important group at our conven-
tion . with members proudly displaying their
antique and classic restorations that in most
cases required years of owner labor or thou-
sands of dollars of professional work. This
segment of aviation has a great following
with the public who can readily relate to the
era of the antique and classic aircraft and
the part they played in the history of aviation.
The EAA Warbirds of America with their
WWII aircraft bring yet another of our seg-
ments to the convention. WWII aircraft. from
the trainers to operational combat planes.
are remembered by all adults. Seeing them
displayed and flown brings back memories
and a reminder of the important part these
machines and their gallant pilots played in
defending the U.S. against those whose aim
was to conquer the world. Warbird owners
restore these machines to flying condition
and are proud to display them and to be a
part of the EAA Oshkosh experience.
Many have dreamed and read about a
helicopter in every garage. We know that
this dream has not yet materialized. How-
ever. the rotorcraft of various configurations
are annually improved and provide another
area of interesting flying demonstrations for
members and the visiting general public.
The newest addition to the EAA family is
the ultralight movement. This started with
interest in the hang gliding movement. begin-
ning all the way back with lilienthal . and is
now evolving. again. into the light plane seg-
ment of aviation . . an el,lolution that is
reminiscent of the early days of aviation.
Public interest in observing the latest ad-
vancements and operational use of aviation
generates the interest that brings many man-
ufacturers and suppliers to the convention.
In fact. the public interest has. unofficially as
of this writing. brought an estimated $50 mil-
lion into the coffers of the state of Wisconsin
during the EAA Convention. This is a tribute
to aviation.
To cap off EAA Oshkosh as the world's
largest aviation event and convention. how
about our annual ocean of aluminum? These
are the transient aircraft. from Cessna 150s
to jets. which annually fill our aircraft parking
areas. These members and aviation enthusi-
asts have interest in all areas ranging from
ultralights to warbirds and they all enjoy the
continual excitement of aviation and the EAA
Oshkosh Convention.
Lest we forget our overseas visitors. we
are reminded that several thousand came
from some sixty different countries. As our
vintage aircraft friends from Austral ia said.
''The Fly Market was worth the trip alone."
The EAA Antique/Classic Chapter 12 from
Argentina planned a short trip of the USA
after they digested Oshkosh. The same is
true of our friends from Brazil . Mexico. Aus-
tralia and other countries. The convention
theme, "The World of Flight", says it al l.
We must not overlook our commercial vis-
itors who stand in line to secure space each
year. They are another segment of aviation
and of the EAA convention. They not only
bring the latest in aviation equipment and
supplies. but they also expose aviation to
the general public who visits Oshkosh. This
brings us to the spectators (of whom 10,231
joined EAA during the 1985 Convention) .
Whether or not they join EAA, they contribute
to aviation financially by being a part of our
convention . They come to see thousands of
aircraft displayed and also to enjoy the
largest and best in professional air show
acts any place in the world. As an example,
this year. they witnessed everything from
the display and flight of a 1912 Curtiss
Pusher to the supersonic British Airways
Concorde - this could only happen at Osh-
kosh.
One common interest of all EAA members
is the competition for the prestigious awards
presented by the various divisions' judging
committees. Award winners at Oshkosh jus-
tifiably know that they have the best.
So, I am back where I started - Why
Oshkosh? - maybe we could sum it up by
calling it the pilgrimage to Mecca - spelled
O-S-H-K-O-S-H. There you have it. one
man's opinion - welcome aboard - join us
and you have it all.
2 SEPTEMBER 1985
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER
Paul H. Poberezny
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
TomPoberezny
DIRECTOR.
MARKETING &COMMUNICATIONS
Dick Matt
EDITOR
GeneR. Chase
CREATIVE ART DIRECTOR
MikeDrucks
MANAGING EDITOR/ADVERTISING
MaryJones
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Norman Petersen
FEATURE WRITERS
GeorgeA. Hardie, Jr.
Dennis Parks
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President Vice President
R.J.Lickteig M.C. "Kelly" Viets
1620BayOaksDrive RI. 2,Box 28
AlbertLea,MN56007 Lyndon, KS 66451
507/373-2922
Secretary Treasurer
RonaldFritz E.E."Buck"Hilbert
15401 SpartaAvenue P.O. Box 145
KentCity,MI49330 Union,IL60180
616/678-5012 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
JohnS.Copeland StanGomoll
9JoanneDrive 104290thLane,NE
Westborough,MA01581 Minneapolis,MN55434
617/366-7245 612/784-1172
DaleA.Gustafson EspieM.Joyce,Jr.
7724ShadyHillDrive Box468
Indianapolis,IN46274 Madison,NC27025
317/293-4430 919/427-0216
MortonW. Lester ArthurR.Morgan
P.O. Box3747 3744North51stBlvd.
Martinsville,VA24112 Mi lwaukee,WI 53216
703/632-4839 414/442-3631
DanielNeuman RayOlcott
1521 BerneCircleW. 1500KingsWay
Minneapolis,MN55421 Nokomis,FL33555
612/571-0893 813/485-8139
GeneMorris JohnR. Turgyan
15CSteveCourt,R.R.2 Box229,R.F.D.2
Roanoke,TX76262 Wrightstown,NJ08562
817/491-9110 6091758-2910
S.J. Wittman GeorgeS. York
Box 2672 181 SlobodaAve.
Oshkosh, WI 54903 Mansfield,OH44906
414/235-1265 419/529-4378
ADVISORS
TimothyV. Bowers PhillipCoulson
729 - 2nd SI. 28415 Springbrook Dr.
Woodland,CA95695 Lawton, MI 49065
916/666-1875 616/624-6490
S.H. "Wes" Schmid W. S. "Jerry"Wallin
2359 LefeberAvenue 29804 - 179 PI. SE
Wauwatosa,WI 53213 Kent, WA98031
414/771-1545 206/631-9644
SEPTEMBER 1985 Vol. 13, No.9
Copyright 1985by the EAA Antiquel Classic Division, Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
2 StraightandLevel
byBobLickteig
4 AlCNews
byGeneChase
5 Vintageliterature
byDennisParks
6 RestorationofaLuscombeSA Page 6
byJimZazas
10 SalvaginganAirwaysBeacon
byDonnaBenedict
13 MysteryPlane
byGeorgeA. Hardie,Jr.
13 LetterstotheEditor
14 TheFuller-HammondFH-1
"SuperTwin"
byPhilMichmerhuizen
16 TypeClubsandother
Page 14
AviationOrganizations
18 14thWestCoastRyanReunion
byBillHodges
22 Women'sClassAPacificDerby
byH. GlennBuffington
25 VintageSeaplanes
26 MyFirstFlighttoOshkosh
byRobertR.Black
27 CalendarofEvents
28 VintageTrader
FRONTCOVER...1946Luscombe8A,NC45504,SIN 2031,restored
lastyearbyownersJimand Karen Zazas(EAA150698, AlC5416) of
Carthage,NC.See storyon page 6. (Photo by Jim Zazas)
BACK COVER ... Painting by aviation artist John Amendola (EAA
112642)16018S.E.31stStreet,Bellevue,WA98008ofGladysO'Don-
nell's Wright J6-7 powered Waco Taperwing, NC21M. See story on
page 22.
ThewordsEAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLYWITHTHEFIRSTTEAM,SPORTAVIATION,andthelogosofEXPERIMENTAL
AIRCRAFTASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNATIONALCONVENTION,EAA ANTIQUEICLASSIC DIVISION INC. ,
INTERNATIONALAEROBATIC CLUB INC.,WARBIRDS OFAMERICA INC., are registered trademarks. THE EAA
SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are
trademarks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above associations is strictly
prohibited.
Editorial Policy: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in articles
are soley those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reporting rests entirely with the contributor. Material
should be sent to:Gene R. Chase, Editor,The VINTAGE AIRPLANE,Willman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086.
Phone: 414/426-4800.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by EAA Antiquel Classic Division,
Inc. ofthe Experimental AircraftAssociation,Inc. and ispublished monthlyatWillmanAirfield, Oshkosh,WI 54903-
3086. Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and additional mailing offices. Membership rates for
EAA Antiquel Classic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for current EAA members for 12 month period of which $12:00 is
for the publicatior> ofThe VINTAGE AIRPLANE.Membership is open to all whoare interested in aviation.
ADVERTISING- Antiquel Classic Divisiondoesnotguaranteeorendorseanyproductofferedthroughouradvertis-
ing. Weinviteconstructivecriticism and welcomeanyreportofinferiormerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertising
so that corrective measures can be taken.
Postmaster:SendaddresschangestoEAAAntiquel ClassicDivision,Inc.,WillmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI54903-3086.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE3
Compiled by Gene Chase
STINSON SR-5E PROJECT REPORT
The Oregon Antique and ClassicAir-
craft Club is restoring a 1935 Stinson
SR-5E Reliant at the facilities of Lane
CommunityCollege.At the closeofthe
1984-85school yearthe massive fuse-
lageframe,alongwiththelandinggear,
tail surfaces,flaps,aileronsand numer-
ous small metal parts were ready for
sandblasting.
Itwashopedtheblastingand pri ming
would be completedduringthesummer
so that in the fall the students in the
ACT class can ready the parts forcov-
ering.The group isfunding the project
through contributionsand adonationof
$25 or more will bring the donoranice
T-shirtexpressingsupportoftheSR-5E
restoration project.
The project is being supervised by
Tim Talen (EAA 8615, NC 1616). To
contactthe group,write orphone: Ore-
gon Antique and Classic Aircraft Club,
P. O. Box 613, Creswell , OR 97426.
Telephone 503/746-6572 or 942-0663.
WAYS AND MEANS PROJECT
A recipe for "Funnel Cake" might
seem like astrange subject to cover in
this magazine, but it really is not. The
following fund raising project was pre-
sented by Anne Fennimore (EAA
133619, NC 4460) of Succasunna,
New Jersey, editor of "Runway 7" the
newsletter of Antique/Classic Chapter
7.In theJune,1985issueofthis excel-
lent newslettershe wrote:
"Nowthatthefly-in season iswellun-
derway, many chapters and organiza-
tions are looking for means to support
their events. Ihave been to many out-
door affairs and found that "Funnel
Cakes" go over GREAT! They are so
easy to make and are areal treat. The
following recipe was published recently
in the local paper in the "Heloise" col -
umn:
"You'll need two eggs, one and one
halfcups milk,twocups plainflour, one
teaspoon baking powder and one half
teaspoon salt - also powdered sugar
to sprinkle on the top aftercooking.
"Adeepfryerwillworkbest,butaskil-
let can be used. Be careful to not use
too much oil. Have the oil very hot,but
don'tburn it.
"Of course you will need a funnel.
(Holdafingerovertheholeofthefunnel
while filling with batter.) After the oil is
heated, hold the funnel overthe oil, re-
move finger and move funnel over the
oil in acircularcrisscrossmotionasthe
batter is poured into the hotoil.
"They rise pretty fast and get quite
large,sobecarefulnottopourtoomuch
batterat onetime.If using askilletyou
may be able to make only one or two
cakes at atime.
"Afterthecakes are cookedto alight
golden brown, remove from oil and
drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with
powdered sugar.
"Eatwhile still warm - theyaredeli-
cious.
"Fly-inchairman,thiscouldbethedif-
ference between losing money and
breaking even.Why not try it!!
"P.S. The article didn't state how
manycakes the above recipe makes. "
Editor's Note: That old bugaboo, prod-
uct liability, can't be ignored. When seI-
ling "Funnel Cakes" at a fly-in, be sure
to use fresh cooking oil and ultra-clean
cooking facilities. And last, but not least,
notify the insurance carrier to be sure
such an activity is covered at your
event. ..G.R.C.
NEW MEMBERS HIGHLIGHTED
The October1985issueof THE VIN-
TAGE AIRPLANE will feature a listing
of all the new members who join the
Antique/Classic Division during Osh-
kosh '85. Watch for it!
ELECTION RESULTS
The following results of the election
of officers and directors were an-
nounced at the Annual Business Meet-
ing of the Antique/Classic Division on
August2,1985atOshkosh,Wisconsin:
M.C. "Kelly" Viets was elected Vice-
President, replacing Roy Redman who
chosenottoseekre-election.Allincum-
bents on the ballot were re-elected,in-
cluding Treasurer, E.E. "Buck" Hilbert
and the following Directors: John S.
"Jack"Copeland,Stan Gomoll ,Dale A.
Gustafson,Daniel F. NeumanandJohn
Turgyan.
MACH 2TO OSHKOSH
"Mach 2 to Oshkosh" is now being
produced for distribution starting in
November. Fifty-five minutes inlength,
this documentary video will cover the
historicalflightoftheConcorde, itssys-
tems and technologies plus the EAA
Convention.Watch forannouncements
of details in all EAA publications.
TEXAS HOSPITALITYOFFERED
John and Glenna Bowden (EAA
201353, NC 8416)ofLampasas,Texas
extend an invitation to EAAers depart-
ing the 21st Annual Kerrville Fly-In on
Sunday,September 15 to stop at their
strip for hamburgers at 1:00 p.m. The
Bowden's Deer Pasture Airfield is 10-
cated about 100 miles northeast of
Kerrville,16milesfrom LampasasVOR
on the 190 degree radial, on the San
Antonio Sectional.
The sod runway is 2,000 ft. x 75 ft .,
elevation 1,422ft .and autofuel isavai l-
able. The hosts' phone number is 512/
556-6873.
OSHKOSH '85 AWARD WINNERS
Followingis apartiallistingoftheAn-
tique/Classic Division award winnersof
the 1985 EAA Convention, July 26
through August 2at Oshkosh,Wiscon-
sin.
ANTIQUES
Grand Champion: 1930 Savoia Mar-
chetti S.56Amphibian, NC149M.R.W.
"Buzz"Kaplan,Owatonna,MN.
Reserve Grand Champion: 1931
Waco QCF-2, NC11468. James C.
Warren,Denver,CO.
Contemporary Age Champion: 1941
Timm "Aerocraft'''' 2SA, NC34912.
Yvonne Schildberg,Greenfield,IA.
Silver Age Champion: 1937 Porter-
field 35-70, NC17037. Ken Williams,
Portage, WI.
Customized Champion: 1940 Waco
SRE, NC247E. Red Lerille, Lafayette,
LA.
WW" MilitaryTrainer/LiaisonCham-
pion: 1943 PT-19B Fairchild, N51939.
William L. Mitchell ,Condorsport,PA.
Transport Champion: 1935 DeHavil-
land DH-90 "Dragonfly", N190DH.
CharlesA.Osborne,Jr. ,Louisville,KY.
ReplicaChampion:GeeBeeY"Super
Sportster", NR718L. Ken Flaglor,North-
brook, IL.
CLASSICS
Grand Champion: 1953 Cessna 195,
N4477C,RaybourneThompson, Hous-
ton, TX.
Reserve Grand Champion: 1947
Aeronca 11BC "SuperChief",N3923E.
Becky A. Hart, New Hope,MN.
ClassI(0-80 hp) :1946 Luscombe 8A,
NC1405K. Randy Patterson, Roscom-
mon,MI.
Class" (81-150 hp) : 1947 Call Air,
N2901V. LeeO. Gensrich,Hatton,NO.
Class '" (151 hp and up) : 1950
Beechcraft Model B "Bonanza",
N5186C. Don and Georgene
McDonough,Palos Hills,IL.
Custom ClassA (0-80 hp) :1946 Lus-
combe 8A, N45849. Gary C. Rudolph,
Vincennes,IN.
Custom Class B (81-150 hp) : 1946
Piper PA-12 "Super Cruiser", N7634H.
Jim Hudgin,Brentwood,TN.
Custom Class C (151 hp and up):
1947 Stinson 108-2, N400C.Tom and
Lorraine Zedaker,Las Vegas, NV.
Acompletelistingofwinnerswill ap-
pear in the October,1985 issue ofTHE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
4 SEPTEMBER 1985

by Dennis Parks
International Conference on Aerial
Navigation - Chicago, 1893, Pro-
ceedings -
The 1890s in America saw a great
increase in interest in the scientific
study of flight. One of the significant de-
velopments was the Chicago confer-
ence of August 1-4, 1893. Octave Cha-
nute and Albert Zahm conceived of an
international conference on aerial navi-
gation similar to the one held as part of
the French Exposition in Paris in 1889
- the proposed one to be an auxiliary
of the World's Columbian Exposition of
1893.
Octave Chanute had yet to build any
of his gliders and his Progress in Flying
Machines had yet to be published in
book form . Dr. Albert Zahm was from
Notre Dame University. He earned his
Ph.D. in physics from Johns Hopkins in
1898 with a dissertation related to the
physics of flight. A great thinker on
aeronautics, he would write over 20 ar-
ticles by 1910. Both Chanute, an en-
gineer, and Zahm a scientist were rep-
resentative of the caliber of people tak-
ing an interest in flight at the end of the
19th century.
They felt that aerial navigation, which
had hitherto been left mainly to imagina-
tive inventors, had been attracting the
attention of scientists and engineers.
The object of the conference would be
the discussion of the scientific problems
involved in flight. They would attempt to
collate the results of the latest research,
provide for an interchange of ideas and
provide for a concert of action among
the attendees.
There were three principle sections
to the conference: 1) Scientific Princi-
ples, 2) Aviation and 3) Ballooning. The
aviation section dealt with observation
and measurements of birds, theories of
soaring, flying machines, equilibrium
and novel experiments - powered glid-
ing, soaring and models. The ballooning
section covered construction, inflation,
navigation, observations from balloons
and proposed improvements.
Notices were sent to the known ex-
perts involved in aeronautical research.
Letters of cooperation were received
from the British Aeronautical Society,
the Aerial Navigation Society of France,
the Aviation Society of Munich, the Im-
perial Aeronautical Society of Russia
and the Aviation Society of Vienna.
Forty-seven papers were accepted
for presentation. The majority were from
Americans but eight other countries
were represented by presenters includ-
ing England, France and Australia.
Some of the American schools rep-
resented included Cornell , Notre Dame,
Stevens Institute and Amherst. Al-
together an impressive international
gathering considering that the organiz-
ers were worried that the conference at-
tendance might have been made up of
cranks and amusement seekers which
might have done harm to the progress
of aeronautics.
OCTAVE CHANUTE
Chanute in his opening address said
the conference met for an unusual sub-
ject because its commercial success had
yet to be discovered, that the general
public had little interest in it and even
less confidence. That yet, it was a fas-
cinating subject because the problem
of aerial navigation had been "hitherto
associated with failure" and its students
"as eccentric - to speak plainly - as
'cranks' ." Yet he felt that in the last half
century the elements of success had
accumulated to the point where it was
"now reasonable to meet together to
discuss principles and exchange ideas
and knowledge." Chanute did not want
presentations of new projects but state-
ments of general principles, the results
of experiments and the sharing of
knowledge. He thought that "Success,
when it comes, is likely to be reached
through a process of gradual evolution
and improvement.
Among the wide variety of papers
given at the meeting were those of Dr.
Zahm on "Stability of Aeroplanes and
Flying Machines," Langley on "The In-
ternal Work of the Wind," and Hargrave
on "Flying Machine Motors and Cellular
Kites."
Dr. Albert Zahm
Dr. Zahm presented two papers, one
on atmospheric gusts and one on stabil-
ity. Zahm's interest was in aerodynam-
ics. As an undergraduate of Notre
Dame he built a number of model air-
planes and while in graduate school he
decided to devote his energies to an
investigation of aerodynamics. He de-
signed and built a wind tunnel.
Zahm in discussing the problem of
stability stated that the problem is to de-
vise an aeroplane which will "Automati-
cally head into the wind, ...when dis-
placed ... promptly recover its equilib-
rium; . ..(and) maintain a prescribed
course during flight. " He divided stability
into three types: 1) traverse stability, 2)
stability about a vertical axis, and 3) lon-
gitudinal stability, and gave suggestions
as to how to obtain automatic stability.
He visualized a machine with two com-
pound aeroplanes (wings) on a long
backbone in the manner of a Hargrave
kite with an added compound rudder.
This is somewhat similar to the layout
of the Wright Flyer.
Samuel Langley
Langley, like Chanute, was a civil en-
gineer whose interest had turned to
aeronautics. In 1887 he had been ap-
pointed as Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution. His paper presented his
theory of soaring flight based on bird
observations and wind measurements.
He reasoned that since soaring birds
seem able to maintain themselves inde-
finitely without the flapping of their
wings that the energy required must
come from the wind.
He then measured the forces of wind
and noticed the great fluctuation of
force and velocity and believed that
these gusts explained the birds' ability
to soar. He felt that this movement of
the wind could be made a power in ae-
rial navigation and that power in the fly-
ing machine would only be needed to
sustain flight in "exceptional moments
of calm."
Lawrence Hargrave
Lawrence Hargrave of Sydney, Au-
stralia gave a report on his experiments
with kites and model airplanes. He pro-
duced the first practical flapping wing
monoplane model in 1890 and had
flown over 17 model airplanes both
fixed and flapping winged. He had also
produced a compressed air radial en-
gine to power his models. By 1893 he
had abandoned his model airplanes for
research with kites and became the
father of the box kite. His tandem box
gliders with cambered wings produced
a great deal of lift and some of the first
European aircraft used that format.
It is thanks to the efforts and interest
of people of the quality of Chanute and
Zahm that leadership in aeronatucial
development was transferred from
Europe to the United States at the end
of the 19th century. Certainly the con-
siderable amount of information relating
to flight that was made available by the
conference makes this book one of the
classics on early American Aeronau-
tics. The copy of the Chicago Proceed-
ings examined is from the Goss History
of Engineering Library of Purdue Uni-
versity .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
JUNE, 1982 - Two weeks before the hail storms came, the Luscombe stands proudly.
RESTORATIONofa
LUSCOMBE 8A
JUNE, 1982 - The sturdy Luscombe wings receive a new cover of Stits Polyfiber.
6 SEPTEMBER 1985
Story and Photos
by James B. Zazas
(EAA 150698, AlC 5416)
Rt. 3, Box 389
Carthage, NC 28327
Restoration. A simple word, but one
that can evoke the dreams of a prestigi-
ous trophy at Oshkosh . . . or strike ter-
ror into the hearts and souls of pilots
and mechanics alike. For me, restora-
tion meant a "simple" facelift, a chance
to fly another 40 years with my peers.
Little did I know the extent of the facelift
I would endure or of the joys and frust-
rations I would share with my owner,
Jim Zazas of Carthage, North Carolina.
Before any restoration can take
place, there has to be an original begin-
ning, a birth so-to-speak. I started my
life in Texas like many of my fellow,
post-World War" Luscombe 8As. My
monocoque dural fuselage was made
of shiny, 17ST aluminum. While A.
Edgar Mitchell and his team of en-
gineers struggled to design an all-metal
JULY, 1982 - The Luscombe is stripped of all paint. Martin-Senour Paint Blitz works
its magic.
wing, I was given the standard, silver-
doped wing. The dark blue stripes on
my mirror-like sides highlighted my
sporty, sexy appearance.
On January 17, 1946, as factory se-
rial number 2031, CAA registered
NC45504, I rolled out df the Dallas plant
and joined the dual row of new Lus-
combes awaiting initial test flights. Four
days later, it was my turn to fly above
Garland. Factory test-pilot Harold Burns
showed me how to stall, swoop and
soar. On January 27th, I winged east to-
ward my new home in Charlotte, North
Carolina. Surprisingly, I have never
been based outside the boundaries of
the Tarheel State after almost 40 years
of constant flying with 12 different own-
ers!
Any lovingly cared for antique/classic
airplane can tell you its history like a
book. I am no different. I endured the
common cosmetic changes to my air-
frame and engine to satisfy my owners'
personal tastes. These changes were
the usual add an antenna here, do a
modifiction there, or "what will be my
paint scheme for 1968?" type silliness
- all of which comes off in any worth-
while restoration.
I soon realized Jim had big plans for
me when he bought me in May, 1980.
Minor items would be completed first.
More important items would follow
shortly. Total restoration was scheduled
for 1985.
Slowly, thoughtfully, Jim started my
initial restoration. At first, it was the
usual cosmetic touch-ups. In March,
1981 my cast aluminum vertical and
horizontal components were replaced
with the superior Univair steel parts.
Likewise, all my previously applied
black trim was repainted. Tight finances
and lack of much free time held Jim
back from doing more.
June 1982 came and left leaving me
with a violent injury to my wings; they
were severly hail-damaged. Jim and his
lovely wife, Karen, were dumbstruck.
No longer could I perform my primary
job of providing safe and efficient flying
fun. My wings were removed for the
start of a simple recover. I was
heartbroken.
While the wings came off, Jim made
a most important decision - total resto-
ration. Nothing would be spared, noth-
ing would be left untouched. For the
next 21 months, we labored, tinkered,
tailored, cried and persevered. In a nut-
shell, I was recovered, repainted and
rebuilt.
From June 1982 to March 1984, I was
the object of much "labor of love". My
wings were recovered in Stits and ten
coats of silver dope were applied. The
instrument panel was removed and re-
stored to original layout. Original Lus-
combe instruments were located, over-
hauled and installed. (Thank you, Jon
Aldrich, for the bubble-face compass.)
All upholstery, including the canvas
baggage compartment, was removed
and recovered. All cockpit glass (plas-
tic) was removed. The fuselage was
stripped of any paint and steam
cleaned. A new, Univair bottom cowling
replaced my original one. (Poor Jim and
his mechanics had a devil-of-a-time
with this particular piece.) New stainless
steel screws and AN bolts replaced cor-
roded hardware. In turn, my landing
gear oleo shock was serviced, tires
were replaced and new gear fairings
were installed.
Jim pondered whether or not to keep
my simple electrical system. He feared
the FAA/ATC system 20 years hence
would require some sort of rudimentary
electrical system for all antique/classic
aircraft. Thus, he chose to keep my not-
so-original wind-driven generator and
electrical system intact. After all the wir-
ing was replaced, the Hobbs, ammeter
and switches were relocated in the left-
hand glove compartment behind its re-
spective door.
In regard to my engine, Jim decided
only cosmetic changes were neces-
sary. My Continental built A-65-8
"heart" had 1000 hours of reliable use
AUGUST, 1982 - Jim Zazas steam cleans thoroughly all metal surfaces before spraying
the fuselage with Randolph Rand-O-Plate primer.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
APRIL, 1983 - With all rib stitching, doping and painting completed during the winter
months, Scotty Rogers carefully masks off the twenty-four inch wing, NC registration
numbers.
before any scheduled overhaul was
due. The engine was carefully removed.
All old hoses and cl amps were removed
and thrown away. The crankcase was
painted gold while the cylinders re-
ceived two coats of semi-gloss black
paint. A new, shielded ignition harness
was installed. The squarehead, Bendix
Scintilla magnetos were overhauled. A
new, Wag-Aero crossover exhaust was
fitted. As these cosmetic changes were
completed, new hoses, clamps and fit-
tings were used.
My firewall was cleaned of any paint,
corrosion and dirt. Rand-O-Plate primer
was sprayed shortly after the cleaning.
DuPont Imron silver was applied to give
my firewall a bright, metallic look.
Until the summer of 1983, I was scat-
tered helter-skelter around a hangar
floor and Karen's dining room table.
Jim wanted dearly to restore me to
my original polished aluminum with blue
trim, but previous owners had etched
me beyond any help. With Karen's ad-
vice, he opted for a "flashy" paint
scheme. Once again, Rand-O-Plate
primer was used to preserve me. Ran-
dolph Dallas Yellow polyurethane was
sprayed to protect me. Finally, using
drawings from original factory etchings
as guides, black DuPont Imron was
added for trim to offset my overall bright
yellow.
Items removed previously were in-
stalled. The instrument panel was re-ri-
veted in place. All new "glass" was in-
stalled; only the factory original
FEBRUARY, 1984 - A freshly overhauled Continental A-65-8 engine awaits installation
on the Luscombe.
8 SEPTEMBER 1985
The overhauled-to-original instrument
panel with overhauled instruments is in-
stalled. All refurbished upholstery is
added, too.
windshield was used again. The up-
holstery was added shortly afterwards.
To cap this dedicated labor, my now
yellow wings were mated to my fuse-
lage. Wow! I was getting somewhere. I
was anxious and ready for a test flight.
On August 21, 1983, Jim guided me
cautiously into the lovely, very familiar
blue skies over North Carolina. Very
quickly, elation became concern and, in
turn, outright worry. I had a definite feel-
ing of heartburn and felt nauseous. All
I could show Jim was a rapidly rising oil
temperature indication with oil pressure
dropping just as quickly. Wisely, he shut
down my engine. A skillfull , deadstick
landing on the runway ended this first
test flight.
Investigation revealed my engine
bearings were shot and the crankshaft
destroyed. Further investigation re-
vealed my "heart" had been operated
previously with no "blood" or "blood
pressure" sometime during Jim's ab-
sence.
Very sadly, my damaged engine was
removed once again and dismantled.
Mr. Joe Hurdle of Mebane, North Caro-
lina, a master at rebuilding low horse-
power Continental and Lycoming en-
gines, overhauled my "heart" to good-
as-new, 1946 specifications. He even
added the EAA auto fuel STC. In Feb-
ruary, 1984, the overhaul was complete
and my engine installed shortly thereaf-
ter.
The February skies cleared. Once
again Jim and I went aloft into the
Carolina Blue skies. Everything worked
in perfect harmony. We did two loops
just to celebrate, much to the shock of
those on the ground.
On March 21 , 1984, with a toast of
MAY, 1984 - Jim and Karen Zazas show proudly their Luscombe 8A and Antique/ClassicChapter3Spring Fly-Introphy.
champagne, Jim and Karen attached a
small plaque to the inside of my right
hand glove compartment door. It says
the following:
Restored
June 1982 to March 1984
by
Jim and Karen Zazas
and ourfriends at
1-95 South Airport
Fayetteville, NC
Engine overhauled by
Joe Hurdle,Mebane, NC
Duringthecourseofmytotalrestora-
tion, Jim developed, as his wife once
said, "a close and curious relationship
with Mr. Wag-Aero, Mr. Univair, Mr.
Great Lakes Instrument Service and
their Mercuryon wheels,Mr.UPS. "To
be truthful , I already knew Jim had a
close relationship with John Bergeson
of the Luscombe Association, Loren
Bumpofthe Continental LuscombeAs-
sociation,the EAAand manyotherfine
people and organizations. Oh, how I
wish I was a human being so I could
meet these fine folks and enjoy their
camaraderie.
Jim's patience and perseverence
paid handsomedividendsin May 1984.
During EAA Antique/Classic Chapter
Three'sSpring Fly-In, he was awarded
the Custom Classic Trophy. Upon re-
ceiving this prestigious award, he let it
be known "behind every good restora-
tion is a good wife! " The pride we
sharedthatnightculminated the efforts
of many.
Restoration.Such asimpleword, but
its implications can be very complex
and rewarding. To my fellow Lus-
combes, Isincerely hope your owners
showas muchcareduringyourrestora-
tion as my owner did during mine.To
all restored airplanes and restorations
to be, Iwish you healthand happiness.
Tomyhumanpilotsand friends,fly"us"
safely,always.
Author's note: There are two Lus-
combe clubs/associations available to
interested Luscombe enthusiasts.
Membership is open to anyone. For
more information, contact the Lus-
combe Association, 6438 West
Millbrook Road, Remus, MI 49340 or
the Continental LuscombeAssociation,
5736 Esmar Road, Ceres, CA 95307.
Bothassociationshave$10.00peryear
dues and both associations publish a
very informativesemi-monthly newslet-
ter.
A native of Indiana, James grew up
in the rich, aviation atmosphere of the
Midwest. He earned his initial power
and glider licenses while atending De-
Pauw University. Commissioned
through ROTC, he served his country
forsixyearsasanAirForceC-130Her-
cules pilot based at Pope AFB, North
Carolina. Today, he is a pilot for Pied-
mont Airlines and with his wife, Karen,
participatesactivelyin thevarioussport
aviation activities of the Southeast.
James is presently writing a com-
prehensive history of Luscombe- the
airplanes,thepeopleandtheCompany.
The Zaza's Luscombe 8A is their "es-
cape machine".
1985- NC455504enjoysafew raysofwarm sunshineundera Carolina Blue sky.
SALVAGINGANAIRWAYSBEACON
Contemplatingthejobat hand are(L-R) Ron Fritz, Mel Lugten, JohnEmery, Willard and Donna Benedict.
Storyand Photos
by Mrs.Willard (Donna) Benedict
(EAA 6786,NC 294)
129Cedar Street
Wayland, MI 49348
What has four legs, is orange and
white, is62feettallandusedtogoblink,
blink,blink?
Give up? It's an airways beacon left
over from the '30s and '40s and still
standing.
At the February 21,1981 meeting of
West Michigan Chapter 8 of the EAA
Antique/Classic Division,president Phil
Coulson of Lawton askedthemembers
if they were interested in acquiring an
airways beacon for the purpose ofdis-
mantling it and donating it to the EAA
Museum. Meeting with an enthusiastic
affirmative,he setoutto locatethepre-
sent owner to get permission. Phil , a
surveyor with Gove Associates, Inc. of
Kalamazoo, Michigan, had located the
beaconthroughhistransitwhilesurvey-
ing a nearby piece of property about
three or fours years previously. Upon
locating the owner, Mr.John Emery of
Galesburg, Michigan, he learned that
10SEPTEMBER 1985
Emery, a veteran of WW II , had been
offered asubstantial sum for the tower
byaneighbortobeusedasanantenna.
But after thinking about it for a couple
of months,and after learning that very
few, if any, still exist, Emery decided
that it would be agood ideato attempt
to preserve the beacon.
A LITTLE HISTORY
The original purpose of the airways
system was for the airmail pilots and it
was sponsored by the United States
Post Office. Inearly 1921 the Post Of-
fice in an effort to revive the airmail 's
drooping reputation decided to make
continuous dayand nightflights across
the country. Townsfolk along the way
had agreed to light bonfires to help
mark the route. Post Office officials
hoped that the coast-to-coast flights
couldbemadeinfewerthan36hours.
On February 22, 1921,two DeHavil-
lands left Hazelhurst Field, New York,
at6:00a.m.;about1-1/2hourslatertwo
more DeHaviliands left San Francisco
headed east. Later that day Jack
Knight,whoearl ierhadflownhisregular
route of Omahato Cheyenne and then
dead-headed back to North Platte,had
drawn the first section night flight to
Omaha.WhenKnightarrivedinOmaha
he found that his reliefpilotwasweath-
ered in at Chicago so Knight flew on
from Omaha to Chicago landing there
at 8:40 a. m., February 23 becoming
thenation'sfirstairmailpilottocomplete
an all nightflight.
In the spring of 1922 Congressman
Martin B. Madden of Illinois asked en-
gineer Joseph V. Magee to study the
problemofregularnightflights.Working
diligently for more than a year Magee
cameupwithaplancallingforasystem
of beacons and emergency landing
fields.Terminalswouldhave36"revolv-
ing lights on 50' towers that would
sweepthe horizonthreetimesaminute
withabeamvisiblefor100milesinclear
weather. At each of the emergency
fields, which were roughly 75 miles
apart, therewould be an 18"beaconon
top of a50'towerwhich could be seen
60 to 70 miles on clear nights.
Thefirst experimental ,lightedairway
in the United Staes was laid down be-
tween Dayton and Columbus, Ohio.
Army engineers and Army pilots col -
laborated in working out proper
beacons and marker lights. After the
Army had demonstrated what could be
done over lighted airways, the Post Of-
fice undertook to light the section of
trans-continental route between
Cheyenne and Chicago, a job which
was completed in the summer of 1923.
Test runs were made that summer, but
it was not until the following year, July
1, 1924, that regular night service was
established.
In another year the Chicago-New
York route was lighted, and by the end
of 1926 the line of airway beacons ex-
tended from coast to coast. During the
following ten years, airway lighting was
put in as fast as funds would permit. By
1939 every established air route in the
United States was equipped for night
and day flying. Total lighted airway
mileage was 29,199 miles. Over 2,200
beacons were installed. In 1940 it was
estimated that over $15,000,000 would
be spent on lighted airways upkeep and
operation. After World War II modern
radio and instrument flying aids spelled
the doom of the old lighted airways.
AlC CHAPTER 8 GETS INTO THE
PICTURE
So, at 11 :00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb-
ruary 28, 1981, a typical cold, wind-
swept Michigan winter day, following
two weeks of warm, beautiful weather,
five hardy souls and their mascot
showed up for the dismantling. Now,
you understand, wh'en Phil had men-
tioned this to the Chapter 8 members,
the question was raised, "How tall is this
thing, Phil?,,; the answer given (from
this surveyor) was, "Only about 35 or
40 feet". The first thing noted by all on
that February 28 was that it was not 35
feet tall but considerably taller. Fortu-
nately, it was located in a plowed man-
ure-filled field with the possibility of faI-
ling three ways without danger to the
farmer's fences.
This beacon was between Kalamazoo
and Battle Creek, Michigan and was
apparently part of the chain of beacons
on the Detroit to Chicago airway used
by the Ford Motor Company's airmail
flights as early as 1926.
Mel Lugten of Hamilton showed up
with his boom truck and proceeded to
evaluate the situation, being primarily
interested in which neighbor's tree he
should place a chain around, without in-
curring the wrath of said neighbor. Oh
well, there wasn't a tree placed conve-
niently anyway. In the meantime, Gary
VanFarowe of Holland, Michigan, the
youngest member of the ''team'', shin-
nied up the ladder to the top and started
disassembling the beacon with the help
of Phil Coulson.
It is interesting to note that neither
Willard Benedict of Wayland nor Ron
Fritz, EAA Antique/Classic Division
ropes at the bottom with all feet firmly
planted on terra firma. Many pilots have
a fear of heights and Ron and Willy are
no exception.
Several hours later the 24" beacon
was safely lowerd to the ground along
with the motor and one of the course
marker lights. The danger of breaking
the glass was a problem that had been
previously eliminated by vandals and
their .22 caliber rifles; one bullet of a
much higher velocity penetrated the
cast aluminum casing and passed
through the 1/4" thick glass. The
mechanical workings of the beacon,
which was made by General Electric,
John Emery of Galesburg, MI who do-
nated the tower to the EAA Aviation
Museum.
appeared in excellent condition. Mer-
cury switches operated by a cam to
control the encoding of the course lights
in dots and dashes identified the loca-
tion of each beacon to the pilots. This
particular beacon was at a half way
point between Kalamazoo airport and
Battle Creek airport.
With all the "breakables" safely
tucked away in the back of the truck
and after a cup of lukewarm but much
appreciated coffee, the time for the big
task had arrived.
After torching off two legs of the tower
and cutting through part of the other
two, it was time to position the "cushion"
(nothing fancier than a couple of rolls of
old, rolled up fencing) and, sure
enough, the cushion had been placed
inaccurately. The tower WAS taller than
the estimated 40 feet. With the bridle in
place and hooked up to the boom truck,
all was in readiness.
Willard Benedict'S wife, Donna, who
has a more than average wife's interest
in airplanes, came along as mascot,
maker of the coffee and official photo-
grapher. Being proficient at nothing
more complicated than an Instamatic,
she was using Phil's 35 mm Kodak
Camera with all the fancy gadgets, hop-
ing to get the "picture of the year"
award, one of those action shots that
show, for example, a tower breaking in
half at the midway point where it wasn't
supposed to. She was ready for the ac-
tion.
With Mel in the truck operating the
winch and Gary, Ron, Willy and Phil giv-
ing a tug on the rope, the tower started
on its way down. What a magnificent
sight! It came down so slow and easy,
just like we'd been a professional tower
wrecking crew and had planned it like
we knew what we were doing. A spon-
taneous shout of approval went up from
all when we realized that we hadn't in-
curred any damage to the cage or the
tower.
Following another cup of coffee (it
should have been champagne) , the
task of dismantling the tower took place.
Secretary of Kent City, volunteered to Securing the bridle to the boom truck are (counterclockwise from upper right) Phil
climb to the top, but were ready with the Coulson, Gary Van Farowe, Ron Fritz, Willard Benedict and Mel Lugten.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
It's a long way to the top.
Another four hours later and the tower
was in three pieces and loaded on the
trailer. Because the trailer did not have
lights, the boys worked frantically to get
it loaded and trailered to John Bosker's
Airport at Mattawan, Michigan before
the sun went down. They were ready
for plenty of beer and pizza.
Mr. Bob Litner, president of Brooks
Aero, Inc. of Marshall, Michigan do-
nated replacement course lights. How-
ard Sprunger donated the old beacon
from the Three Rivers Airport.
NOW FOR A COAT OF PAINT
Saturday,May 1, 1982, broke bright
and clear with the beacon project await-
ing action. The first to arrive overhead
was Bob Harris in his trusty 1942
Taylorcraft L-2 with French markings.
As Bob touched down Warren and Millie
Schuhknecht drove in the driveway at
the Mattawan airport. After a quick cup
of coffee, members of Chapter 8 set
about the task of cleaning and sorting
parts of the tower. Soon other members
were driving in or flying. Among those
who flew were Steve and Karlene
Johnson and family from Smyrna, Mel
Lugten of Hamilton and Jim Jensen of
Hastings (now deceased).
12 SEPTEMBER 1985
After standing for about 50 years, the tower is about to come
down.
Gary VanFarowe and Jack Elenbaas
of Holland took charge of the beacon
and course lights. About the time
everyone was working up a good sweat
On the way down. The tower incurred no
damage during this operation.
and a good appetite, Willard and Donna
Benedict arrived with about three gal-
lons of homemade chili which was
"Some Good!", as they say out east.
Then back to the project. Ron and
Shirley Fritz of Kent City and their chil-
dren Ronnie and Heather scraped
paint. Cliff Bitting of Grand Rapids
scraped paint; Ruth Coulson scraped
paint. Finally it was ready for the final
white and orange colors. Everybody
ended up with orange and white
"measles" all over their shoes, arms,
legs, clothes, etc.
What a great feeling it was when the
paint ran out! But someone had the
dumb idea of running into town and buy-
ing more Case tractor orange paint. By
the time that paint was gone, there was
no more tower to cover. Then the gang
retired to the Coulson's at Lawton,
Michigan for a well-deserved cook-out.
In November of 1982, Phil Coulson
and Gary VanFarowe delivered the
tower to the EAA campSite area at Osh-
kosh. The following spring the tower
was reassembled by the EAA Museum
Staff where it continues to greet the
members of Chapter 8 as well as all
other EAA members who camp at the
Convention.
Reader Fran Wallace sent this photo of States NC10719 painted in Burgess Battery
colors. The Burgess factory was in nearby Freeport, IL.
by George A. Hardie, Jr. took delivery 3/15/33.
"The States contributed a great deal
Here's a snappy little biplane from the
Golden Age era that is a rare one. The
engine appears to be an Anzani but
that's open to question. Note the cat in-
signia on the side of the fuselage. Not
much else is known about this neat little
job. The photo was submitted by R. K.
Armstrong of Rawlings, MD. Answers
will be published in the December, 1985
issue of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE
Deadline for that issue is October 10,
1985.
The Mystery Plane featured in the
June 1985 issue was no mystery to
many of our readers. Retired Pan Am
Captain Fran Wallace (EAA 35172, NC
309), P. O. Box 822, Stony Brook, NY
11790 wrote :
" . . . it is a States S.E.5F, powered
with a Kinner K-5 engine. My father,
Lloyd Wallace and his flying partner,
Jack Neely of Freeport, Illinois bought
a States NC10719 from Ed Brazelton (I
think) at the old Elmhurst Airport, El-
mhurst, IL. Dad and I flew Dr. Snyder's
(of Freeport) Waco QDC to Elmhurst 2/
21 /33 for a demonstration, and they
Dear Gene,
Please add my name to the list con-
gratulating Ted Businger for the great
job he did writing the Ed Morrow Story
in the June and July 1985 issues of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE. So far I've read
it twice and plan on reading it a few
more times to make sure I didn't miss
anything.
Talk about being born twenty years
too late! What a fantastic thing it must
have been to work with the great people
Ted wrote about . .. and to think all
"The States was an excellent airplane,
good short field capability, very stable
and a very easy airplane to land. Note
the big Airwheels and the looong oleos
- it was almost impossible to bounce!
It was not an acrobatic airplane, but it
did nice loops, soft snap-rolls, and good
hammer-head stalls - spectacular
when done close to the ground. (I quit
the hammer-heads - another story.)"
Correct answers also were received
from Doug Rounds, Zebulon, GA; Jim
Barton, Oshkosh, WI; George W.
Mojonnier, Snohomish, WA; Mike Re-
zich, Chicago, IL; M.H. Eisenmann,
Garrettsville, OH; Bob Whittier, Dux-
bury, MA; Norman S. Orloff, San An-
tonio, TX; LeRoy Falk, Carpentersville,
IL; Charley Hayes, Park Forest, IL; J.
Max Freeman, Wilkesboro, NC; Stan
Piteau, Holland, MI; and Ted Businger,
Willow Springs, MO.
It is interesting to note that many re-
spondents give credit to Joseph Jupt-
ner's U.S. Civil Aircraft series as the
source of identification and additional
data on the Mystery Planes. And re-
garding the States, several included
copies of magazine ads for the plane
as well as photos such as the one sent
by Fran Wallace of the States painted
in the Burgess Battery colors .
to my 'learning' to become a pilot - I
flew it more than 200 hours before I
went to work for United Air Lines. It was
sold in St. Louis 10/5/36. I should add
that Dad taught me to fly and monitored
my flying education until airline time.
Letters To Editor
those projects happened without the aid
of computers! To me they were the true
aviation enthusiasts; those who could
take a good, careful look at a heap of
tubing, some wire, wood and an engine,
put it all together and make it fly.
Please, more stories like this one!
Sincerely,
Dale Glossenger
(EAA 189173)
70185 Beach Drive
Edwardsburg, MI 49112
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
.... THE FULLER-HAMMOND FH-l
I'
Photo courtesy 01 Joseph Barry
The Fuller-Hammond FH-1, NX14917, SI N 141, on display in a small park in California. ,circa 1935.
"SUPER TWIN"
by Phil Michmerhuizen
(EAA 33782, AlC 581)
186 Sunset Drive
Holland, MI 49423
(Photos courtesy of author, except as
noted)
It was after a talk and discussion on
the history, development and produc-
tion of Szekely engines and the "Flying
Dutchman" aircraft at our local EAA
Chaper meeting that Ron Fritz came to
me and said he heard the remains of
the Fuller-Hammond "Skylark" were in
Ohio.
He gave me the names and phone
numbers of two men to contact. This
was in December of 1980.
"No, I don't know anything about it,
but call so and so. " And so it went for a
week. Finally, "Yes, I do have that
airplane and yes, I will sell it." Bill Bre-
wer described what he had and what
was missing. There were no engines,
engine mounts, gauges, wheels or tires.
The condition of the parts ranged from
good to fair to hardly there!
-14 SEPTEMBER 1985
We agreed on a price and I sent half
of the money. Two weeks later my wife,
Donna and I were in our pickup with a
trailer behind headed for Ohio.
The basket case had been accurately
described, and as we loaded the rusty
parts and bent aluminum I was really
very happy, yet could see years of work
ahead.
Arriving home, we "set the pieces to-
gether" for a few pictures. I really
wanted to start the restoration im-
mediately but first had to finish our 1936
Taylor J-2 Cub and Waco UPF-7. Be-
sides, I wanted to have the paperwork
straightened out first and research more
history on the airplane if possible.
After much telephoning and letter
writing I located and talked to Mr. E. A.
"Bill " Perkins, one of the builders and
owners of the airplane. He was also
Vice-President of Skycraft Industries,
Inc. in Venice, California. "Bill " Perkins
told me that two boxes of drawings, pic-
tures, engineering data, and letters
were thrown away in 1949!!
I was also able to contact Mr. Otis
Dutton, an 81-year-old gentleman in
Kansas who was the second owner of
the plane but did not actually work on
it. He was good enough to sign a bill of
sale and have it notori zed to help clear
up the paper work.
I also located and talked with Mr.
Handly Jones, a brother-in-law to EA
Perkins. He sent two pictures. He had
more papers and pictures until he "built
a new house and threw them away."
In tracing the N number I found it was
assigned to a Bell 47G helicopter in
Florida being used on mosquito control.
The helicopter was destroyed in a crash
several years ago and the N number
was open. Needless to say I quickly re-
served it.
According to the information I have,
the airplane was designed by Wilbur A.
Hammond and George B. Fuller. Con-
struction started in 1934 at the corner
of Englewood Boulevard and Imperial
Avenue in Venice, California.
Mr. Ed Lund, later a pilot for Howard
Hughes, Mr. AI Nicely and Mr. E. A. Per-
kins all "moonlighted" to build the air-
craft. Their regular jobs were at Timm
Aircraft Company.
The FH-1 was a two-place, side-by-side, light twin.
April 9, 1984 was a day to remember
- the aircraft registration card arrived,
bearing the correct name, original N
number and correct serial number. My
thanks to the FAA personnel in Ok-
lahoma City for their cooperation.
Before I fill my basement shop full of
Fuller-Hammond pieces I plan to re-
store a 1935 Taylor E-2 Cub with a
"Zeke" on the front. That should only
take a couple of years??
In the meantime, my good friend Bob
Curtis, a semi-retired aero-space en-
gineer, is lofting the ribs and making
drawings for the Fuller-Hammond
wings. This is no small job in itself.
The ailerons and flaps on the Fuller-
Hammond are built up with 1/4" tubing
and as I am not a welder, my good
friend Mike Brown, who recently com-
pleted his Acro II, has agreed to do
some work (build new ones?) for me.
The fellows around here have been
chiding me to start the project - that
is, if I want to fly that airplane before my
eyesight and hearing fail and before
they have to push my wheelchair up to
the wing.
If any readers can supply information
or pictures of this airplane, I certainly
would appreciate being contacted.
Specifications, Fuller-Hammond
Monoplane
Top speed . . ..... . .. 117 mph.
Cruising speed. . . . . .. 100 mph.
Landing speed. . . . . . .. 40 mph.
Climb ............... 800 fpm.
Weight empty . . . . . . . .. 927 Ibs.
Gross weight ........ 1,550 Ibs.
Span . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 34 ft. 6 in.
Length ..... . ....... 20 ft. 6 in.
Wing area . . . . . . . . . . . 142 sq. ft.
Power loading .,. 17 Ibs. per hp.
(Continued on Page 21)
Papers I receved from the FAA in Ok-
lahoma City indicated the Dept. of Com-
merce, Aeronautical Branch, approved
the Operation Inspection report dated
--20-35.
The airplane was test flown at Dycer
Airport in Los Angeles by John M. "Slim"
Menefee. I believe it was also flown by
George C. Adams, a pilot for Lockheed.
The airplane was licensed "experi-
mental". According to EA Perkins, it
flew about every weekend, amassing
from 50 to 75 hours until December,
1935 when the application expired. The
tail skid shows quite a bit of wear. Is
that good or bad? Who can check me
out in a tail-skid equipped twin?
The company, Skycraft Industries,
Inc., 350 Washington Blvd., Venice,
California could not pay E. A. Perkins
for his work on the airplane so they gave
it to him. The two Szekely engines and
mounts were removed; the airplane dis-
assembled, crated and put on a train for
Kansas.
Handly Jones in Turon, Kansas put
the airplane in his barn, then later, out-
side under a tree. Otis Dutton pur-
chased the plane in the mid-fifties, but
did no work on it.
Bill Hogan and Bob Henkel brought
the airplane to Ohio - again, no resto-
ration was started. Bill Brewer was the
next owner and now the remains of the
Fuller-Hammond FH-1 "Super Twin" are
resting in Michigan.
Equipped with two motors, thi tiny, two-passenger
plane, recently te ted, re embles a large t r a n s ~ r t
The FH-1 was powered with two 45 hp Szekely engines.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
, I y p ClubActivities
AeroncaAviator'sClub-
A Division ofPea Patch Airlines
Julie & Joe Dickey
511 Terrace Lake Road
Columbus,IN 47201
812/342-6878
Newsletter:4times ayear AAC
4times ayear PPA
Dues: $12 annually AAC
$12 annually PPA
Aeronca Club
Augie and Pat Wegner
1432 28th Court
Kenosha,WI 53140
414/552-9014
Newsletter:3-4 per year
Dues:$3.00 peryear.
Aeronca Lover'sClub
Buzz Wagner
Box 3, 401 1 st Street East
Clark,SO 57225
605/532-3862
Newsletter:Quarterly
Dues: $15 peryear
AeroncaSedan Club
Richard Welsh
2311 East Lake Sammamish PI., S.E.
Issaquah,WA 98027
Newsletter: 3peryear
Dues:$3.50 peryear
AirForceHistoricalFoundation
Col. Louis H.Cummings,USAF (Ret.)
Bldg.1413,Room 120
Andrews Air Force Base,MD 20331
301 /981-4728
Newsletter: Aerospace Historian
Dues:Individual Membership - $25
American Ai r Racing Society
Rudy Profant
4060 W. 158th Street
Cleveland,OH 44135
Newsletter:Quarterly
Dues: $10 peryear
BirdAirplaneClub
Jeannie Hill
P.O.Box 328
Harvard, IL 60033
815/943-7205
Newsletters:2-3 annually
Dues: Postage Donation
American Bonanza Society
Cliff R.Sones,Administrator
Mid ContinentAirport
P.O.Box 12888
Wichita, KS 67277
316/945-6913
Newsletters:Monthly
Dues: $25 per year (U.S. & Canada)1
$45 peryear (Foreign)
BuckerClub
John Bergeson, SecretarylTreasurer
6438 W. Millbrook Road
16SEPTEMBER 1985
Remus, MI 49340
517/561-2393
Newsletter: 6peryear
Dues: $10 - U.S. & Canada
$15 - Foreign
Cessna AirmasterClub
GarWilliams
9South 135thAero Drive
Naperville, IL 60565
Newsletter: None
Dues: None
Cessna PilotsAssociation
John Frank,Executive Director
Mid-ContinentAirport
P.O.Box 12948
Wichita, KS 67277
316/946-4777
Newsletter:Monthly
Dues: $20 annually
InternationalCessna 120/140
Association
Dorchen Forman
Box 92
Richardson,TX 75080
817/497-4757
Newsletter: Monthly
Dues: $10.00 peryear U.S.
Cessna150/152 Club
Skip Carden,Executive Director
P.O. Box 15388
Durham,NC 27704
919/471-9492
Newsletter:Monthly
Dues: $15 peryear
International Cessna 170
Association, Inc.
Velvet Fackeldey,Executive Secretary
P.O.Box 186
Hartville,MO 65667
Newsletter:Flypaper (11 per year)
The 170 News (Quarterly)
Dues:$15 peryear
International Cessna180/185 Club,
Inc. (180/185 owners only)
Charles Bombardier,President
4539 N.49th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85031
Newsletter: 9or 10 per year
Dues:$10 per year
Eastern 190/195 Association
(Cessna)
CliffCrabs,President
25575 Butternut Ridge Road
North Olmsted,OH 44070
216/777 -4025 or
216/777 -9500, ext. 2780
Newsletters:Irregular
Dues:$10.00 per year
International195Club(Cessna)
Dwight M. Ewing,President
P.O. Box 737
Merced, CA 95341
209/722-6283
Newsletter: 4 per year
Dues:$20 peryear U.S.& Canada
$30 per yearforeign
CubClub
John B.Bergeson, Co-Chairperson
P.O. Box 2002
Mt. Pleasant,MI 48858
517/561-2393
Newsletter: 6per year
Dues: $10 - U.S.& Canada per year
$15- Foreign per year
CulverClub
Larry Low,Chairman
60 Skywood Way
Woodside,CA 94062
41 5/851 -0204
Newsletter: None - inquiries addres-
sed on individual basis
Dues:None
DartClub
Lloyd Washburn
3958 Washburn Drive
Pt. Clinton,OH 43452
Newsletter:Nowand Then
Dues: None
DeHaviliand Moth Club
Gerry Schwam, Chairman
1021 Serpentine Lane
Wyncote, PA 19095
215/635-7000 or215/886-8283
Newsletter:Quarterly
Dues:$10 - US & Canada
$12 - Overseas
De Havilland Moth ClubofCanada
R.de Havilland Ted Leonard,Founder
& Director
305 Old Homestead Road
Keswick, Ontario
Canada L4P 1 E6
416/476-4225
Newsletter:Periodically
Dues: $15 annually
ErcoupeOwnersClub
Skip Carden, Executive Director
Box 15058
Durham, NC 27704
919/471-9492
Newsletters: Monthly, with special edi-
tions
Dues: $15 peryear
FunkAircraftOwnersAssociation
G. Dale Beach, Editor
1621 Dreher St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
916/443-7604
Newsletter: The Funk Flyer, 10 issues
peryear
Dues: $12.00 peryear
Heath Parasol Club
Bill Schlapman
6431 Paulson Road
Winneconne, WI 54986
414/582-4454
Newsletter: Annually
Dues: Postage Donation
International Flying Farmers
Kris Frank, Executive Director
2120 Airport Road
P.O. Box 9124
Mid-Continent Airport
Wichita, KS 67277
316/943-4234
Newsletter: 10 per year
Dues: $35.00 - U.S.
Little Round Engine Flyer
Ken Williams, Chairman
331 East Franklin Street
Portage, WI 53901
Contact Williams for further information
Continental Luscombe Association
Loren Bump, President
5736 Esmar Road
Ceres, CA 95307
209/537-9934
Newsletters: Bi-monthly (6 per year)
Dues: $10 - USA - $12.50 Canada -
$15 overseas
Luscombe Association
John B. Bergeson
6438 W. Millbrook Road
Remus, MI 49340
517/561-2393
Newsletter: 6 per year
Dues: $10 per year - U.S. & Canada
$15 per year - Foreign
Meyers Aircraft Owners Association
Jacqueline Merrihew, Secretary
199 S. Washington Street
Sonora, CA 95370
209/532-2826
Newsletter: 4-5 per year
Dues: Postage contributions
Mustang International
Paul Coggan, President
19 Esmonde Gardens
Bishopmill, Elgin
Moray IV30 2LB Scotland
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: 10 pounds per year (USA)
American Navion Society
A. R. Cardano, Chairman of the Board
Betty Ladehoff, Executive Secretary
Municipal Airport , Box 1175
Banning, CA 92220
714/849-2213
Newsletter: Navioneers (Monthly)
Dues: $25 per year
OX-5 Aviation Pioneers
Oliver V. Phillips, National Secretary
10405 W. 32 Avenue
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033
303/233-5905
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Dues: $10.00 per year
Porterfield Airplane Club
Chuck Lebrecht
3121 E. Lake Shore Drive
Wonder Lake, IL 60097
815/653-9661
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: $5.00 per year
National Ryan Club
Bill J. Hodges, Chairman
811 Lydia
Stephenville, TX 76401
817/968-4818
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: $10 per year
Rearwin and Commonwealth Flyers
Gary Van Farowe
1460 Ottawa Beach Road
Holland, MI 49423
616/399-4623
Newsletter: None
Dues: None
(Tech info and help only)
Replica Fighters Association
Frank G. Weatherly
2789 Mohawk Lane
Rochester, MI 48063
313/651-7008
Newsletter: Bi-monthly
Dues: $10
Seaplane Pilots Association
Mary F. Silitch, Executive Director
421 Aviation Way
Frederick, MD 21701
301 /695-2083
Newsletter: Water Flying (Quarterly)
Water Flying Annual
SPA Seaplane Landing Directory
($6.00)
Dues: $25 per year
Short Wing Piper Club, Inc.
(formerly Tri-Pacer Owners' Club)
Larry D. Smith, Membership Chairman
Rt. No. 11 , 708 West Annie Drive
Muncie, IN 47302
317/289-5487
Newsletter: Bi-monthly - 100 pages
Dues: $25 per year
Silver Wing Fraternity "Aviation
Pathfi nders"
Russ Brinkley, President
P. O. Box 11970
Harrisburg, PA 17108
717/232-9525
Newsletter: Slipstream Tabloid News-
paper
Dues: $5 per year
Spartan Alumni Association
Karla Morrow, Chairman
P.O. Box 582833
Tulsa, OK 74158
918/836-6886, ext. 404
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: $5.00 per year
Staggerwing Club
Jim Gorman, President
1885 Millsboro Road
Mansfield, OH 44906
419/529-3822 (home) or 4191755-1011
(office)
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: $15.00 per year
Stearman Restorers Association
Tom Lowe
823 Kingston Lane
Crystal Lake, IL 60014
815/459-6893
Newsletter: 4-6 per year
Dues: $10 per year
National Stinson Club
Jonsey Paul
14418 Skinner Road
Cypress, TX 77429
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: $7.50
Northwest Stinson Club
W. S. Wallin
29804 179th Place S.E.
Kent, WA 98042
206/631-9644
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: Local - $10.00; National - $7.50
(total $17.50)
Southwest Stinson Club
Carroll J. Poe, President
177 Chateau La Salle Drive
San Jose, CA 95111
408/280-0935
Newsletter: 10 per year
Dues: $10 per year
Super Cub Pilot's Association
Jim Richmond, Founder and Director
P. O. Box 9823
Yakima, WA 98909
509/248-9491
Newsletter: Monthly
Dues: $25 per year U.S., $30 per year
Canada,
$40 per year Foreign
International Swift Association
Charlie Nelson
P.O. Box 644
Athens, TN 37303
6151745-9547
Newsletter: The Swift Newsletter
Dues: $25.00 per year
Taylorcraft Owners Club
Bruce M. Bixler II, President
12809 Greenbower Road
Alliance, OH 44601
216/823-9748
Newsletter: Quarterly
Dues: $10 per year
Vintage Sailplane Association
c/o Soaring SOCiety of America
P.O. Box 66071
Los Angeles, CA 90066-0071
213/390-4447
Newsletter: The Bungee Cord
Dues: not given
National Waco Club
Ray Brandly
700 Hill Avenue
Hamilton, OH 45015
Newsletter: Every other month
Dues: $7.50 per year
World War I Aeroplane
L. E. Opdycke
15 Crescent Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
914/473-3679
Newsletter: 5 per year ($4 for sample issue)
Dues: Voluntary contributions
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
14thWestCoast
Ryan Reunion
The winning five-Ryan formation team. Sixth Ryan was the camera plane piloted by Eric Friedricksen of Wilton, CT.
by Bill J. Hodges
(EAA 58954, AlC 49)
811 Lydia Street
Stephenville, TX.76401
Twenty-seven beautiful Ryans in the
same place at the same time! Shades
of WW II contract primary flying training
school! Oh, there are some type clubs
that have more aircraft in attendance at
their functions, but looking at the
number of Ryans there against the total
built, the West Coast Ryan Reunion is
one of the biggest and one of the best!
Arranged by the Santa Paula, Califor-
nia Ryaneers and hosted by Patroline,
Inc. , this popular low-key event was
held at Patroline's Paso Robles facility.
Their president, Sherm Smoot, cooper-
ated beautifully with the visiting
Ryaneers and Ryaneer Mike Sullivan,
Chairman of our event.
I arrived at Paso Robles on Thursday
afternoon, courtesy of Bill Mette,
Campbell , CA, and his PT-22 "Raunchy
Bird" (after jetting via airlines from
Texas to San Jose the night before) We
had stopped at Hollister, California to
rendezvous with other North California
Ryans, and to meet noted aviation his-
torian William T. Larkins, but were were
late, so missed them.
Bill Richards, Santa Rosa, CA, was
running late also, due to a prop change
at the last minute on his "civilianized"
PT-21. So, instead of the previous
year's 13-ship formation, we had a two-
ship loose formation flight on to Paso
Robles ..yhere 10 Ryans were already
18 SEPTEMBER 1985
on the ground, with 15 on the ramp by
nightfall. Those present enjoyed a deli-
cious barbecue provided and prepared
by local Ryaneer Mike Wing, and a
happy hour hosted by Patroline.
Friday saw more arrivals, with 27
Ryans on the ramp by nightfall ; 2
SCWs, 1 PT-20, 1 STM-2, 2 PT-21 s, 1
NR-1 , and 20 PT-22s. The morning fea-
tured an air rally where all entrants were
timed for a cold-engine start, where the
timing is started with the contestant in
the cockpit. "They" had to get out and
hand prop the engine (safety pilot
aboard, however!). Patty Henderson
was the winner, starting Bob Kell er's
Ranger-powered ST-3 in just 12.8 sec-
onds!
Having been assigned to a team pre-
viously, the pilots were handed a packet
of directions and check list of the route
to fly, just as they were ready to taxi out
for take-off. All teams had to land at
Leon Herman's International Airstrip
before proceeding back to Paso Ro-
bles. The team couldn't leave Leon's
until all team members had come to a
full stop landing and turned off their en-
gines. Refreshments were ready for
them, as were the hot engine start
Bill Allen, La Jolla, CA, is owner/pilot of this immaculate 1940 Ryan STM-S2, C/N 466,
N466WA. This Ryan is in its original Dutch East Indies markings.
Ron Chapel and his 1941 Ryan ST-3KR, C/N 1309, N56076. Ron, who lives in Half Moon
Bay, CA, has "cleaned up" his Ryan nicely.
Well-known former mid-westerner Brad Larson's 1938 Ryan SC-W, C/N 206, N18912.
Brad is now based at Santa Paula, CA.
Don Carter' s Ryan STA Special (1940 Ryan PT-20, C/N 352), N14984. Don, a recognized
authority on STA's, lives in Lafayette, CA.
judges. Using the same procedures as
the cold start contest, Alan Buchner,
Fresno, CA, won with a fantastic time
of 11 .0 seconds! Winners of the air rally
at 1 :07 hours was Team C: Alan Buch-
ner, Chris Stimson and Bob Keller.
The local "Ninety-Nines", including
National Ryan Club members Shirley
Moore and Christine Darbonne, served
a delicious barbecue sausage lunch.
(Thanks, ladies!) National Ryan Club
members like Mike and Margaret Wil-
son of Cedar Rapids, IA arrived via "his
and hers" motorcycles, by way of
Florida, no less.
In the meantime, Mike Wing and crew
were busily trying to finish up a top over-
haul on his Ryan's Kinner engine. Mike
and Reb Stimson were able to fly the
U.S. Navy painted PT-22 later in the af-
ternoon.
That evening at the Paso Robles Inn,
Bill Allen, LaJolla, CA showed video
tapes of the '84 Chino Fly-In and the
tape just shot that day of the Paso Ro-
bles activities. Some visited the local
Polar Freeze before turning in, including
Alan Buchner, AI Ball , Dick Burgess, Bill
Mette and Bill Hodges.
Also during the day John Gokchoff,
Santa Paula, CA, master Ryan rebuil-
der and crew had gone around the
apron leak checking and calibrating
all the Ryan airspeed indicators, and AI
Ball (Antique Aero Engines) conducted
a Kinner/Ranger engine clinic. (Our
special thanks to John and AI.) Those
not participating in the air rally had the
option of sightseeing and touring some
of the local wineries.
At 0800 on Saturday we saw the
"Dawn Patrol " airborne, Kinners clatter-
ing away, letting Paso Robles officially
know the Ryans were back! After proper
briefing the formation flying contest got
underway, with four teams competing,
selected by drawing numbered slips
from a hat. After passing over the
judges in both diamond and echelon
formations, Team no. 1, comprised of
Bill Richards, Lee Graybill, Santa Rosa,
CA and Jay Hayes,Montara, CA, Ron
Chapel , Half Moon Bay, CA and Don
Burkett, Downey, CA were declared the
winners. John Gokchoff, busy and help-
ful again, conducted a seminar on how
to properly rig a PT-22 with most of the
Ryaneers attending. (Thanks, John) .
Most of the Ryans participated in the
Saturday afternoon flying event, which
is a combination of short field take off,
flour bombing and power off spot land-
ing, and is flown in one flight. Due to
the layout of the Archie Dean Memorial
Airport, this event can be flown without
bothering the normal traffic flow. Rich
McDonald, Vacaville, CA took the short
field take off honors of 340 feet with his
Ryan SCW. Shortest Ryan PT-22 take
off was 343 feet by John Richards, Ven-
tura, CA.
Spot landing winner was Bob Keller,
Carmel , CA, in his Ranger-Ryan. Oh,
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
Returning from a flight, Brad Larsen gives his Ryan SC-W a wipe-down in the parking
area.
Headed home. Jay and Ellen Hayes fly formation on Bill Mette's wing, in their 1942 Ryan
PT-22, C/N 1752, N56030. Jim and Ellen are from Montara, CA.
From Vacaville, CA, USAF pilot Rich McDonald's modified 1938 Ryan SC-W, C/N 205,
N18911. This Ryan sports a Continental E-185 engine, in addition to the changed
landing gear and cabin.
20 SEPTEMBER 1985
yes, two people are required to be on
board during the event. The flour bomb-
ing is always interesting, in that two at-
tempts are made, one with a standard
"brown bag" flour bomb, and the other,
prejudged for originality, prior to the
event. Closest to the target was Aleta
Pharris/Reb Stimson. The originality
bomb went to Lee and Modie Graybi ll' s
"wedding bomb" in celebration of their
then recent wedding I Congratulations!
After the flying activities most everyone
retired to the Paso Robles Inn for the
"Bob Yates Champagne cork-flying con-
tests." The only rule for this contest is
"Don't shake the bottle", but it's rarely
enforced! John Gormley, Sacramento,
CA showed his expertise by outdistanc-
ing the other competitors by a substan-
tial amount. Tired but happy Ryaneers
gathered at the local Elks Club for re-
freshments and video tapes of the day's
activities (furnished by Bill Allen) , whil e
waiting for the awards banquet to begin.
The Saturday night awaras banquet
was a huge success, with 131 Ryan en-
thusiasts; that's almost five people per
airplane! Mike Sullivan was an out-
standing master of ceremonies. There
was a lot to cover and Mike really kept
things rolling . Some things that stand
out in my mind , in addition to the regu lar
awards, were the awarding of the Ryan
solo wings by Bill Richards to 27
Ryaneers (like the 63 last year) , exact
replicas of those presented by T.
Claude Ryan to his Ryan School of
Aeronautics graduates; then the pre-
sentation of the WW II King City Ryan
Instructors, Mickey Muzinich, Neil Fer-
ryman, Barney Cleg, Elmore Brown,
Marvin Good and Joe Brown (Wow!
What stories they told!) ; and the presen-
tation of the Archie Dean Memorial (fly-
ing training) Scholarship to teenager
Barry Bradshaw of Paso Robles by
Sherm Smoot ; and certainly George
Clayton, a Ryaneer from Fairbanks,
Alaska, who received the well-deserved
"Greatest Hangar Flyer" award.
George has quite a background in
Alaskan aviation, and given half an op-
portunity he will tell you all about it! He
entertained us with a very good har-
monica concert, and told us how he pur-
chased his Ryan PT-22. Briefly, while
on a DC-3 heading for Alaska from
California, during a stop in Washington
state, he observed a PT-22 sitting on
the ramp . It needed some minor mainte-
nance so George called the owner and
bought the Ryan right then and there.
The DC-3 was about to leave, so
George got his tool box off and pro-
ceeded to make the Ryan ferryable (oh,
yes, this was in the late fall of the year.)
It seems George had never flown a
Ryan before, but managed with the help
of a 5-gallon gas can to make it on in
to Fairbanks, experiencing only minor
mechanical problems, cold, ice and
snow along the way. (Come back,
George; we love you!)
Ryaneers gather under "Los Robles" (the oaks) for an outdoor seminar.
Among the 30-plus awards presented
during the banquet, the "Best Kinner
Powered Ryan" went to Jay Hayes,
Montara, CA for his PT-22, N56030.
The "Best Non-Kinner-Powered Ryan"
and "Greatest Distance Flown" went to
Bill Allen, La Jolla, CA for his STM-2,
N466WA. The T. Claude Ryan Memo-
rial Award went to Dennis and Susan
Lyons, the Air Rally hosts. The National
Ryan Club plaque for "Oldest Ryan"
went to Rich McDonald's 1938 SCW,
N18911, and the National Ryan Club
plaque for "Most Distant Ryan" went to
Bob Laughlin, La Jolla, CA for his PT-
22, N53431 .
All in all , the Ryan Reunion was quite
successful , with a lot of good company
and a lot of good, safe fun enjoyed by
all. We Ryaneers are looking forward to
Ryan Reunion XV. Plans are for a big
blowout, with a "max effort'" for as many
Ryans as possible to attend. Already we
are aware of plans for several "east of
the Mississippi" Ryan 's to attend. I can
hardly wait to get there! How about
you?
"Keep the Ryan flyin. "
THE FULLERHAMMOND FH1 "SUPER TWIN" ...
(Continued from Page 15)
Three views of the FH1 as it looks today.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
----------------- ---------------
Contestants in the 1930 Pacific Women 's Air Derby (L to R) - Margery Doig, Jean LaRene, Ruth Stewart, Ruth Barron, Gladys
O'Donnell and Mildred Morgan.
THEWOMEN'S CLASS
A PACIFICDERBY
by H. Glenn Buffington
(EAA 1234, A/C 202)
134 West Walnut Avenue, #B
San Diego, CA 92103
In conjunction with the 1930 National
Air Races, there were two derbies for
the women. One was a 500 cu. in. or
less piston displacement event from the
East Coast, Washington, DC through
Dixie and then up to Chicago, and an
800 cu. in. race from the West Coast,
Long Beach, California through the
Southwest and Midwest to Chicago.
This is the story primarily about the lat-
ter race which covered a distance of
2,245 statute miles.
The contestants were:
Ruth Barron (Nason) , Hollywood, Mildred Morgan, Beverly Hills, CA as the least experienced pilots. Twenty-
CA' Buhl Air Sedan J-5, Transport Travel Air J-5, Private License 15803 year-Old Barron came in with a brand
License 13749
new Transport license, having learned
Gladys Berry O'Donnell , Long Beach, to fly only six months previously. Mor-
Margery Doig (Greenberg) , Danbury CA Waco Taperwing J-6-7, Transport gan had a Private rating which was up-
CT Pitcairn J-6, Lim. Comm. License License 6608 graded to a Transport after the Derby.
10073
O'Donnell and LaRene were the vet-
Ruth Woerner Stewart, St. Louis, MO erans of the group. Gladys had flown
Jean LaRene (Foote), Kansas City, KS Curtiss Robin/Challenger, Transport the '29 Derby to a close second place
American Eagle J-6-7, Transport License 5375 behind Louise Thaden, and Jean had
License 5700 Barron and Morgan entered the race been associated with the Commandaire
22 SEPTEMBER 1985
NC21 M streamlined and ready for the 1930 competition.
Co. prior to joining American Eagle.
Of the six entries, four had become
charter members of the Ninety-Nines
when it was organized in November of
1929: Doig, LaRene, O'Donnell and
Stewart.
Left at the starting line were three
other pilots, all of whom had entered
the first Women's Air Derby of 1929,
Santa Monica to Cleveland. Pancho
Barnes withdrew from the race when
her three planes, including the one she
piloted at more than 196 mph, all were
declared ineligible. Claire Fahy of Los
Angeles, widow of Herbert J. Fahy,
Lockheed test pilot, was ruled out be-
cause her engine was excessively pow-
ered. Bobbi Trout , also of Los Angeles,
was disqualified for having an under
powered craft .2 Bobbi is also another
Ninety-Nines charterite.
Carl Lienesch, NAA governor for the
state of California, head of the aviation
department for Union Oil of California,
and who served as manager of the
1930 Derby, wrote: "It was left for the
women to show really what could be
done with A.T.C. ships. Phoebe Omlie,
in the East Coast Derby, flew a
Monocoupe of modern design and
made one of those fine showings which
the air racing world had come to expect
from her. Gladys O'Donnell and
Margery Doig in the Pacific Coast Derby
both flew modern, or rather modernized
airplanes. Margery Doig's Pitcairn was
rounded out and fitted with a Townend
ring at the Pitcairn factory. It was a
beautiful job and speedy.
"Gladys O'Donnell flew a Taperwing
Waco which, it might be said, was
streamlined to the limit, this limit being
all possible under an A. T. C. status.
Mrs. O'Donnell 's ship had I-struts, the
fuselage rounded out, and an effective
N.A.C.A. cowling. It is probable that the
top speed was around 170 mph. Her
time from Long Beach to Chicago indi-
cated an average speed in excess of
150 mph, which shows that, as far as
derbies were concerned this year, the
women win the brown derby."
James E. Granger, Swallow dis-
tributor on the West Coast , President of
the Pacific School of Aviation, who
served as official starter, had this to say
about the '30 derbies: "The splitting of
the Women's Air Derby into two classes
run from different places, in my opinion
was wrong. The two classes should be
run together next year and no attempt
should be made to farm out the starting
place of this very colorful race to the
highest bidder. It will not be necessary
for the race officials to look further for a
manager for next year's event. They
have found him in C. F. Lienesch. From
start to finish of this year's class A
women's derby, the absence of discord
was conspicuous."
The Derby actually started Sunday
afternoon from Long Beach, California,
August 17th with a short hop to
Gladys O'Donnell with the victory garland at Chicago, Aug. 25, 1930.
Lindbergh/Ryan Field for the first night
stop. The planes were flagged away at
one minute intervals, numerically by
racing number, i.e. Doig - no. 2, O'Don-
nell - no. 7, LaRene - no. 20, Stewart -
no. 38, followed by Morgan and Barron.
The starting time from Long Beach, arri-
val time in San Diego and the elapsed
time follows : (PST p.m.)
O'Donnell - 3:32 - 4:04:51 - 32:51
Doig - 3:31 - 4:05:03 - 34:03
Barron - 3:36 - 4:22:36 - 46:36
Morgan - 3:35 - 4:25:29 - 50:29
Stewart - 3:34 - 4:31 :09 - 57:09
LaRene - 3:33 - 4:30:16 - 57:16
LaRene was delayed eight minutes
at take off because of inability to start
her engine with the other racers.
On Monday the schedule called for a
noon stop at Calexico and the night stop
at Phoenix. In accordance with air derby
customs, Mrs. O'Donnell's craft was the
first to taxi across the starting line on
the departure for the second control
point. All the contestants arrived at
Calexico within a span of 21 minutes.
Elapsed time from start: O'Donnell,
1 :13:53; Doig, 1 :22:48; Barron, 1 :36:21 ;
Morgan, 1 :47:01 ; LaRene, 1 :48:27 and
Stewart, 1 :59:52.
O'Donnell and DOig finished the third
lap into Phoenix with less than five min-
utes separating them. Ruth Barron was
the last to get away from Calexico be-
cause of some engine trouble and the
fledgling's navigation caught up with
her; she became disoriented and flew
an hour beyond Phoenix. She landed
35 miles south of Holbrook, Arizona, re-
mained overnight where she landed
and then flew back to Phoenix to rejoin
the others Tuesday morning.
On August 19th, the noon stop was
Tucson and then to Douglas for the
night, where the total elapsed time tal-
lied: O'Donnell, 3:56:29; Doig, 4:13:08;
Morgan 5:26:14; LaRene 5:35:23;
Stewart, 6:25:25; Barron, 21 :39:52, be-
cause of the delay in reaching Phoenix
after over-flying it.
Wednesday it was "on to" Lordsburg
and then Roswell , New Mexico where
O'Donnell was officially 26:40 ahead of
Doig. Others arrived in the following
order: Barron, LaRene, Morgan and
Stewart.
The 21 st scheduled a Lubbock noon
stop and to Amarillo, Texas for the
night. Gladys covered the Roswell-Lub-
bock leg in 1 :00:41 and Margery in
1 :02:38. The other four pilots landed in
the same sequence as at Roswell.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
A frontal view of the racy Waco Taperwing, NC21M, in its heyday.
Enid, Oklahoma was scheduled for
noon and Wichita, Kansas for the night
of the 22nd. Thunderstorms and heavy
rain gave the girls some of their most
inclement weather during the Amarillo-
Enid leg of the race. Ruth Stewart was
forced down near Elk City, but she set
her plane down at Enid at 12:56:30.
Jean LaRene was forced down near
Waukomis, a few miles south of Enid;
she arrived at 12:57:28, accounting for
all the entries, so they could take off on
schedule for Wichita.
More thrilling adventures entered the
Wichita-Kansas City, Kansas (Fairfax
Airport) leg. A little short of half-way to
Kansas City, Margery Doi g3 was
forced down and out of the race near
Olpe, Kansas, 10 miles south of Em-
poria, in a farmer's pasture, when her
engine caught fire. She sideslipped to
a landing and beat out the flames that
threatened to destroy the Pitcairn. It
was a tough break for Doig after flying
a good second to that point.
Again, Ruth Barron's navigation went
awry. She was visibly annoyed when
she finally landed the Buhl at Fairfax at
5:41 :p.m. with an elapsed time of
3:04:57 from Wichita. She reported: "I
lost my bearings somewhere near Kan-
sas City and landed in a field near a
farm house. I asked the farmer the di-
rections to Kansas City, and he told me
50 miles north. I said that he surely
meant 50 miles east, but he insisted he
was right. I flew the way he said,and
24 SEPTEMBER 1985
found myself over St. Joseph, and here
I am back. "
The author had the pleasure of
watching the girls "bring 'em in" at Fair-
fax on Saturday. O'Donnell crossed the
finish line in her bright red and yellow
Waco at 3:45 - 1 :14:20 out of Wichita.
LaRene, in her yellow American Eagle,
arrived at 4:07 - 1 :34:15 from Wichita.
Morgan, flying her dark blue Travel Air
with silver wings, finished at 4:10 -
1 :35:12 out of Wichita. Stewart, in her
orange and cream colored Curtiss
Robin, came in at 4:37 - 2:03:42 from
Wichita.
Shortly after these four arrivals, the
Derby starter, Jim Granger, and his
wife, Clema, flew in with their Swallow,
and taxied up to the flight line. Then a
Ryan Brougham flew in with "Gladys
O'Donnell" painted across the fuselage.
It was flown by her husband, Lloyd, and
served as the flagship for the O'Donnell
camp. Some of the Fairfax pilots called
it "ritzy", but I figured, if one could afford
it, why not?
One of the first to reach Jean LaRene
was her mother, Mrs. Sadie Ross of
Olathe, Kansas whom Jean visited
often. She also had a long chat with
Larry Ruch, former chief test pilot for
the American Eagle Aircraft factory at
Fairfax.
The contestants attended a dinner in
the evening sponsored by the Women's
Chamber of Commerce of Kansas City,
Kansas. The new Fairfax Airport term i-
nal building the site for this occasion,
and Mayor Don McCombs welcomed
the fliers.
The Derby continued to Des Moines,
Iowa and Madison, Wisconsin on Sun-
day and the last leg to Chicago was
flown Monday, August 25th. The offical
Long Beach-Chicago results were:
Elapsed Prize
Pilot Time Money
Glady's O'Donnell 15:13:16 $3,500
Mildred Morgan 21 :08:35 2,100
Jean LaRene 21 :45:49 1,400
Ruth Stewart 26:38:06
Ruth Barron 38:33:41
Margery DOig (Out at Olpe, KS)
For their efforts in flying the '30
Derby, Ruth Barron was awarded the
Jr. Women's Aeronautical Association
of California Trophy, and Gladys
O'Donnell won two trophies: The Aerol
Trophy by the Cleveland Pneumatic
Tool Co., and the Women's Aero. Assn.
of Calif. Trophy. Gladys also won the
Mrs. Robert McCormick Trophy and the
Women's Pioneer Aviation Club Trophy
for winning two closed-course races at
the National Air Races which were held
at Curtiss-Reynolds Airport, Chicago,
Aug. 23 to Sept. 1, 1930.
An AP release, dated Aug. 31 , 1930,
carried the headline, "Another Victory
Chalked up for Feminine Fliers," and
the sub-title "Women pilots fly over long
routes in air derbies in less time than
men. " It favorably compared Gladys
Copy of picture Gladys O'Donnell auto-
graphedforLouiseThaden.
O'Donnell's performance with the two
Class A Men's Derbies, won by John
Blum, Seattle to Chicago, and Art Kil-
lips,Miami-Chicagorace.Italsopraised
Phoebe Omlie's showing against the
two Class B Men's Derbies, won by
John Livingston, the race from
Brownsville, and the Derby from
Hartford, won byJ. Wesley Smith.
In 1967,when Iwrote Mrs. O'Donnell
regarding the Taperwing,she sent the
front view and commented, "I feel a
pang of guilt at not keeping myoid
friend 21M, for that's the way I feel
about that plane. The enclosed photo-
graph is 21M at her top best, in the
streamlinedbeautyofitsheyday- 163
mph. You will notice the special racing
gear. It was beautiful but a bit rugged
on turf fields,since it was arigid gear.
It added aboutsix milesperhourtothe
top speed. "The O'Donnelis owned the
Taperwing for adecade.
In comparingthis airrace ofover fifty
years ago with some of the more cur-
rent ones,we need to mentionsomeof
the pros and cons.When the race is of
the "on to" type, with noon and night
control stops, the contestants more or
less stay together. In that manner,
weather and flying conditions are
practically the same for each entrant
and the race officials have theopportu-
nity to release race standings to the
media aftereach dayof racing.
Morerecently,theraceroutes,gener-
ally 2,000 to 2,500 statute miles in
length are set up, and the contestants
are usuallygiven four days, flying VFR
in daylighthours,to reachtheterminus,
beforeaspecifieddeadline.Eachplane
isassignedapar(handicap)speedand
the objectisto have agroundspeedas
farover the parspeed as possible. The
pilotisthusgiven theleewayto playthe
elements,holdingoutforbetterweather
conditions, winds, etc. The faster
planes with better performance are
somewhat favored in this respect, as
sometimes the slower entries must
forge ahead in orderto beat the dead-
line at theterminus. And,in thistypeof
race,theofficialstandingscannotbere-
leased until the final "bird"has crossed
the finish line. Actually, the last arrival
can be the winner.
The earlier races flew shorter legs
and made more stops than the current
races. More recently, the legs are 280
to 350 statute miles and six or seven
control stops are designated,for either
landing or fly-by, and the races are
opentoallfixed-wingstockaircraftfrom
145 to 570 horsepower. Early on, the
fastest airplane with no handicap was
in a good position to win, if it held to-
getherover thelonghaulandtherewas
no big navigational errorcommitted.
Now that a handicapping system is
used - each plane flying against its
ownspecifiedspeed- supposedlyany
entry has an equal chance of victory,
dependingontheaccuracyofthehand-
icapping.
Gini Richardson, Yakima, Washing-
ton,who oft-times places in the top 10,
gives some racing advice:"The hand-
icap is vitally important- you have to
have agood handicap, that'sessential.
Afterthat, ifyou wanttofinish inthetop
10, you have to fly well, have knowl-
edgeoftheweather,andstrongnaviga-
tional skills."
Velda King Mapelli, Las Vegas,
Nevada, President of the Air Race
Classic for the past eight years (1977-
1984), wrote in the recent race pro-
gram:"The altruisticinterestand efforts
ofmanypeople offersARCcontestants
a temporary respite from the normal
routine- and opportunityto share the
camaraderie of participating in an air
race. There are no secrets to racing.
Personal application ofskills will deter-
mine the winner, buteachwill be abet-
terpilot as aresult of the experience."
That is what it is all about!
FOOTNOTES
(1) Subsequent last namesare in parenthesis.
(2) Had Trout been on the East Coast,she could
have entered the KinnerpoweredGolden Eaglein
the 1,575 mi. Dixie Derby. This race was won by
Phoebe Omlie in a Warner Monocoupe.She was
followed by Martie Bowman, Kinner Fleet ; Laura
Ingalls,GypsyDH Moth;NancyHopkins(Tier),Kin
nerKittyHawk;andCharityLangdon,CirrusAvian.
Vera Dawn Walker, flying a Warner Inland Sport,
hadtowithdrawbecauseofamechanicalatBirmin-
gham,AL and MaryHaizlip,in another Warner In-
land Sport, failed to make the race start after her
airplane was dinged in a forced landing near
Greenwood, SC enroute to the starting line.Both
Haizlip and Walker did get to Chicago after the
delays and flew in some of the closedcourse
events. Ninety-Nines charter members in this
group include HopkinsTier,Omlie and Walker.
(3) Doig was able to have the Pitcairn engine re-
paired and she flewto Chicago on Aug. 26th.She
placed second behind O'Donnell in one 25 mi le
pylon race at 135.36 mph, and won $450. In the
feature50 milerace,sheplaced4th,justoutofthe
money, behind O' Donnell, Mary Haizlip and Opal
Kunz.
VINTAGE SEAPLANES
TheOldestKnown SetofEDO Floats inService
The aircraft is a 1933 Waco UBF-2 biplane powered bya220-horsepowerContinental
W670 engine. The floats are EDO model M-2665s, manufactured on August 2, 1930.
Theseparticularfloatshadbeen damaged inacrashin 1950,andwerekeptinstorage
for 27 years prior to being restored and fitted to the Waco in 1977. This remarkable
antique aircraft isthe property of Mr. Henry Stauch, JunctionCity, Oregon. It is con-
vertedtofloatoperationinthesummer,andflownfromKenmoreAirHarbor,Kenmore,
Washington, sceneofthisphotograph. Photocourtesy EDO Floats
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
My FirstFlight
ToOshkosh
18 gallons each. My partner and I developing a small stomach problem; Robert R. Black
watched in amazement as the boy too much excitement I thought. (EAA 220708)
4246 South 1060 East Lift off was normal and the Tri-Pacer pumped 18.1 into the right tank and
18.0 gallons into the left tank. Instantly did pretty well at first. But the night air Salt Lake City, UT 83117
I felt terrible. I had just flown in on was hot and humid and I wasn't ex-
fumes! I had made a mistake on my periencing the kind of lift that I was used Ever since seeing a Pitts Special in
flight duration - I forgot that I had cir- to. I had to circle in the Salt Lake Valley FL YING magazine when I was sixteen
cled for half an hour after take off. and learning of a special event called for 30 minutes until I could get up to
Then a super bad case of cotton- Oshkosh, I have had the desire to go. altitude. At 9,000' I started through Par-
After all the years of putting it off due to ley's Canyon and headed for Ft. Bridger mouth hit me. I figured it was just due
VOR in Wyoming. What a bumpy ride! lack of funds, and not having anything to the close call, so I took a drink of
some fruit punch which went down like to fly, I finally got the chance to go in We popped around inside the plane like
1984. a bowling ball. I really didn't feel good, two marbles in a can. From Ft. Bridger
My father and mother and I had just but I told myself I was going to Oshkosh we flew to Evanston, then to Rock
Springs, Wyoming. completed a 15-month restoration pro- by gosh and that thought kept me going.
ject on my father's 1956 Piper Tri- We piled back into the plane and took I started to develop cotton-mouth but
Pacer. With the bird looking new and off. We climbed slowly and headed for figured it was just the thrill of finally
Chadron. pretty I had little trouble talking myself going to Oshkosh.
We called Rock Springs asking for into taking it to Oshkosh. As soon as we cleared the remaining
I discussed this with my business mountains I started to descend when fuel accommodations and I changed my
partner and somehow talked him into an overwhelming feeling came over me. flight plan from Casper to Rock Springs.
going with me. All right! I could go at I was going to throw up and I couldn 't When they told me it would cost an ad-
half the cost. Things were really picking ditional $30.00 to get someone to fuel shake the feeling, try as I may. How
up. could I do that - I'd never been sick in me I said no thanks and changed my
The date was set, Saturday July 28, an airplane in my life - I couldn 't do flight plan to Rawlins, Wyoming. Fuel
1984 at 3:00 a.m. I figured if we left at that! The sic-sacs were for my wife and was getting low, but figuring the length
of the trip and the amount of fuel left, I others who couldn't take the ups and 3:00 in the morning I could climb up out
of the Salt Lake Valley and fly to downs. figured I could make it.
My honor was at stake - I couldn't Casper, Wyoming. From there I would On to Rawlins we went, over the low-
proceed to Winner, South Dakota, Fair- do that. What a statement ; typical hard- ering mountains. With all the bumps
mont, Minnesota and then on to Osh- head approach, right? Well, that and ups and downs, my stomach told
kosh. thought helped me to fight off the inevit- me I had a problem. I just couldn't be
Hours of preparation and planning getting sick. I'd never been sick in an able. "Come on Chadron, " I kept saying.
were spent in getting ready for the trip. I'd never felt that badly on any flight , but airplane. I figured that I was just overly
A tent was measured and stuffed into we pressed on. tired and hungry, and the stop at Raw-
the baggage compartment. Vacation "Chadron Radio, this is Tri-Pacer lins would put me back in shape.
time was hastily arranged and all sys- 4547A, do you copy?" 'Tri-Pacer 47A Finally Rawlins appeared on the
tems were go. Little did I know how Chadron Radio copies loud and clear." other side of two knolls. I brought the
much "go" there was coming. plane around entering down wind and Chadron, 47A, what's your active run-
On Friday, July 27, I went to work. way?" slipped in to a nice, friendly airport. The
What a total waste of time. It's a good on-field FSS Operator was super nice "47A, active is 20."
thing I'm a lead man in the machine "Roger 20." and said the place would come to life in
shop, because I accomplished nothing a little while. He told us the good places Then came the bad news. Chadron
and finally left at lunch time. Working gave me the altimeter setting and said to eat breakfast. We decided to plan the
swing shift has its advantages at times, next phase of our flight since our origi- the winds were 25 gusting to 35. I asked
and I went home to sleep and prepare nal flight plan was greatly altered by Chadron for the wind direction, and he
for the flight. then. told me again. I just could not get with
What a wasted night - I couldn't the program; whatever was making me We flight planned to Chadron, Neb-
sleep and all I did was toss and turn. raska for our next stop, figuring it would sick was really getting to me.
Two a.m. came awfully early, and I left put us right back on course. As soon as I entered the pattern but could not
for my partner's home. We piled into the planning was finished, the line boy keep the plane tracking straight. It
the jeep and went to the airport. would not settle. What was wrong? For at Rawlins appeared and fueled us with
The preflight went well , except I was 80 octane. My tanks are placarded for those of you who are Tri-Pacer drivers,
26 SEPTEMBER 1985
you know the plane settles like a rock. I felt better. They were the greatest. our trip home, I spent the first hour and
. I looked at my airspeed indicator - I On the way into town, the car win- a half in the bathroom at the airport.
was doing 120 mph and should have dows were open all the way. At the Between the bathroom and the plane I
been doing 80. "Missed approach, Super 8 Motel , we met more super nice threw up four times. We climbed into
going around, will try it again. " people. The rooms were great and I the Tri-Pacer anyway and took off.
"Roger 47A, no other traffic in the pat- crashed. My partner was given a free 47A flew great. I told my partner that
tern." ride back to the airport by the motel he would probably end up doing a lot of
"Chadron , this is 47A - downwind manager to pick up our gear. the flying. I did pretty well until we got
for runway 20." We spent the day in town, and I just west of Rock Springs, Wyoming.
I prayed, "Please God, help me down. stayed in bed trying to die. I finally Ooops, that was the only time I ever
Don't let me kill my partner. " realized that my problem was a good used a sic-sac. Bless those considerate
Okay, I've got to do this. Line it up. case of the flu . people for making those wonderful leak-
There, that's right. 80 mph, okay, flaps Chadron has a lot to see, and some proof bags.
day I shall go back. I feel I must let those to slow us down, right , in we goooooo. I had decided that if I couldn't finish
good people know that I really do have What a crosswind, touch down, hold on. the trip all the way back to Salt Lake
color in my face. Oh, isn't pride terrible? "47A, you just landed on 26. That was City Airport No. 2 that I would land at
a pretty good cross wind landing." In the afternoon I felt a little better Ft. Bridger. Fortunately as Ft. Bridger
"Thanks, I just don't feel good. I and thought maybe we might make it to passed below us I felt we could make it.
Oshkosh anyway. We went back to the A storm front was crossing from west guess I needed the practice."
"Roger." airport and planned the rest of the trip. to east, right in our path. The clouds
I thought to myself - you nut, what's All of a sudden I made a mad dash to were closing in. I dropped from 10,500'
the great white throne - the decision to 8,500' and still I was going through wrong with you? Can't you remember
how to tell which runway is which? To was made - head for home. clouds. Short little IFR trips in the moun-
We took off for Riverton, Wyoming. It be honest, I was so sick that I couldn 't tains is not really my idea of fun and
remember how to tell the correct run- was a pretty good trip and at one point games. What a trip. Boy was I sick.
way. I felt I might have made it to Oshkosh, We made it through Parleys Canyon
but went on to Riverton. What a good and I prayed, "Please, Lord, help me We taxied to the ramp and I warned
decision that was. land this thing. " my partner to get out of the way. I ran
In Riverton, the Best Western Sun- My prayers were answered, we into the bathroom and spent a good half
downer motel sent their courtesy car for parked the plane, got into the jeep and an hour seeing only a small porcelain
us. We spent the night and the next I said , "Get me home quickly, Gary." I hole - oops.
morning there and I was sick, sick, sick. went straight to bed, where I stayed The people at Chadron were super.
Everybody in Riverton took pity on me. from Sunday to Wednesday. L&D Aero Service tried all they could to
Next year there will be no flu . I will They were really great. Would those make me feel better. They fueled the
people ever see me in better condition? fly, crawl or whatever, but I'm absolutely plane and offered me a free ride into
When we finally decided to continue going to go to Oshkosh ... maybe . town so I could get a place to sleep until
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
We would like to list your aviation event in our
calendar. Please send information to the Editor,
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, Wittman Airfield,
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information must be
received at least two months in advance of the
issue in which it will appear.
SEPTEMBER 4-8 - GALESBURG, ILLINOIS -
National Stearman Fly-In. Contact Tom Lowe,
823 Kingston Lane, Crystal Lake, IL 60014.
SEPTEMBER 6-8 - GIG HARBOR, WASHING-
TON - Puget Sound Antique Airplane Club's
5th Annual Fly-In at Tacoma Narrows Airport.
Antiquel Classic judging and awards. Contact
Floyd Tuckness, 29528 - 179th Place, SE,
Kent, WA 98031, phone 206/631 -7454.
SEPTEMBER 7-8 - MARION, OHIO - Annual
Mid-Eastern Regional EAA Fly-In at Marion
Municipal Airport. Contact Lou Lindeman, after
5 p.m. 513/849-9455.
SEPTEMBER 7-8 - SUSSEX, NEW JERSEY -
Tri-Chapter Fly-In - EAA Chapters 73 and
238 and AlC Chapter 7. Sussex Airport.
Awards, vendors and much more. Contact
Vearl Lack, 201 /584-9553 or Anne Fennimore,
201 /584-4154.
SEPTEMBER 7-8 - SPEARFISH, SOUTH
DAKOTA - Cub Club of America Fly-In. Black
Hills Airport. Awards and prizes. Co-sponsored
by EAA Chapter 806. Contact: Chapter 806, P.
O. Box 670, Speartish, SD 57783, phone 6051
642-4100.
SEPTEMBER 8 - WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WIS-
CONSIN - 5th Annual Antique Transportation
Show & Fly-In. Sponsored by EAA Chapter
706 and local Model T Chapter. Contact Joe,
715/886-3261 .
SEPTEMBER 12-15 - RENO, NEVADA - Reno
National Championship Air Races, Reno Stead
Airport. Contact: Reno Air Races, P. O. Box
1429, Reno, NV 89505.
SEPTEMBER 13-14 - AMSTERDAM, NEW
YORK - Ed Heath Days. Commemoration of
Heath's First Flight, September 13, 1910. Dis-
plays of Heath aircraft, radio control models,
fly-ins, forums. Saturday evening dinner and
guest speakers. Contact Adirondack Chapter
602, EAA 45 Spring Avenue, Gloversville, NY
12078.
SEPTEMBER 13-15 - KERRVILLE, TEXAS -
21 st Annual Kerrville Fly-In. Sponsored by the
43 EAA Chapters in Texas. Contact: Kerrville
Convention and Visitor's Bureau , P.O. Box
790, Kerrville, TX 78029, 51 21896-1155.
SEPTEMBER 13-15 - GREENVILLE, MAINE -
Seaplane Pilots Assoc. Meeting. Contact SPA,
421 Aviation Way, Frederick, MD 21701 .
SEPTEMBER 14-15 - JACKSONVILLE, IL-
LINOIS - Regional Fly-In for Stinsons and all
Frankl in powered aircraft. Camping avai lable
at the field. Seminars on Franklin engines and
re-covering techniques. Contact: L. Nordgren,
P. O. Box L, Frankfort, IL 60423, phone 8151
469-9100.
SEPTEMBER 20-22 - TULSA, OKLAHOMA -
28th Annual Tulsa Fly-In - Tahlequah Munic-
ipal Airport. Contact: Charles W. Harris, 9181
585-1 591 .
SEPTEMBER 28-29 - BINGHAM, MAINE - 16th
Annual Gadabout Gaddis Fly-In Family Fun
Days. Gadabout Gaddis Airport, Route 201 ,
Bingham. Fly-in, camp, drive-in. Contact: David
Vincent, Chairman, Upper Kennebec Valley
Chamber of Commerce, Bingham, ME 04920.
OCTOBER 3-6 - FOUNTAINHEAD, OKLAHOMA
- 10th Annual Convention of the International
Cessna 120/140 Association. Contact: Carl At-
kinson, McAlister, Oklahoma.
OCTOBER 3-6 - EUFALA, OKLAHOMA - 10th
Annual Convention of the International Cessna
120/140 Association at Fountainhead Lodge,
Lake Eufala, 55 miles SSE of Tulsa. Contact:
Carl Atkinson, 918/426-1897.
OCTOBER 11-13 - CAMDEN, SOUTH
CAROLINA - EAA Chapter 3 Fall Fly-In. Con-
tact Henry or Pat Miller, 919/548-9293.
OCTOBER 17-19 - LOS ANGELES, CALIFOR-
NIA - OX-5 Aviation Pioneers National Reun-
ion, Governor's Conferences, National Awards
and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies at Air-
port Hilton Hotel. Contact: Oliver Phillips,
10405 West 32nd Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO
80033, phone 303/233-5905.
MARCH 16-22 - LAKELAND, FLORIDA - Sun
'n Fun '86. Contact: Sun 'n Fun Headquarters,
813/644-2431 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet...
25 perword,20 word minimum. Send yourad10
TheVintageTrader,WillmanAirfield
Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591.
AIRCRAFT:
FAIRCHILD 24W-41A - with Warner 185 and
Aeromaticpropeller. New restorationwith very low
time. 1943 Navy colors and configuration. Make
cash offer. William Ross Enterprise, Inc. 1800
Touhy Avenue, Elk Grove Villake, IL 60007,312/
640-1700. (9-2)
ACRO SPORT- Singleplacebiplane capableof
unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to
follow plans includes nearly 100isometrical draw-
ings, photos and exploded views.Complete parts
and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans
plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info
Pack- $5.00.SuperAcroSportWing Drawing-
$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building -
$10.00 plus$2.00 postage.Send check ormoney
order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales
Corners,WI 53130.414/529-2609.
POBERPfXIE- VWpoweredparasol- unlimited
in low-cost pleasure flying.Big, roomy cockpit for
the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to
beat 3'/2 gph at cruise setting.15 large instruction
sheets.Plans- $60.00.Info Pack- $5.00.Send
check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC.,
Box462,HalesCorners,WI53130.414/529-2609.
ACRO II- The new2-placeaerobatictrainerand
sportbiplane.20 pages of easy to follow,detailed
plans. Complete with isometric drawings,photos,
exploded views. Plans - $85.00. Info Pac -
$5.00. Send check or rnoney order to: ACRO
SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462, Hales Corners, WI
53130. 414/529-2609.
1933 FAIRCHILD 22, Menasco D-4 Super Pirate
Engine. About 285 'hours, airframe 1030 hours.
Very clean, some engine spares.$30,000.Spare
engine available.3121358-4035 or 742-2041.
FAIRCHILD 24W46 complete with good Warner
165,presentlydisassembledforrestoration. Spare
fuselage,wings,etc.included. Price $13,500. Wil -
liam Ross- 3121640-1700. (9-2)
WACORNF 1931 modelcompletewith speed ring
and wheel pants- 125 Warner- ready to fly -
a classic antique biplane. Price $32,500. William
Ross- 312/640-1700. (9-2)
CESSNA UC-7BB (T-50) Bamboo Bomber with
like-new wing ready for re-cover. Complete
airplane disassembled for restoration. Price -
$14,000. Will iam Ross- 312/640-1700. (9-2)
CESSNA UC-78C (T-50) Bamboo Bomber with
300hpLycomingengines.Wingneedssomework.
Complete airplane disassembled for restoration.
Make cash offer. William Ross - 3121640-1700.
(9-2)
C-37Airmastercompletelyrestoredtooriginal.All
new wood. Best restoration at Watsonvi lle.
$29,000.00. Phone 805/769-8380 6-7 p.m. , PDT.
(11-3)
WacoRNF,1930,145hpWarner,30SMOH,Ham.
Std. Grnd. Adj .Prop., 40 hourssince balance and
polish; 1977 Ceconite, 135 hours since recover,
always hangared; May 1985 annual; only 7 still
flying. Jim Course, days, 609/888-0496; nights
215/493-9385.(10-2)
MISCELLANEOUS:
BACKISSUES...BackissuesofTHE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE (and other EAA Division publications)
are available at $1.25 per issue.Send your list of
issuesdesiredalongwithpaymentto:BackIssues,
EAA-Wittman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-2591 .
BadfyNeededCessna140-Acowlparts- parted
or assembled- full cowl or nose bowl and lower
cowl assembly. Please call Angelo Fraboni ,5801
Monona Drive,Monona,WI 53716-3599,608/222-
1464or608/222-8517.
WANTED:
Seeking anything about AmeliaEarhart .Want pic'
tures,articles,etc.Especiallywantpersonalstories
and unpublished pictures.Also,whatdo you know
about Irene O'Crowley-Craigmile-Helier-Bolam?
Dean Magl ey, 5210 Village Court, Rockford, IL
61108, phone 815/399-8407. (9-1)
Wanted: Salmson AD-9 parts. Prop flange,cylin-
ders, pistons, push rods, rockers, bushings, etc.,
JerryVilendrer,3060 E. Emelita,Mesa,AZ. 85204,
phone 6021832-6910. (9-1)
VINTAGE TRADER AD fORM
Send check or money order with copy to Vintage Trader- EAA,Wittman Airfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086.
TotalWords____ Number of Issuesto Run ____ __________________ _
Total$,____
Signature _______________ _______________ _
Address


For the
products.
uses RACE GLAZE EAA Price: $9.95 per bottle
to preserve and
EAA Case Price (12):$72.00
protect the
Above prices include shipping for Continental U.S.A.Only.
museum's price-
Send $9.95for each 16 oz.bottle orsave an extra $3.95 per bottle and send $72.00
less collection of
foreach caseof 12 - 16oz. bottlesto:
aircraft.
EAA Wittman Airfield.Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086
Wisconsin Residents Add 5%Sales Tax
STITSPOLY-FIBER
IS THE WORLD' S ONLY COMPLETE FABRIC COVERING
SYSTEM APPROVED BY FAA UNDER AN STC AND
MANUFACTURED UNDER AN FAA-PMA.
WILL NOT SUPPORT COMBUSTION.
WITH POLY-FIBER FINISHES, WILL NEVER RINGWORM,
CHECK OR PEEL.
IS THE LIGHTEST COVERING METHOD APPROVED UNDER
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Oil
SAMPLE OF OUR NEW HIGH STRENGTH, LIGHT WEIGHT,
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GENERATION POLYESTER FILAMENT.
NEW 68 PAGE MANUAL #1, REVISION 13, WITH DETAILED
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FABRIC SURFACES, AND PAINTING AIRCRAFT FOR
CORROSION CONTROL.
LATEST CATALOG AND DISTRIBUTOR LIST.
Classic owners!
Interiorlookingshabby?
CJ
Don'tflya dog
Finish itrightwithan
airtexinterior
Complete interior assemblies for do-it-yourself installation.
Custom Quality at economical p-ices.
Cushionupholstery sets
Wall panelsets
Headliners
Carpetsets
Baggagecompartment sets
Firewall covers
SeatSlings
Recover envelopesand dopes
FreeCatalogofcompleteproductline.FabricSelectionGuide
showing actualsamplecolorsand stylesof materials:$3.00.
-

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t - ,?r VIS4
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259LowerMorrisvilleRd., Dept. VA
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pons
o
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hvl""";$1111
:tcl jllf llll..... ..... i
seo\Ont
CAUTION I

.... "'!t) "'("<l a ! "
-.... . V
NET WT. 1'
The EAAAviation
List: $12.00 per bottle
Center's staff
CLEAN
SHINE
PROTECT
discriminating Pilot and F.B.O.
who demand excellence i n performance
RACE GLAZE Polish and
Sealant is EAA'schoice.
Easy To Use
Reduces Drag
Removes ExhaustStains
Protect Leading Edge
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29

LOG BOOKS
NEWAND REVISED FOR ...
Pilots: EMPilot Log Book ...... $2.95 ppd.
AircraftOwnersand Builders:
EMAmateur Built Aircraft
Log Book ............... $2.95 ppd.
EMPropeller (or Rotor)
Log Book ............... $2.95 ppd.
EMEngineand Reduction Drive
Log Book ............... $2.95 ppd.
UltralightOwnersandOperators:
EMUltralight Pilot's Log and
Achievement Record ...... $2.95 ppd.
EMUltralightEngine and
Aircraft Log .............. $2.95 ppd.
AlsoNowAvailable:
CAM-18 (Reprintof early
CMManual) ... ......... $6.95 ppd.
Amateur-Built Aircraft Service and
Maintenance Manual ...... $5.95 ppd.
OrderFrom:
EAA
Wittman Airfield Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591
Phone 414/426-4800
Includepaymentwffh order- Wise. residentsadd5%salestax
Allow4-6 weeksfordelivery
THE JOURNAL OF
THE EARLYAEROPLANE
, SAMPLE ISSUE $4 )
'15CRESCENTRD. POUGHKEEPSIE,N.Y. 12601
J
................
FLYINGANDGLIDERMANUALS
1929- 1930- 1931 - 1932
Price:$3.25ea. ppd.
SENDCHECKORMONEYORDER TO:
EAA AVIATIONFOUNDATION, INC.
WITTMANAIRFIELD-
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3065
Allow4-6 Weeks for Delivery
Wisconsin Residents Include5%Sales Tax
ASP
RE-UVEIT!
\
ThefabuloustimesofTumer,Doolittle,Wedell
andWittmanrecreatedasneverbeforein this
6OO-pagetwo-volumeseries.Printedonhigh
gradepaperwithsharp,clearphotoreproduction.
Officalraceresults1927through1939- more
than1,000photos-3-viewdraWings- scoresof
articlesaboutpeopleandplanesthatrecapture
theglory, thedrama,theexcitementofair
racingduringthegoldenyears.
Volume1and2 @ $14.95each - add
$1.50forpostageandhandling.Special-
bothvolumes$28.50postagefree.Sendcheck
ormoneyorderto:EAAAviationFoundation,
WittmanAirfield,Oshkosh,WI 54903-3065.
30 SEPTEMBER 1985
EAA OFFICIAL
VIDEO
VHS & BETA
rThe official EAA Founda-
tion video collection of-
fers thesegreattapesfor
your viewing pleasure:
EAA'84
55 minutesofFly-In excitementfrom pre-Con-
vention preparation to the arrival of Voyager.
Includes great Warbirds show scenes.
.$52:t)(T $39.00
EAA OSHKOSH '83
A 26 minute fi lm covering the complete '83
Convention and the dedication of the EAA
Aviation Center.
$39.00
EAA OSHKOSH '77
The 77Convention plus excellent excerpts of
the Spirit of St. Louis CommemorativeTour.
$39.00
AERONAUTICALODDITIES
17 minutes of fun featuring the oddities and
comedies of the early flight as seen in news-
reels of the day. A great addition to your
personal library.
$29.95
WE SAW IT HAPPEN
60minutescoveringthehistoryofflightasseen
in rare early footage and interviewswith many
aviation pioneers.
..$e9:OO' $49.95
WtNGS ON DREAMS(1981)
This famous John Denver film is an in-depth
look at EAA Oshkosh '81 and features ground
breaking ceremonies for the Aviation Center.
$29.00
BASIC AIRCRAFT WELDING
Learn the intricacies of welding with practical
demonstrations on the subject. An excellent
film for the builder.
$39.95
IN PURSUITOF DREAMS- New Release
EAA member actor/pilot Cliff Robertson is
narrator host of a film that features Founder
Paul Poberezny and tellsof EAA'searly days,
philosophy and accomplishments.
$29.00 (16 minutes)
BASICAIRCRAFTWOODWORKING- New
Release
Woodworking knowledge is essential to any
homebu.ilder project. This tape covers the
basi csof wood construction techniques.
$39.95
Add$2.50forpostageandhandling
Wisconsin residentsadd 5% salestax
Guaranteed Immediate Delivery
WatchforNewReleases
Ifyour plane ison thislist...
You couldbe wasting money!
NOWAVAILABLE!STC'sforLycoming0-235and0-290engines.Also,youcan
convertyourCessna 152toautogasbymodifyingtheLycoming0-235-L2Cto
use80octanefuel - STC'snowavailableexclusivelyfrom EAA.
Over10,000aircraft owners get more flying
forthe dollarwith EAA'sAUTO FUELSTCs.
AsaresultofEAA'sleadershipinalternativefuelsresearchand
development, FAA hasfullyapproved the useofunleaded auto
gasfor317 differentaircraft models and enginecombina-
tions.AutogasSTCs(SupplementalTypeCertificates)areavail-
able from the non-profit EAA Aviation Foundation at 50 per
enginehorsepower: Example- 85hp. Cessna140-(50x85) =
$42_50. (Non-EAAmembersadd$15.00surchargetototal).Send
check with aircraft N number, aircraft and engine model and
serial numbersand EAA membernumber.
AERONCA AERO COMMANOER GRUMMAN AMERICAN PA-28-151
Including S. l. PA-22-150 AA-5.AA-5A
Including Bellanca.
PA-22S-150 Industries AA5B
Champion, TfylSk.
J3F-50, 50S,60. 100 AAI
Wagner. B &B
-60S. -65.-65S AA-IA
ARCTIC AIRCRAFT Aviation, Inc.
J31.-So -65. -65S
CO.. INC.
AA-IB
AA-IC
PORTERFIELD
50-TC
S-IA
LUSCDM8E 65-TC (L-3J) Including Rankin,
BEECHCRAFT
65-TAC (L-3E) 8.8A.C.O.E. F. T-8F Nonhwest
YO-58 Including Bonanza CP-55
MOONEY
0-588 35. A-35. B-35. C-35. CP-65
50-588
M-18C
CS-65
0-58A (L-3A)
0-35. E-35. F-35.
M18C55
7AC
G-35.35R
TAYLORCRAFT
CESSNA
M-18L
BC
7CCM(L- 168)
M18LA
7BCM(L-I 6A)
BC-65 120.140.140A
MORRISEY
BC12-65 (L-2H) 150.150A-H.15OJ- M .
AI50K-M
70C
~
8C120
BC120-85
7EC
152.A152 P1PER
7FC
BC12D- 4-85 170.170A.8
J-3C-40 7JC
172.172A-E. 172F BCS
J-3C-50 7ECA
BCS-65 (T-4IA). 172G.H.
J3C-50S S7AC
BCS12-65 1721. K. L. M
J3C-65 (L-4)
S70C
8CS-120 175.175A. B.C. P1720
J3C-65S S7CCM
BCSI2-0-85 177
J4 S7EC
8CSI20-4-85 180.180A-H.180J
J4A IIAC
182.182A-P 19
J4A-S IIBC
305A (O-IA) F19
J4E (L-4F)
IICC
OC-65 (L-2. L-2C) 305B.305E (TO-IO.
J5A (L-4F)
SIIAC
OCO-65 (L-2A. B. M) 0-10. O-IF)
J-2
SIIBC
BC12-D1 305C. (O-lE). 3050
J-3 SllCC
BCS12-01 (P-IG). 305F
J5A 80
50-C
KCA
L-4A ERCOUPE VARGA
65-C L-48(NE-l)
ii50 Including AireD, Forney,
L-4H 65-CA 2150A
S-50- C
Alon. Mooney
L-4J (NU)
2180
S-65-CA
415C.4150. E. G.
PA-ll
7GCA
415-CO
PAllS
7GCB
F-I. F-IA
PA-17 'Nolo:Only Ihose J3F
7KC
A-2. A-2A
PA-18 and J3l models pre-
M-IO
viously modified to use
7GCAA
PA-19 7GCBA
FUNK Teledyne Continental
7GCBC
E-2
Molars engi nes are
15AC
PA-28' 140 lnCiUding McClish
PA-28-150 approved.
B85C
Since 1980, over2700 engineering flight test hours have been conducted by EAA in
the Cessna 150,Cessna 182, Cessna 172,PiperCherokee,Beechcraft Bonanza and
Ercoupe.Additionalaircraftwereapproved byFAA basedon fuel systemsimilarities.
Allapprovedaircraftarepoweredby80OctaneContinentalengines(notfuel injected)
and Lycoming 0-320-A, C and Eengines. STCs are only approved and sold for the
engine/airframecombinations listed above.
Complete, low cost , protection, including auto gas coverage, is available through
EAA's approved insurance program. EAA's Auto Gas Airport Directory which lists
over300 FBOs that provideauto fuel service is now available at $3.00.
EAA LEADS THEWAY
Join EAA - Be a part of the Aviation Association that is actively engaged in
makingflyingsafer,moreenjoyableandmoreaffordableforyou.Annualmembership
$25.00,includes monthlymagazine SPORT AVIATION and manyotherbenefits.Join
today and getyourSTC at the special EAA memberrate.
WriteAttention:
STC - EAAAviation Foundation
E A ~
Wittman Airfield
~ FOUNDATION
Oshkosh,WI 54903-3065
~ T T M
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 31