MARCH 2001

The Magazine of the EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

STRAIGHT AND LEVEUButch]oyce

VAA NEWS

AEROMAIU HG. Frautschy

SPORT PILOT/ Scott Spangler

FROM THE ARCHIVES/ HG. Frautschy

AIR MAIL FOR SMALL TOWNS/ Earl Stahl

13 THE WAY TO OSHKOSH/

Bill & Katherine Smith

20 MTO LUSCOMBE FLY-IN/ Gene Horsman

22 VINTAGE PRODUCTS
24 TYPE CLUB NOTES/ HG. Frautschy
25 PASS IT TO BUCK! Buck Hilbert
27 MYSTERY PLANE
28 NEW MEMBERS
29 CALENDAR
30 CLASSIFIEDS

www.vintageaircraft.org
Publisher

TOM POBEREZNY

Editor-in- Chief

SCOTT SPANGLER

Executive Director, Editor

HENRY G. FRAUTSCHY

VAA Admillistrative Assistallt

THERESA BOOKS

EXe{:lIlive Editor

MIKE DIFRISCO

COlltributillg Editors

JOHN UNDERWOOD
BUDD DAVISSON

Art/Photo Layout

BETH BLANCK

Photography Staff

JIM KOEPNICK
LEEANN ABRAMS
MARK SCHAIBLE

Advertising/ Editorial Assistant

ISABELLE WISKE
SEE PAGE 31 FOR FURTHER VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INFORMATION

EL
by ESPIE "BUTCH" JOYCE
PRESIDENT, VI NTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Are you headed to

Sun 'n Fun in Lakeland,
Florida next month? As
the kick-off of the fly
in season, it really gets the cobwebs swept away. Are you
prepared? Is your plane as ready? Perhaps an hour with
an instructor brushing up on your skills might be a good
idea, and making one last inspection well in advance of
yo ur journey should be included in your plans. What?
You haven't had a chance to get down to Lakeland and
enjoy the first major fly-in of the season? See if you can't
clear off a few days in your schedule, and get to Florida
for the fun - you won't regret it. See VAA News on page
2 for more information on Sun 'n Fun.
The guys and gals in the Vintage Aircraft area have al
ways been great hosts. A great source of enjoyment each
year is seeing the new restorations that have been com
pleted over the winter.
Occasionally I receive a comment regarding the differ
ent ways a restoration is accomplished. A few of our
members feel that restorations which are accomplished
by professional restorers should not be given th e same
recognition as those rebuilt by restorers who turn every
nut and bolt on their own airplanes. We've discussed
this subject in the past, and for the benefit of our newer
members, please allow me to explain our position on
this matter.
The aircraft is judged and scored on a standard
form using a pOint system. The score is based solely
on the quality of the restoration. In this way, the
owner, or person who did the restoration, and any
possible political factors are not included in these fac
tors. It's the airplane's fidelity to originality and
workmanship that matter. At Oshkosh we take great
care to assure that political and personality factors do
not affect the final score.
Restoration of an aircraft is a different ball game than
constructing a homebuilt aircraft. EAA has done a great
job assisting the individual builder. The Technical Coun
selor program, EAA's great Information Services and
Government Services .offices and now the SportAir Work
shops help to educate members who want to learn
different building skills. You have the freedom to build
and mOdify your homebuilt aircraft, as you would like,
as long as the ideas will pass the final inspection. Then
you will be issued a repairman's certificate, making it le
gal for you to continue to do your own work and
inspections on your airplane.
That is a heck of a lot of freedom and trust given to

you, the builder, by the FAA. This freedom is a direct re

sult of the effort put forth on your behalf by Paul
Poberezny, EAA staff and volunteers. EAA's continued
work with the FAA over a 40-year span has established a
great deal of credibility with the agency.
Now when it comes to the restoration of an airplane,
one built by a manufacturer and issued a standard air
worthiness certificate, a different set of rules and
regulations have been in place for a long time. It can be a
daunting task for any individual. If you want to restore a
type-certificated airplane, you have several choices. You
can go to A&P school and get your licenses, which will
allow you to do all the work yourself (except for the final
sign off by a A&P with an Inspection Authorization). Or
you ca n find a person "with the proper license" who is
willing to allow you to work on the restoration while
they monitor the restoration to make sure it is being
done correctly.
Finally, you can take your project to a professional
shop and pay them to hand it back to you as a com
pleted restoration, ready to flyaway. You can also use
any combination of the above to reach the desired re
sults. When we choose to feature an airplane here in the
pages of Vintage Airplane, we're careful to clearly depict
how the restoration was accomplished . We feel it is our
responsibility to encourage the high-quality restoration
of all aircraft, especially those in our judging categories.
lf that means we show the excellent work done by a pro
fessional restorer for a wealthy individual, then we'll
highlight the fact the airplane was done in that fashion.
The creation of the Sikorsky S-38 replica is a great exam
ple of what can be accomplished when a great deal of
money can be dedicated to re-creating an historic air
craft. Highlighting that airplane certainly does not
detract from featuring a restoration by someone like
Harold Armstrong, one of vintage aviation's most ac
complished restorers, who does so for his own personal
satisfaction. It simply means that we must look at each
project from different perspectives. I hope you'll join us
in enjoying all of the many ways these wonderful air
planes are kept in the air.
VAA is aware that we have fallen short assisting mem
bers in learning more about restoring airplanes. Rest
assured we're working on solutions. We're discussing the
scope and concepts involved in have a dedicated vintage
airplane restoration class. If you have any thoughts
along that line, we'd love to hear from you. Let's all pull
in the same direction for the good of aviation. Remem
ber we are better together. Join us and have it all.
......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

VAANEWS

compiled by H.G. Frautschy

COVERS

Front Cover ... Family ties can be the

strongest, even when it's related to abeautiful
piece of machinery.The father and son team of
Bill and Steve Scott searched for this particular
Stinson 108, which had been flown many
years ago by Bill. Now fully restored, they've
flown the airplane to Florida and Wisconsin
for the two major EM Fly-Ins. Roscoe Butch,
alongtime friend of Bill's, accompanied him
during our photo mission during Sun 'n Fun
2000. EM photo by Mark Schaible, shot with
aCanon EOS1n equipped with an 80-200 mm
lens on 100 ASA Fuji slide film. EM Cessna
210 photo plane flown by Bruce Moore.

Back Cover...Aviation's Golden Spike is

the title of John Sarsfield's acrylic painting,
which depicts the first non-stop transconti
nental flight across the United States. The
painting was awarded aPar Excellence ribbon.
Flown by Us. O. G. Kelly and J. A. Macready,
US Air Service, they used aFokker T-2 (F. IV)
monoplane powered by a420 hp Liberty en
gine. Two previous attempts had failed, but on
the third try, acomplete flight was made over
the 2-3 May 1923. Taking off from Roosevelt
Field, Long Island, at 12.36 p.m. ET, they ar
rived at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California,
at 12.26 p.m. PT on May 3. Their route took
them over Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana;
St. Louis, Missouri; Kansas City, Missouri ;
Tucumcari , New Mexico; and Wickenburg ,
Arizona. They flew 2,516 miles , using 26
hours, 50 minutes to complete the flight. Only
afew weeks before the transcontinental flight,
Kelly and Macready established anew world's
endurance record for airplanes. Over atwo
day period, April 16-17, they used the same
Fokker T-2, spending 36 hours and six min
utes to fly ameasured course of 2,518 miles.
No prints are available of the painting, but
you can reach John Sarsfield, Longmont, Col
orado, at 303/702-0707 for more information
on his paintings.
2

MARCH 2001

SU N ' N FUN

The 27th Sun 'n Fun Fly-In will be

held April 8-14, 2001 , at Lakeland
Linder Airport in Lakeland, Florida.
Sun 'n Fun traditionally "kicks off"
the international fly-in and air show
season. Last year, more than 650,000
people and 8,000 aircraft partici
pated.
Education remains the focus of
Sun 'n Fun's weeklong activities. Fo
rums covering topics that range
from aircraft construction, mainte
nance and restoration to buying
insurance and hundreds of topics in
between will be presented by avia
tion experts from around the world .
Workshops, sharing a wide range of
hands-on instructions with builders,
will run continuously from Sunday
through Saturday. Additional areas
will be offered in a discussion and
demonstration format.
Aircraft of every size, shape and
description can be found along Sun
'n Fun's fl ightline, including vin
tage, aerobatic, ultralight, Warbird,
rotorcraft, experimental-category
and everything in between. Activi
ties include a superb daily air show
featuring the world's top performers
and a full line-up of eve ning pro
grams.
In addition, more than 450 com
mercial exhibits repres enting th e
leading edge of aviation technology
will offer everything from aircraft
kits to components. For more infor
mation, access the Sun 'n Fun web
site-www.sun-n-jitn.org-for regular
convention information and links to
the NOTAM for arrival and depar
ture procedures.
If you'd prefer, a free videotape is
available for pilots who wish to fa
miliarize themselves with the 2001
Sun 'n Fun VFR Arrival Procedures.
Call Sun 'n Fun at 863/644.2431 to
request a copy of th e video, which
will also be mailed with a paper copy

of the NOTAM, and handy 3x5"

booklet containing key information
in a cockpit friendly smaller size.
You can also view still shots from
the video at http://asy.faa.gov.
If you're planning on flying into
the event, please prepare a sign,
readable from outside your airplane
so the volunteers directing you to a
parking spot will know wher e to
send you. Vintage Parking and Vin
tage Camping would be good
choices to let them know you want
to park with your fellow Vintage air
plane enthusiasts.
We'll see you there!
EAA SPORTAIR TIG
WELDING WORKSHOPS

Aircraft builders and restor ers

seeking to develop or refine their
TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding
skills now have an outstanding op
portunity to learn more abut TIG
welding at EAA SportAir Workshops
to be held throughout 2001. The
workshops are provided by EAA, The
Leader in Recreational Aviation, in
association with Lincoln Electric.
These workshops, held at the
Alexander Technical Center's state
of-the-art workshop at Griffin,
Georgia, offer hands-on experience
with TIG weldin g (also known as
GT AW -gas tungsten arc welding).
TIG welding has become the pre
ferred welding method for aircraft
builders and restorers because of the
strength of the welds and the ease of
the welding operation.
Included during instruction by
the SportAir Workshops' profes
sional staff are such topics as proper
equipment and preparation; TIG
fundamentals; power settings; using
this welding method on aircraft; and
more.
Upcoming sessions include:

March 2-4

May 18-20

June 8-10 (advanced)

July 13-15
Aug. 24-26
Oct.
5-7

Oct.
26-28

Nov.
30-Dec. 2

The Lincoln Square Wave 175

TIG welding unit will be used for in
struction throughout the series.
Students will spend time in a class
room learning the basics of welding
before spending the majority of the
session in the welding booth, learn
ing and practicing the techniques
needed to weld 4130 tubing, steel
plate and aluminum. Lincoln Elec
tric professionals will be on hand to
assist students with development of
their welding skills.
Each class is limited to 12 stu
dents, with registration fees
including all instructional sessions
and materials. For more informa

tion or to register for any EAA

SportAir Workshop, call 800-967
5746 or visit the SportAir website

and adults 65+. For information, call

650/726-2328.

www.sportair.com.

TYPE CLUB HONORS

The TIG Welding Workshops are

part of the EAA SportAir Workshops
series, with more than 40 sessions
throughout the country designed to
assist aircraft builders and restorers.

Two of aviation's finest type club

folks have passed away. J.J. "Jonsey"
Pau l died late in February in Hous
ton, Texas. As near as we can tell, as
chairman of the National Stinson
Club for 35 years, he was the longest
serving head of any vintage aircraft
type club.
Alice Bergeson, who with her hus
band John, ran the Cub and
Luscombe C lub s until recently,
passed away in January. Long a fix
ture in a variety of type club
newsletters, the Bergesons have
many friends among Cub, Luscombe
and Bucker owners and pilots.
Our condolences to the families
and friends of both Jonsey Paul and
Alice Bergeson.
~

PACIFIC COAST DREAM

MACHINES

On th e west coast, April means

the fly-in season is in full swing, and
one of the great events is the 11 th
Annual Pacific Coast Dream Ma
chines show, a gathering of all things
motive and mechanical. Over 2,000
flying, driving and working ma
chines will be on display. The show
will be held at Half Moon Airport on
Sunday, April 29, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. $10
for adults, $5 for children ages 5-14

INTERNATIONAL VAA HALL OF FAME

On this page is the nominating peti

tion for the VAA Hall of Fame. If you
wish to nominate an individual who you
believe has made a significant contribu
tion to the advancement of aviation
between 1950 and the present day,
please make a copy of this form, fill it
out, add supporting material and send
it to: Charles W. Harris, P.O . Box
470350, Tulsa, OK 74147-0350. Please
mark the envelope: VAA Hall of Fame,
Attn: C. Harris.
Please be as thorough and objective
as possible. Attach copies of materials
you deem appropriate and helpful to
the committee.
The person you nominate must have
advanced the field of aviation during the
period 1950 to the present day. They can
be a citizen of any country, and may be
living or dead. Their contribution could
be in the areas of flying, design, mechan
ical or aerodynamic developments,
administration, writing, or some other vi
tal, relevant field, or any combination of
fields that support aviation.
To be considered for induction into
the VAA Hall of Fame during 2002, pe
titions must be received Sept. 30, 2001.
Please attach any supporting material with
your petition for the committee's review.

Person nominated for induction in the VAA Hall of Fame:

Name _______________________________________________________

Street___________________________________ Phone Number _________

City
State
Zip _________________

Date of Birth
If Deceased, Date of Death ________________

Area of contributions to aviation ___________________________________

Date or time SJlilIl of the nominee's contributions to aviation. Must be between 1950 to the present day.

Describe the event or nature of activities the nominee has undertaken in aviation to
be worthy of induction into the VAA Hall of Fame. _______________________

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

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

Other information _____________________________________________

Person's name submitting this petition: _____________________________
Street ___________________________________ Phone Number _________
State
Zip _________________
City
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3

VINTAGE

ER
GRUMMAN WIDGEON

Dear Henry G.,

When I went with Pan Am in
1943, it was as an instrument
instructor, giving Pan Am pilots
training on all aspects of low fre
quency radio range flying and man
ual direction finder tracking. ADFs
were unknown at the time. There
were no artificial horizons, no ADFs,
VORs,ILSs.
For this type of training Pan Am
had four Widgeons (below) with
200-horsepower Rangers and with
wooden props. These airplanes were
modified with a third set of controls,
throttles, and instruments at a com
pletely closed-in position aft of the
captain's seat.
To the right of, and adjacent to,
this third set of controls sat another
student who took manual DF loop
bearings from an enclosed loop
antenna mounted atop the fuselage,
rotateable by a control knob in the
ceiling. With earphones on, the sec
ond student would take a loop bear
ing, set up the relative bearing
observed on a plastic hand-held con
verter and then call out the QDM
(magnetic bearing to the station) to

4 MARCH

2001

the student at the adjacent third set

of controls, who would make correc
tions left or right in track solely by
the QDM bearings voiced to him.
Let downs could be made under
poor weather conditions.
I have many hours of Widgeon
flying. The airplane was strongly
built. With an engine inoperative it
would lose altitude slowly. Although
the airplane could operate from the
nearby waters of Flushing Bay, it was
airline policy not to do so, and take
offs and landings were conducted on
the runways at Pan Am's base at La
Guardia Field.
Sincerely,
Holland Redfield
Long Island, New York
RANGER MAINTENANCE

Dear H.G.,
Re: your article in Vintage
Airplane on the Ranger powered
Widgeon . After WWII Ranger
engines and parts were available at
near junk prices. I rebuilt a Fairchild
24 C8F and replaced the Ranger
390D with a 6-440 C-2 which I also
overhauled. The six-cylinder Ranger
is the smoothest engine I have ever

flown behind, but that's not what

I'm writing about. My experience
may help others. I had the good for
tune of going through Pratt &
Whitney Engine school and the
instructors were top notch and really
knew their stuff. I was told that
when setting up an engine, if you
want performance, not to trust tim
ing marks. The inline Rangers have
an overhead camshaft driven by a
tower shaft with four bevel gears
that are splined to the shaft. By find
ing top, dead center on No. 1 and
adjusting a combination of gear
teeth and splines you can get perfect
timing. I did this and also polished
the intake manifolds and made sure
the pipes were perfectly aligned. I
don't have a dynamometer to test
the engine, but by carefully flight
testing the airplane performance, I
could work backwards and obtain
engine HP.
As you know, rate of climb is a
function of excess horsepower. My
calculations, after carefully weight
ing the airplane, and on a near stan
dard day at approximately sea level
indicated that the engine was
putting out over 190 horsepower!
That's about 9 percent more than
the engine specification . With the
old 390D the Fairchild was pretty
anemic, but with the 6-440 C-2 it
was a great airplane. FAA wouldn't
let me increase the gross to that of
the later 24 Rs from 2,400 to 2,550
lbs. I found out later that it was NOT
because of structural, but because the
aircraft was originally certificated
under a rule that says you had to
clear 50 ft. obstacle in 1000! With
the 6-440 C-2 we were getting off in
500 ft. on less.
Sincerely,
John Beebe
White Stone, Virginia

Sport Pilot: A vintage opportunity

by scott Spangler
any aviators speak of a time
when aviation was simpler,
a time when pilots were
noted for their stick and rudder skills
instead of system management.
When the FAA publishes its sport
pilot notice of proposed rulemaking
(NPRM), to a great degree these days
will be back because sport pilot is
more than a pilot certificate, it's a
package deal that includes aircraft
certification and mechanics.

PILOTS & INSTRUCTORS

The sport pilot certificate is de

signed for people who want to fly
simple, lightweight, two-seat aircraft
for fun and recreation. To earn the
certificate you must be at least 16
years old and able to read and speak
English. You'll also need some form
of medical certification. Sport pilots
will reportedly have two options:
they can hold a third-class medical
certificate or a valid U.S. state dri
ver's license.
If you already hold a pilot certifi
cate, you can fly as a sport pilot by
meeting its eligibility and training re
quirements (verified by instructor
logbook endorsements) and adher
ing to the privileges given to sport
pilots. If you want to re-exercise the
privileges of your other certificates,
you'll need to meet their specific re
quirements.
For example, because you've been
flying as a sport pilot and using its
"driver's license medical" option,
you let your medical expire. To exer
cise the private pilot's privilege of
night flight, you have to get a cur
rent third-class medical certificate
and fulfill the night recent-experi
ence requirements.
So what flying privileges should
sport pilots enjoy? Based on what we
know now, you will be able to fly lo
cally-and cross-country-in day
VFR conditions with one passenger.
Sport pilots cannot fly for hire,
and they cannot fly in Class A, B, C,

or D airspace without prior permis

sion of the ATC facility responSible
for that airspace. ("Prior permission"
means a phone call or radio trans
mission requesting a clearance into
the airspace.)
Because the majority of the air
craft sport pilots will fly have flying
qualities different from standard
category aircraft, the FAA will create
a cadre of flight instructors who are
qualified to teach in them by
"grandfathering" pilots who hold
advanced or basic flight instructor
ratings from one of the ultralight as
sociations, such as EAA, the
AeroSports Connection, and the
U.S. Ultralight Association.
The grandfathered instructors will
meet part or all of the flight profi
ciency and aeronautical experience
requirements applicable to the air
craft they fly, in addition to taking
the knowledge test on the funda
mentals of instruction that is
required of all flight instructors. Un
like flight instructors who teach in
standard-category aircraft, sport pilot
instructors will not need to earn a
commercial pilot certificate or an in
strument rating.
AIRCRAFT & M ECHANICS

Sport pilots will be able to fly a

diverse group of aircraft that fall
into four broad categories: fixed
wing, trike, powered parachute, and
rotorcraft. What they all have in
common is that they cannot have
more than two seats, a maximum
gross weight of 1,232 pounds, and a
stall speed of no more than 39 knots
(45 mph).
Sport pilots can also fly standard
category (type-certificated) aircraft if
they meet these requirements, and
the list of applicable vintage aircraft
that do is short: the early Piper J-3
and PA-15 Vagabond, the prewar Er
coupe 415C, and the Aeronca 7AC
Champ. Any later modifications that
raised an individual airplane's gross

weight above the 1,232-pound limit

would make the airplane ineligible
for use by a sport pilot.
To vintage enthusiasts this might
be discouraging, but there are a lot
of sportplanes that look like Cubs,
Champs, T-Craft, and others, not to
mention World War I biplane fight
ers. Certainly a look-alike Cub isn't
the same as one born in Lock
Haven, but both of them fly. And
flying a sportplane that fits the vin
tage mold offers other benefits. You
don't have to worry about scroung
ing for or making parts, and you
can fix your own airplane without
having a certificated mechanic sign
off on your work.
Part of the sport pilot proposal is a
new subcategory to FAR Part 21 that
will enable existing and future sin
gle- and two-seat lightplanes
including those now used for train
ing ultralight pilots under an
exemption to the FARs-to be certifi
cated as experimental light aircraft.
The owners of these aircraft would
not have to meet homebuilding's
"51-percent" rule, but they will get a
repairman's certificate so they can
maintain and inspect the aircraft
they assemble.
The FAA would also create a spe
cial airworthiness certification
category in Part 21 that wou ld allow
manufacturers to sell new light,
ready-to-fly light aircraft without the
restrictive requirements of FAR Part
23 certification.
WAITING FOR THE WORD

More than any proposal issued by

the FAA, sport pilot makes today
and the future-the good old days of
flying, and it does it with an accept
able degree of safety and a minimum
of burdensome restrictions.
When is the FAA going to publish
the NPRM? The latest word is April.
And as soon as the FAA publishes it,
we'll spread the word and present it
here and on the EAA website.
.....
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

In 1929, Oshkosh resident Robert

w. O'Hara traveled to Nome, Alaska

for the wedding of his brother Floyd.
During his visit, he snapped a few
photos of aviation activities there in
the remote outpost. Here are a few of
the shots he took during his visit.
From Top to Bottom
This postcard of a Wien Alaska Airways
Hamilton H-47 Metalplane was included in
O'Hara's collection. A Pratt & Whitney
Hornet engine of 525 hp powered the H-47 .
A Canadian-registered Fairchild 71 sits on a
pair of wooden skis with its wings folded
back for storage. A preheat blanket is
draped over the Pratt & Whitney Wasp, as
the crew gets ready to fly. The other shot
shows an American registered Fairchild 71
with engine cover as it is parked in the snow.
What appears to be a Bellanca 300-W
Pacemaker sits on front of one of the airport
shacks at the Nome airport, with just a light
dusting of snow on the ground. The registra
tion number is not visible, but it is known
that Merrill Wien obtained NC354W, SIN 303
and used it in his Alaska operations. Could
this be it? Can anyone add to our meager
information regarding this airplane?

6 MARCH 2001

~ 1'1 f StAhl

f'Arr one 0f",htee

ir transportation was
growing rapidly in
the late 1930s, with
routes crisscrossing the na
tion between major cities.
Not wanting to be left out,
many smaller communities,
some without airports, be
gan clamoring to benefit
from more rapid transit to
spur economic development.
Under pressure from Con
gress and with concurrence
of President Franklin Roo
sevelt, the Post Office
Department (POD) in early
1938 outlined plans for two
experimental routes to
transport mail, without
stops, to small cities and
rural communities, some
with populations under
1,000.

The idea of delivering and pick

ing up mail and small packages "on
the fly" was decades old. Before
World War I military organizations
made limited experiments. After the
war a number of visionaries and
inventors demonstrated various con
ce pts at Boston, Long Island, NY,
Whittier, CA and Seattle with mod
est success.
EARLY EXPERIMENTS
The most determined advocate
was dentist Lytle S. Adams. In 1928,
after toying with the idea for years,
he demonstrated a novel method of
mail delivery in Seattle, Washington.
The process involved depositing an
incoming container in a ground
mounted apparatus and simultane
ously picking up a catapulted outgo
ing bag. (See page 10 graphic 1)
Having thus gained some favor
abl e attention, his equipment was
set-up on the aft deck of the giant
ocean liner 5.5. Leviathan with the
aim to reduce time for mail to cross
the Atlantic. On the first trial his
Fairchild FC-2 pilot met the ship at
sea where outgoing mail was accu
8 MARCH 2001

(On the previous page) Center Photo: During the fall of 1939, All American Aviation staged
this demonstration of an aerial pickup on the Mall in Washington, D.C. for Post Office and
congressional bigwigs. This view is looking east towards the u.s. Capital, with General Grant's
statue in the background. Courtesy of the u .S. Postal Service. Top Left Photo: Poor weather
the day before forced this All American Aviation Stinson SR-10C to spend the night tied down
between the pickup poles at one of the pickup sites. Courtesy of Earl Stahl. Bottom Left
Photo: The envelope of a letter plucked from the deck of the ocean liner U.S.S. Leviathan,
using the Adams air pickup/delivery system. Bottom Right Photo: Each pickup site required a
local messenger to prepare the protective cargo container for pickup, and to retrieve the con
tainer after the aircraft dropped it. Courtesy of Earl Stahl

The trailing cable has just contact

ed the transfer rope to capture the
outgoing load. The grapple will
then slide to the knotted end (in
this case, to your right) while the
container, slowed by a friction
device, moves to the opposite end.
Courtesy of Earl Stahl

,r-- - .
A perfect delivery during a
pickup/drop-off at Johnstown,
Pennsylvania during the
spring of 1940. The pole mark
ers are missing due to grapple
or storm damage. Courtesy of
Earl Stahl

'",
rately deposited on board. It too k,
however, 13 tries to capture the bag
containing mail arriving from
Europe-the rollin g and pitchin g
motion of the smoke-belching vessel
made accurate placement of th e
delivery "bag" cable into the relative
ly narrow deck-mounted apparatus
nearly impossible. That project was
rapidly abandoned.
Once the pickup contrivance was
removed from the ship, it was set up

'.

at Youn gstown, Ohi o , wh e re th e

Clifford Ball Airline conducted limit
ed testing on its airmail rout e
between Pittsburgh and Cleveland .
(S ee pa ge 10 g raphi c 2 .) Within
months the Ball Airlin e terminated
the service, citing equipment prob
le ms and costl y dam age t o their
Fairchild FC-2 aircraft.
In 1934 the apparatus was again
relocated, this time to a floating plat
fo rm in a small la goo n n e xt to

Northerly Island, in the midst of the

Chicago World's Fair, liThe Century
of Progress./I For several months
Braniff Airlines used Stinson
Detroiter SM-1's to make three
flights daily between the fair and
Chicago's major airport. Braniff
declared the service successful but
refused further involvement with
such a venture.
Abandoning the unwieldy ground
structure, the ever-determined Dr.
Adams conducted further experi
ments at Thomasville, Georgia, and
Morgantown, West Virginia. Trying
a new approach, two upright poles
were used to hold aloft a loop of
thick hemp rope; the attached out
going container rested on the
ground beneath. The pickup plane, a
Bellanca CH, trailed a cable with a
four-prong hook to capture the rope
with bag, which was then reeled
aboard.
EXPERIMENTAL SERVICE
AUTHORIZED
To respond to smaller communi
ties desire to join the unfolding air
age, during the spring of 1938
Congress authorized establishment
of experimenta l airmail services to
serve rural America. Despite limited
enthusiasm among top managers of
the Post Office Department, bids for
operating two routes totaling 954
miles with were solicited. The routes
had 52 pickup locations chosen. The
demonstration period was to be for
one year. To determine the practica
bility of such a service, the region
selected for testing was one of
rugged terrain with potential for
severe, unpredictable weather year
round. One zigzag route was to be
laid out between Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, and Huntington, West
Virginia, the second from Pittsburgh
to Philadelphia.
All American Aviation (AAA) was
a tiny company Dr. Adams had
formed some years earlier. Once
implementation of pickup routes
was imminent, Adams, who consis
tently lacked capital, solicited noted
soaring pilot, Richard duPont to wit
ness demonstrations of pickups at
Morgantown, West Virginia. Sensing

During 1934 this letter to a local philanthropist was picked up from the lagoon at the
Chicago World's Fair" A Century of Progress."

potential for success, duPont, who

was young, ambitious and wealthy,
agreed to provide financial backing
and became president of All
American. Only one bidder, All
American Aviation, responded with
an offer to provide the service. They
were awarded both routes. Their bid
price to fly the route across
Pennsylvania was 32 cents per plane
mile. Service to Huntington would
cost 43 cents per mile.
With contracts in hand, an entire
organization to carry out the mission
had to be quickly assembled.
Pittsburgh was selected as the hub of
operations. Personnel including
managers, flight crews, and airframe
and engine (A & E) mechanics were
hired. Also, sites with unobstructed
flight paths had to be located at vari
ous communities for installation of
ground equipment. At each commu
nity a messenger was needed to han
dle mail, set-up the station to dis
patch and receive the exchanged
mail containers. DuPont promptly
ordered the marginally reliable pick
up equipment he had earlier seen
demonstrated be immediately criti
cally reviewed and modified, as
required. Then there was another
matter: they had no aircraft!
During the many years of experi
menting, Adams had never owned
any of the variety of planes used.
The various types included aircraft
from Travel Air, Fairchild, Burnelli,
Stinson and Bellanca. Upon winning
the contract, five new Stinson SR
10Cs were ordered by Adams at a

cost of about $11,500. The order was

placed without detailed evaluation
of the variety of modern planes
available. As soon as they were deliv
ered, their cabins were stripped for
installation of pickup equipment.
PICKUP SYSTEM MODIFIED
Meanwhile, newly hired opera
tions manger James G. Ray, former
WWI aviator, flight instructor, auto
gyro and aircraft test pilot, promptly
assembled a task-team to upgrade
the pickup system. Pilot Norman
Rintoul and mechanic Victor
Yesulates, who had worked for Dr.
Adams in earlier experiments, were
placed on the team. An engineering
firm was called upon for consulta
tion and engineering services.
Within several months upgraded
concepts were agreed upon to modi
fy the pickup apparatus to be
installed on the planes, as would be
the equipment required at eac h
ground station.
Issues addressed in arriving at rec
ommendations to improve airborne
and ground equipment were numer
ous. For example, the delivery bag
accelerated to the speed of the air
craft in just a few seconds.
Controlling those forces became a
major concern of the team , so
Adams' simple in-plane device had
to be improved . In their new
approach, an air/oil shock absorber
(an oleo strut) with a stress-attenuat
ing stroke of 24 inches was provided
to hold the onboard end of a 55-foot
long, 3/16/1 diameter, stranded-wire
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9

FROM 1928-34 LY TL E S.

AOAMS REFINEO

THI S CONCEPT OF A FUNNEL-T RAP

CATAP UL T

WITH

IN EXPERIMENTS AT Si:ATTLE

FOLLOWEO BY OEMONSTRATIONS AT SEA ON

OCE AN-LINER

"LEVIATHAN",

BALL AIRLINE

IN PENNSYLVANIA /OHIO AND

BY CLIFFORD

AT THE CHICAGO WORLD' S FAIR

"CENTURY
1928 SEA TTLE
OEMDNSTAA T I ON

OF PROGRESS"

AIR PICKUP/DELIVERY
by

DR . LYTLE

EXPERIMENTS

S. ADAMS

GROUND APPARATUS (IN SIMPLIFIED CROSS-SECTION)

RECEIVE

TO

INCOMING & ENGAGE/CATAPULT OUTGOING CARGO

Graphic 1

CLIFFORO BALL AIRLINES CONOUCTED

EXPERIMENTS AT YOUNGSTOWN, OH.,
NEW CASTLE S BEAVER FALLS, PA.
USING OR. ADAM'S SYSTEM: TRAIL_
ING A CABLE THROUGH A SLOTTED,
"V" SHAPED STRUCTURE, MAIL WAS
DEPOSITED WHEN A FRANGIBLE
CONNECTOR SEPARATED.
A STEEL
BALL AT CABLE'S END THEN ENGAGED
A SLOTTED THIMBLE TO CATAPULT
OUTGOING MAIL IN THE DIRECTION
OF FLIGHT.
PILOTS TROWBRIDGE
SEBREE S LOWELL SCROGGINS FLEW
FAIRCHILD FC-2 AIRCRAFT.

Graphic 2

FIRST AIRLINE PICKUP MAIL EXPERIMENTS,

CLIFFORD BALL AIRLINE (C.A.M.

10 MARCH

2001

11)

1930

cable that would trail below and

behind the plane. The cable would
be wound out and in by a hand
operated reel. At the cable's lower
end was a four-prong, eight-pound
grappling hook.
The modified ground equipment
would consist of two 30-foot high
sturdy steel poles set in concrete, 60
feet apart. Large wooden parallelo
grams, painted orange for better
visibility, were placed atop the
poles. Instead of Adams' loop of
transfer rope with the mail contain
er resting on the ground, a single
length of hemp rope with the out
going mailbag placed near the cen
ter was held aloft between the posts
by spring clips.
With this scheme (See page 12
graphiC 3) a pilot would approach a
pickup site at a moderate speed fly
ing at 50-70 feet altitude. The grap
ple would then be below the height
of the horizontally suspended trans
fer rope. Upon contact, the stretched
rope was pulled free of the clips
holding it to the poles. The hook
then slid along the new-trailing rope
to one end . Meanwhile, the mail
container slid toward the other end,
being decelerated by a simple attach
ment fixture with parallel wooden
jaws that moved tightly together to
exert a high frictional force to slow
the rate of reaching the rope's knot
ted end. Just before the plane
crossed the poles, an identical mail
container and transfer rope were
released by the pilot to free-fall to
the ground, where it could be picked
up by the local attendant.
BUILDING AN ORGANIZATION

In preparation to starting opera

tioos, pilots with experience flying
in the variable climatic conditions of
the Allegheny Mountains were
sought. An Airline Transport License
with at least 4,000 flight hours,
acquired over a period of no less
then ten years, was a minimum
qualification. Also, despite the con
tract's intent to operate these mail
routes only under "visual contact"
conditions, being proficient in
instrument flying was required.

Norman Rintoul, who flew many

experimental pickups, was deSignat
ed Chief Pilot at a salary of $175 a
month. Others hired were: Holger
HOiriis, famed trans-Atlantic pilot;
Camille
Vinet,
one-time
Pennsylvania
Director
for
Aeronautics; James Piersol, barn
stormer and columnist for newspa
pers; Thomas Kincheloe, barn
stormer and charter pilot. Two
reserve pilots, Raymond Elder and
Lloyd Juelson were also employed.
At startup, five flight mechanics
were selected; all had to have "A&E"
licenses. They would have responsi
bilities for the mail, preparing the
pickup apparatus for airdrop deliver
ies, and then bringing picked up
cargo aboard to be sorted for deliv
ery to upcoming stations or the ter
minal. At terminal stops they would
inspect, service and make minor
repairs to the aircraft.
Locating adequate picku p sites
near each community was an imme
diate necessity. Ground stations
required clear approaches from
either side; also the flight path could
present no hazard to those on the
ground. Suitable spaces at airfields,
parks, pastures and even a cemetery
were found.
DIRECT AIRMAIL FOR
SMALL TOWNS

Service on Route 1002, Pittsburgh

to Huntington, West Virginia, start
ed on May 12, 1939. Route 1001,
Pittsburgh to Philadelphia with a
terminal stop at Harrisburg was initi
ated two days later. To accommo
date typical business needs, each
route would provide morning and
evening service, six days a week.
With concurrence of the POD, some
of the planned pickup stations
would be phased-in later over sever
al months.
A large quantity of philatelist's
mail to be carried on first flight had
been posted at most communities.
In anticipation of the greater vol
ume, three Stinsons departed
Pittsburgh for the initial run to
Huntington. A large crowd of specta
tors assembled to witness the pio

neering arrival at nearby Latrobe,

where Norm Rintoul made a perfect
delivery and pickup. Minutes later
sections two, then three appeared.
Each following pilot missed grab
bing their outbound bags, so they
had to try again. As experience was
gained, such misses became infre
quent. Two days later, Route 1001
was initiated to Philadelphia, first
traveling north as far as Corry, near
the New York border, then heading
southeast, diagonally across the
state. Again, large crowds gathered
to see how mail-on-the-fly would be
handled. In fact, throughout the
decade of service to follow, specta
tors frequently came to pickup sites
to glimpse an interesting event.
CHALLENGES FOR FLIGHT CREWS

Except for the relatively flat ter

rain near Philadelphia almost all
round trips would be over the
Appalachian plateau, ridge, and val
ley regions. Unlike the numerous
high-peaked mountains of the west,
none of the mountains along these
routes exceed 3,500 feet; yet the
region had already earned the repu
tation as an "Aviator's Graveyard."
Sudden, harsh electrical storms with
heavy downpours are common from
spring through fall. Low stratus
clouds sometimes cloak mountain
ridges and dense valley fogs occur
frequently. From mid-Fall to mid
April snow and ice, along with
strong, gusty winds can prevail. Back
then these circumstances were fur
ther worsened by vast amounts of
pollutants being spewed into the
atmosphere by steel mills, chemical
plants, paper mills, and other heavy
industries.
The POD contract specified that
visual contact with the ground be
maintained so flying was rarely
above 500 feet altitude. With some
stations fewer than ten miles apart,
pilots would often make their way
through valleys or gaps, or if neces
sary, skim across ridges. Minimum
altitude restrictions, if any, were
largely ignored. To safely and effi
ciently fly that low, a pilot's famil
iarity with landmarks was of upperVINTAGE AIRPLANE 11

AIR PICKUP WITH GRAPPLE (1939 - 41)

STINSON SR-IOC

the incoming bag on a nearby

mound. Meanwhile, the local atten
dant hoisted the mailbag to the top
of the poles while in a rowboat. At
another station in deep water,
incoming mail was dropped on the
post office yard.
ONE-YEAR DEMONSTRATION
ENDS
J/ ~ "

HE MP ROPE
(So' ,- ONG)

STEEL.
G AAP ~E

( a'-OlIN OS)

Graphic 3

most necessity. Train tracks, road

intersections, electrical transmission
lines, a distinctive barn, water tower
or a church steeple could be valuable
guideposts to the next pickup poles.
The Stinsons were equipped with
primary instrument flying facilities
of the era, airspeed, altimeter, rate of
climb, turn/bank, artificial horizon,
compass, and directional gyro. They
also had low frequency radio trans
mitter/receivers.
By summer all of the planned sta
tions were being provided service.
Routes were becoming familiar to
flight crews, and with practice, accu
rate deliveries and pickups were
being achieved. Service was expand
ed to include air express; small pack
ages under 26 pounds would be
transported along with mail.
With the prospect of winter and
its shortened hours of daylight, con
cern was expressed about keeping
the afternoon schedules late enough
to receive outbound postings near
the end of business days. Tests in
darkness were commenced at
Wilmington, Delaware. It was deter
mined that a ribbon of red neon
lights around the large markers atop
the pickup poles as well as horizon
tal range lights along the flight path
on each side of the pickup station
could be sighted as many as six miles
12 MARCH

2001

away. However, once the last three

stations of Route 1001 were illumi
nated in that manner and scheduled
in total darkness during mid
November's often severely murky
weather, the idea of night service
was soon abandoned as too risky
and all schedules were returned to
daylight.
During the first winter of opera
tion, an exceptionally severe
February blizzard closed the
Pittsburgh hub for three days. Trunk
airlines, including TWA, were
stopped when snow could not be
cleared from runways. All American
was the exception. Pilots Rintoul and
Vinet coaxed their Stinsons airborne
after downwind, downhill runs on a
rutted, snow-packed ramp. Upon
return, they landed uphill. Many
ground attendants at snow-bound
communities along their routes had
trouble matching the flight crews'
achievements.
Versatility of the system was again
demonstrated in late winter when
heavy rains caused severe flooding
along the Ohio River Valley. Rising
waters halted train, truck and Star
route surface deliveries of mail at
numerous
places
including
Parkersburg, West Virginia, where
pickup poles were surrounded by
five feet of water. The pilot dropped

As the contracted year of service

neared end, All American, satisfied
they had conclusively demonstrated
that rural community airmail was
possible as well as practical, applied
for establishment of permanent
routes. By the final day of service,
despite an unusually severe winter,
they had flown 438,000 miles,
made 23,000 pickups while com
pleting 91.6 percent of the sched
uled operations.
Service on the two routes ended
on May 13, 1940. On that day, in his
required report to Congress, the Post
Master General stated in part:
from a safety standpoint it is inter
esting to note that notwithstanding
the fact that the operation had been
carried on over mountainous terrain
with Single-motored planes, and
without the usual supervision by
Civil Aeronautics Authority, the car
rier has operated a full year on the
two routes without a single casualty.
For a new type operation, this record
of performance is without precedent
when all conditions are consid
ered." He stated further, it was
demonstrated conclusively that
pickup service could provide
improved airmail service and, there
fore, recommended that Congress
authorize permanent routes.
Unfortunately, various agencies of
government did not act in a timely
manner to ensure continuity. It took
some months for both houses of
Congress and other agencies to pro
vide a legal basis to establish new,
permanent routes. After much dis
content, communities were greatl y
relieved when the low-flying
Stinsons could again resume work
on August 4, 1940.
/I

To be continued in next month's

issue of Vintage Airplane.
...

Stinson Station Wagon

The

THE

WAY

TO

by Katherine Smith as told by Bill Smith

photography by Mark Schaible

he father and son

team of Bill and
Steve Smith collab

orated on the restoration of

their "family" Stinson 108.

Before they could get started,

they took a journey . ..
One evening, about 11:15, the
phone rang. My heart jumped a beat
or two as I became aware of the sharp
ringing and my wife's shaking of my
shoulder, saying, "Wake up, Bill."
We knew who would be on the other
end of the line; it would be our son,
calling from Santa Rosa, in northern
California. With the receiver in
hand, and doing my best to sound
wide awake, I answered, "Good
evening, Steve."
Not noticing the sleep lingering in
my voice or the indulgent light touch
of sarcasm, he lunged into the con
versation, heading right straight to
the main topic on his mind. "Dad,
let's fly the Cessna to Wisconsin and
go to the air show. You know, the
one in Oshkosh. You've heard of it,
haven't you?"
That did it. Now I was fully awake.
Had I heard right? What a question!
I'd dreamed of going to the air show
for years. Every pilot knows about
Oshkosh.
"How? Do you want to fly your
Cessna to Oshkosh?"
"That's right. We'll fly it together.
You'll be in the right-hand seat,
okay?"
I knew it was in top condition to
wing us across the southwestern
United States, then north across the
oil fields of Texas and the grain belt
of the Midwest. The plane was ready,
but were we? I had not taken an air
man's physical in several years. Steve
had yet to make the big trip, and
having flown only recently from
Santa Rosa to southern California.
Having purchased the Cessna about
a year ago, he'd carefully followed
the renewing of his flight schooling.
The flying lessons we'd given him as
14 MARCH

2001

a gift on graduating from high school

had gone unused for years. There
had never been enough time while
training for his profession as a physi
cian and then an orthopedic
surgeon.
After hanging up from our conver
sation, I considered all the pros and
cons such a trip would entail. Sleep
was forgotten. Thinking about it,
probably something would come up
at the last minute to put a stop to the
proposed trip anyway. I'd discovered
orthopedic surgeons are often in
volved, preoccupied people.
Someone is always breaking some
thing; hips, legs, knees all seemed to
be in constant peril for someone.
Something would probably happen

to stop us as the last minute. I would

not allow myself to become too ex
cited at this pOint.
However, the next day I did pur
chase the air charts for what would
be the proposed southern route to
Oshkosh from Long Beach, Califor
nia. It would be good practice for
me, a way to tune me up. I plotted
and re-plotted our route many times
over, planning the mileage for each
fuel stop plus alternative landing
spots along the way. We would fly
the highways. Special visor caps were
ordered that proclaimed us the crew
of N5211M, a pristine Cessna 172.
The caps were matches for the great
color scheme of the plane's red,
white and navy blue paint.

A modern nav/com, transponder and new and

overhauled instruments fit neatly into the origi
nal instrument panel. The Smiths' attention to
the many little details that make a comfortable,
well-done restoration are evident in this photo.

The interior of the Stinson closely follows

the original design, with a comely combina
tion of fabric and vinyl. The Stinson "bow
and arrow" logo is neatly embroidered on
the inset patch of fabric.

Now then, at this point in time,

Steve had never managed time for a
cross-country other than what was
required for hi s license. Never had
there been a flight of the duration
and miles required for the proposed
trip across country to Oshkosh. He
had yet to fly solo through the Los
Angeles air corridor, which tests the
nerves of all small plane pilots . So
here we were planning a 4,OOO-mile
cross-country, myself an ex-pilot, in
structor, commercial aviator with an

instrument rating that had not been

used in years, now 68 and experienc
ing some health questions. Well
okay son, we'll give it a go!
Without a doubt I felt much
more confident of the trip coming
to fruition when Steve's wife an
swered a call from me one evening.
"Steve is out shopping for a light
weight tent to sleep in under the
wing of the Cessna." All the hotels,
motels and even the college dormi
tori es in Oshkosh were booked up.
Some up to five years in advance!
She'd put our name on the waiting
list, however.
Steve has always been a planner.
This trip was to be no exception. In
his careful preparation for the trip,
he went into action. To master the
intricacies of th e air corridors, he
flew twice from Santa Rosa into the
Los Angeles area with an instructor.
They flew the Cessna following the
coast one time and next down the
valley following California Interstate
5. Now more confident, he seemed
to feel assurance in crossing the Los
Angeles Airport at the precise alti
tude, and watch th e air traffic cross,
landing beneath him. There is truly
something about watching the jet
airliners lined up for two runways
from the direction of the Banning
Pass and Palm Springs, bright land
ing lights on, coming in for landing
below you. Your altitude is 3,500 feet

crossing their runway intersection

coming in from the north. During
the big plane's takeoff, you seem to
see their dark shadow first, then the
silver jet itself, emerging from below
you, taking a turn out over the ocean
between the beaches of Santa Mon
ica, Marina Del Rey and Catalina
Island. Their altitude gain is very
swift. Quickly they are even with
you, traveling upward and away in a
sweeping, arcing turn while still
climbing.
Our luck held out, when a patient
of Steve's asked if we'd like his reser
vation in a dormitory room he'd
reserved for his personal test pilot.
Just in case, we still included our tent
and sleeping bags in the packing.
The day of departure finally ar
rived. My wife and I had weighed
every ounce I was taking and felt
good about the small amount it reg
istered. Steve was late taking off from
Santa Rosa. Fog and haze had kept
him on the ground until mid after
noon. It was five o'clock in the
afternoon when I spotted the Cessna
winging across the sky over Signal
Hill and Circling for a landing. I scru
tinized my son with some pride as he
executed a perfect landing even
though he had a crosswind gusting
across the east/west runway. Five in
the afternoon in Long Beach gener
ally always has a strong breeze from
the ocean inland from about three
p.m. on, and today was no excep
tion.
Packing the Cessna quickly, Steve
had the fuel tanks topped off and we
were prepared for departure, wanting
to at least clear the Los Angeles basin
so we could get an early start the fol
lowing morning. Otherwise, we
could not have left Long Beach until
after ten a.m. because of the famous
"Catalina Eddie," west coast pilots'
moniker for the perSistent, low
clouds present each morning this
time of year. Bermuda Dunes, ap
proximately 125 miles east and in
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15

the desert would be our

destination for tonight.
Now, besides the tent
and sleeping bags I men
tioned before, we packed
light weight aluminum
beach chairs, binoculars,
sun hats, our visor caps
with the call letters stitched
on, signaling mirrors, two
Swiss Army knives, survival
gear, metalized aluminum
Mylar blankets, tubes of a
powerful sun screen and
sprays of potent bug repel
lents, two dozen fat-free
nutrition bars, plenty of
bottled water, and a variety of cloth
ing packed into our two duffel bags.
All together it weighed a little more
than 100 pounds. Not bad!
We were in the air and on our
way at six p.m. Bermuda Dunes
closed down at seven. We just made
it, and were taken to a motel for the
night off Highway 111. The next
morning we had a five-thirty start.
Tucson, Phoenix, EI Paso, Odessa
and Lubbock were on our route.
With El Paso sitting at 4,000 feet of
elevation, we rounded the foot of
the Rocky Mountains and watched
out our window at 7,500 feet at the
passing plateaus and mesas soaring
up from the dry desert floor.
Proceeding North across Texas to
Amarillo, we landed in the late after
noon. Our intention was to take off
the next morning about five a.m.
again. Instead, we had to wait for
clearance until after ten. Amarillo
has ground fog too.
As expected, we encountered
some reported thunderstorms that
morning and on into the afternoon.
What a weather reporting system is
in operation across the United States!
We were guided around weather
cells by the controllers at every
checkpoint en route. These guys re
ally know what they're doing. As we
flew into their control areas and
were handed off by our last con
troller, perhaps sitting in Denver,
we'd hear, in machine-gun like
rapid-fire speech, "Cessna N5211M .
. . Change your heading left five de
16 MARCH

2001

grees, we have a weather cell on the

radar we'd like you to avoid. Proceed
on heading 010 degrees for five min
utes, then return to your original
heading." These communications
were very welcome, as you can guess.
Some of the weather cells were
significantly voluminous and at one
point we were looking directly out
our windshield at a menacing anvil
shaped cloud. Over our radio came
the welcome call in a sweet Southern
female voice, "Cessna, fifty-two
eleven Mike, I can guide you around
the thunderstorm you're approach
ing, or set you down at the nearest
airport. Last plane went around it
just fine, I believe I can do the same
for you."
Steve and I looked at each other
and Simultaneously gave the
thumbs-up. "Thank you, Manhat
tan, Kansas approach, we'll accept
your directions to proceed." Maybe
six drops of rain landed on our wind
shield as we followed the controller's
explicit directions.
Following EAA, Oshkosh instruc
tions, we topped off our fuel tanks a
hundred miles out from Wittman
Field. Landing the plane at Dubuque,
Iowa, we took on our fuel and pro
ceeded to our destination, Oshkosh.
The next series of events sounds
impossible but this is the way it hap
pens in Oshkosh. Remember, neither
Steve nor I had experienced or been
told anything quite like the follow
ing happened. We were in for a
surprise, as we used the Convention

arrival procedures as detailed in the

NOTAM.
As we flew over Ripon, we spotted
the railroad tracks leading toward
the airfield. We kept our heads on a
swivel looking for other airplanes.
Locating the tracks was a little diffi
cult since a double row of trees
sheltered them from our line of sight
at the required 800 foot elevation.
Locating them however, we then fol
lowed the tracks for nine miles,
north to the Fisk intersection.
At Fisk, our radio crackled and a
controller's voice said, "Blue and
white Cessna, if you read us rock
your wings, do not answer commu
nications, follow our instructions."
What, they've spotted us? Look
ing down we could see the intense
strobe lights marking the intersec
tion. Steve moved the yoke gently
and the plane responded with a slow
rock to the port and starboard. There
was a pause, and then the con
troller'S next verbal request was like
an electric current shooting through
both of us. We were looking about
us sharply. Our adrenal glands
boosted their flow and I am sure
both our heart rates increased con
Siderably.
Movement in the sky glinted and
caught both of our attentions. Five
planes were circling Rush Lake with
us. There was no time to watch. Steve
was following the twin-engine plane
ahead of us and we were a part of an
endless circle of aircraft. I noticed a
whitening of Steve's knuckles.

Ahead of the Beechcraft was a

small green and white checked stunt
plane. What was in front of that
plane I couldn't tell you. We were
too alert to look off any distance. As
we came back around the lake, our
radio crackled, "blue and white
Cessna, you're clear to land. Keep
your pattern south of the water
tower and the gravel pit. Come-in
using a continuing tight turn, clear
to land on runway two-seven past
the terminal building. Exit runway
at your first turnoff./I The rapid-fire
message was clipped and precise.
There was no further communica
tion directed to us.
What he wanted us to do was to
land halfway down the runway. I
watched Steve on the controls as he
spun the Cessna on its wing tip and
put it into a dive at the green dot
painted far down the runway. He
touched down at the same instant a
plane only seconds behind us landed
short on the same runway.
Over our microphone came,
"That's the way to go, Cessna./I
Immediately after touch down,
we spotted a flag man standing fur
ther up the runway, waving to us in
great arcs. The feeling was that we'd
just executed an aircraft carrier land
ing, but there was no time to think
about it. We were to go, and the sig
nal was unmistakable, we were to
hurry, to the first taxiway and
turnoff. Plainly, his flags said, "Get
off the runway, FAST!/I
The plane following up received
the same message. The flag man
pointed at the next airplane in line,
this time showing an area well down
the runway from where we had
turned off, still rolling at a very good
speed. The controllers were simulta
neously landing more than one
airplane on the same runway. One
short, one long.
Every hundred yards, more flag
men signaled us. Each took care of
us, directing us to our tiedown spot.
One side of the airfield was already
filled with planes. Our side was just
More evidence of the Smith's meticulous
workmanship is shown in the landing light
lens and retainer for the Stinson .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17

(Top) The STCd installation of a

180 hp Lycoming incorporates
the same cowling as the original
Franklin engine installation. The
Smiths have chosen Unison's
solid-state Lasar ignition system
to provide the spark for the
Lycoming.
(Left) The incorporation of a bag
gage door to the 108's design is
very handy, and prevents dam
--.:!i~ age to the cabin interior when
loading bags or boxes.

beginning to experience their incom

ing load. By the following day,
10,000 planes would be tied down
on Wittman Field.
The following day, Steve and I
walked along the lines of planes. In
the Vintage Aircraft Association's
parking area we came to the premier
location of observing the air show
activities. There sat a line of Stinsons,
108-1's, 108-2's, 108-3's, Gullwings,
military types, all sorts of them. The
108-1's were the same planes my dad
and I flew in the late 1940's and early
50's. We'd sold the plane around
1957. Looking at them now, all lined
up, they are still things of beauty in
my eyes. Both of us felt the grip on
nostalgia. What would Eddie Stinson
think of them now? Long after his
unfortunate death, the 108 series
that bore his name was built by Con
solidated-Vultee . How proud he
would have been to see "his" planes
on display at EAA AirVenture.
Now the story really begins! Once
Steve spotted them, he kept dragging
18 MARCH

2001

me back to the row of Stinsons. This

kept happening throughout the week
of our stay. He certainly did have
something on his mind!
"Dad, think about it. We'd get to
sit on the front line next year if we
had a Stinson."
"It looks that way, Steve. You
know, that is what I taught your
grandpa to fly in."
"I wonder if it's possible that the
same Stinson you and Grandpa flew
could be here?"
"My guess would be that NC97979
is long gone, Steve. Think how many
years ago that would have been.
Close to fifty. I doubt it would still be
around."
"Let's look for it anyway. It could
be right here. Maybe if not in the
Stinson line, it could be out on the
field somewhere. Come on, we're go
ing to look."
"Steve, there are more than ten
thousand planes here."
"If we find it, we'll buy it Dad!
We'll search the whole field, if we

have to."
"Steve, think about it. Who's go
ing to work on it? You?"
"It will make a great project for
you, Dad. You know you like to have
a project going. Let's just see if we
can locate old 97979. I'd like to have
it back in the family again. You and
Mom used to fly in it with me. I can
remember it. Ryan will like flying it
when he's old enough . Wouldn't it
be great, Dad, just think, four genera
tions of Smiths flying 97979."
We never did find it on the field
that week. After the Convention, fly
ing home from Oshkosh, Steve and I
talked. Most of the conversation
concerned what it would be like to
have a Stinson, that same Stinson,
back in the Smith family again.
Back in Long Beach, I called the
FAA to see if the plane could still be
registered. It was amazing the ease
with which the plane was located .
All it took was a call to Oklahoma
City. The information was mine. IT
WAS REGISTERED! NC97979 was in
Vermont! Milton, Vermont, to be ex
act. A call to the owner was
informative. The Stinson had not
been flown for six years. He told me
it was sitting in his garage, but no, he
really didn 't want to sell it.
The seller remained reluctant to
talk about selling it for about five
conversations. He kept saying he was
going to fly the plane again, even
though it had been in his garage for
the last eight years. Finally, after sev
eral conversations, I found out why
the plane was in his garage. It had
been in a "small accident" and
needed some work to make it airwor
thy again!
I began a campaign ... every two
weeks, Bob in Vermont would re
ceive a call from me. Finally,
probably in an attempt to get rid of
me, he told me the plane had been
flipped into a snow bank and had a
broken top support. He hadn't got
ten around to the inspection and
repairs that would be needed. Added
to that bit of news, he next told me
the plane had been metalized, adding
SO pounds of weight to it. Not some

(Left) Bill Smith and his longtime sailing friend

and co-pi lot, Roscoe Butch. (Below Left) Bill,
Ryan and Steve Smith at the 2000 Copperstate
EAA Fly-In in Mesa, Arizona .

connoisseurs dream, b u t sti ll

NC97979.
I called Steve with the bad news.
"Dad, maybe we could do the re
pairs, perhaps he'll let it go at a good
price! We can recover it . Let's go to
Vermont and take a look if he'll de
cide to let go of it."
Well, Bob decided to sell his pride
and let us have our joy. When we
got to Milton, Vermont, never did
we contemplate the sad condition in
which we'd find the old Stinson . Its
var io u s pieces were strewn across
Bob's yard. The good news was they
were all there, including an addi
tional airframe, and even an extra set
of wings complete with birds' nests.
Two good points, I think? And then
and there in the back woods of Ver
mont we purchased the wreck of the
original NC97979!
Steve was determined to have the
plane. Parts and pieces and all. He'd
even reserved a h uge truck, stuffed
with the plane parts, for his mother
and me to drive back to California.
How's that for determination? So we
loaded up NC97979 into this huge

truck and it was back to Long Beach

Municipal Airport. You won't believe
this, but they must have known it
was coming back and saved our
hanger of SO years ago for us.
NC97979 is home . As luck would
have it, it's right back in the very
same spot when earlier Smiths had
flown from and felt the freedom of
flight.
Now the next chapter of our Stin
son saga begins!
PHASE II - THE REMANUFACTUR
ING OF STINSON NC97979

Once in hanger number nine, the

work began. Steve, Sandra his wife
and even then-two-year-old Ryan all
pitched in. However, the total job
seemed impossible. The further into
the plane we got, the worse it be
came. The first Aircraft Inspector we
hired wanted us to balance it on old
tires and weigh it down with old bat
teries . Don't think so. As we stood
around wondering if it would ever
happen, our guardian angel appeared
in the form of Al Gerbino . AI was
and is a talker of the first order and a
great friend. He couldn't stand to see
what was happening to us, and took
over our lagging spirits . He had his
men make up a steel jig to put the
body of the plane in and straighten
it . He oversaw the welding of the
broken frame. He straightened the
twist out of the fuselage and told us
what to do next. Thank goodness for

the goodness of angels.

It needs to be said here, The South
west Stinson Club owes Al Gerbino
and our son a big debt of gratitude.
AI did it all out of the goodness of his
heart, a large one, and Steve paid for
materials and then donated the jig to
the club. That jig is responsible for
the repair of at least ten Stinsons,
which would not otherwise be flying.
Here are a few particulars on the
restoration. The engine is a 180 hp
Lycoming, installed under an STC.
The Poly-Fiber covering was expertly
installed by Lola M. Labarger, who
has been covering airplanes for over
40 years. She even had all the pat
terns for the Stinson. We did our best
to match the interior and exterior
color schemes and only used modern
materials and components where
they added to the safety of the air
plane.
We did get to fly the Stinson to
Oshkosh, and if it's possible, we had
even more fun than our first trip. We
started the trip in 1999 with about
20 hours on the airplane, and were
chagrined to discover the alternator
pulley had come loose, slipped for
ward and cut a neat hole right in our
beautiful cowling. Home again, we
fixed the cowling and were thrilled
later in 1999 when we received the
top Classic award at the Copperstate
fly-in in Arizona. A trip to Sun 'n Fun
with my friend and co-pilot Roscoe
Butch gave us the opportunity to fly
formation with EAA's photographer
Mark Schaible and his pilot, Bruce
Moore. Mark took over 100 photos
of our Stinson. The Stinson was pre
sented with the "Best Custom
Classic" award at Sun 'n Fun . Steve
regretted being unable to make the
trip due to the pressing demands of
his medical practice, but he made
sure he could make the next excur
sion to Oshkosh last year.
It's been a joy to re-experience
flying the Stinson, and our adven
tures continue. See you around the
fly-ins!
......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19

2000 Midwest Luscombe

Fly-In (MTO)
Text by Gene Horsman
Photos by Jerry Cox

he 4th Annual MTO Lus

combe Fly-In was held at
Coles Co unty Airport, Mat
toon, Illinois, on August 25, 26, and
27. MTO is the airport identifier for
the airport and the name has stuck
as the fly-in's name.
The past three years the event
was held the last weekend in June,
but this year, with hopes to avoid
the typical Midwest summer
weather, it was decided to make it
the last weekend in August. But par
for the course, as in the past, lousy
weather again reduced attendance.
Saturday evening we responded
to reports of approaching severe
weather which included a tornado
sighting just a few miles northwest.
A few Luscombes had already de
parted. As in the past we quickly
squeezed sixteen, you hear right,
SIXTEEN Luscombes into the big
hangar and all but a few were placed
in individual hangars, with the re
maining few planes securely tied
down on the ramp. Then the rain,
thunder, and lightning came, with
reported winds gusting to sixty
knots. Thankfully there was no hail
and the planes surv ived the storm
unscathed. So much for moving the
fly-in to late August in an attempt
to avoid the June thund erstorms
and tornadoes!
There were 44 Luscombes in at
tendance, from all over the country,
with 19 states represented. Some
folks drove in and some flew non
Luscombe aircraft in. We won't
mention any names or models to

20 MARCH

2001

(Above) The big winners at MTO 2000 were: (left to right) Best 8F, N 1947B; Members Choice,
Reserve Grand Champion, and Best T8F, N211G; Grand Champion, Best 8E, Nl168K; Best 8A,
NC45504. (Below) Retreating to the hangars was necessary during MTO 2000, as the rains did
come.

protect the innocent.

Models present ranged from a
1939 8A through a 1959 8F. There
were two relatively rare T8F models
and we would be remiss not to men-

tion the Turboprop Luscombe,

NC2638K, "Don's Idea," of the Lus
combe Foundation. Looks great,
sounds great, and is capable of
backing up under its own power,

(Top)lf the weather's going to be crummy, you might as well talk airplanes while safe and
dry in the hangar! (Middle) Mark and Yvonne May's Grand Champion and Best 8E features
this beautifully appointed interior. (Bottom) The Reserve Grand Champion, Member's
Choice and Best T8F was this Luscombe flown to MTO 2000 by owners Dan and Karen
McNeil, Placerville, CA.

on the ground. It is the newest and

most unique of any of the models
present.
Saturday morning a triangular
race was set up, but the weather did
n't look very good, so only six planes
signed up and four of them dropped
out at th e last minute. Mark May
won the 85 hp category and Jerry
Cox won the 90 hp category.
On Saturday afternoon Rick Duck
worth led a seminar with much
Luscombe information dispensed ,
followed by a lively question and
answer session. Doug Combs of the
Don Luscombe Aviation Historical
Foundation, now the owners of the
Luscombe Type Certificate, answered
many technical questions, and inci
dentally, donated the awards this
year. Jack Norris talked about his up
coming book on propeller data and
information on long distance cruis
ing in a Luscombe. He only mad e
two fuel stops coming from Califor
nia to Mattoon.
We finished the day with a great
meal and an awards presentation
conducted by Doug Co mbs and
Jerry Cox, the MTO coordinator.
A debt of gratitude is owed to
Jerry and Donna Cox, Jerry and Do
lores Adkisson, Central Illinois Air
and Doug Combs for making this a
great weekend despite the weather
problems.
Award winners wer e : Best 8A,
NC45504, Jim Zazas, Carthage, NC;
Grand Cha mpion and Best 8E,
Nl168K, Mark and Yvonne May,
Chapmansboro, TN; Best 8F,
N1947B, Jerry Cox and Scott Rose,
Mattoon, IL; Reserve Grand Cham
pion, Members Choice, and Best
T8F, N21lG, Dan and Karen Mc
Neil, Placerville, CA; the distance
award was split between 8E,
N2028K, of Jack Norris of North
ridge, CA, and the T8F, N211G, of
Dan and Karen McNeil of Plac
erville, CA.
It was decided to schedule this
year's event for the same weekend in
August, minus the tornadoes, of
course. The dates are August 24, 25,
and 26, 2001. See you then!
......
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

21

VINTAGE PR

A Perfect
Polish
Job?
It's a six-sixty!

by Charlie Nelson, Founder and

President, International Swift Association

hat is a "six-sixty polish

job"? It is a polish job that
was done six months ago
and then flown over 60 hours coast
to coast and from the Gulf of Mexico
to the Midwest. Visits to th e Florida
Keys, Colorado, Texas, and Wiscon
sin, plus many other stops, were
made. In the process, it was exposed
to dust, dew, fingerprints, and rain.
The next question is always,
"What polish do you use?" The an
swer is not just one word; as a matter
of fact, it cannot be answered in one
sentence. A "six-sixty polish job" is
the result of a polishing process best
explained in a 30-minute instruc
tional video developed by the Swift
Museum Foundation, Inc.
All of us who have polished "un_
painted natural aluminum aircraft"
know it is a lot of work. We all want
to know about a better way to make
it look better and last longer, with
less time and effo rt. No method we
know of is easy; how eve r, we do
know ways to produce better results
and have it last longer.
Your qu es tions asked at fly-ins
and via phone calls, e-mails, and let
ters continue to remind us there is
an ongoing desire by many aircraft

22

MARCH

2001

owners to know more about polish

ing aluminum.
Years ago, the most common
questions asked at a fly-in included:
"What is it? What engine have you
got? What does it cruise at? Is it a
ground-looper?" In recent years we
have noticed a shift in the questions.
Now, most of the questions center
around polishing. Therefore, to help
us avoid repeating the same story
over and over again about the
process we now follow, we've de
cided to share our expertise and
experiences.
We have assembled the experi
ences of the owners of a number of
pristine polished Swift aircraft to at
tempt to combine their experiences
into a method that works for us and
will work for others as well. Our in
structional video covers the proper
tools, products, materials, and all lev
els of polishing from A to Z. We show
you how to start with a rough, ne
glected surface or a recently polished
piece of aluminum and make it re
ally shine like nothing you've ever
seen in the past. Often, a stubborn,
hard-to-remove milky haze can be
seen in a polished surface. We'll
show you how to get rid of that haze,

Is this man: Trapped inside a transparent air

plane sculpture? Using an excessive amount
of zinc oxide to prevent a sunburn? Stuck at
an airport without a bathroom? None of
the above-he's just showing how sharp a
polish job can be done on a metal airplane
using the system now available from the
Swift Foundation.

even if you just finished polishing

with another product or method. Fi
nally, we demonstrate ways to
preserve the beautiful finish and
avoid frequent repolishing.
Hundreds of copies of the instruc
tional video have already been
delivered to aircraft owners around
the country. We do believe you will
see an overall improvement in the
quality of polished "unpainted" air
craft this year at all the major events
and on airport ramps everywhere.
The homespun video, polish,
tools, and supplies may be purchased
from the Swift Museum Foundation,
Inc. All proceeds generated from the
sales of the information and materi
als go to the tax-exempt Swift
Foundation. Contact Steve Roden at
the Swift parts department, Monday
through Friday, 9:00-5:00 ET: call
423/744-9696, fax 423/745-9869, or
e-mail swiftlychs@aoi.com.

DRIPPANS

Airplanes can be messy, and noth

ing is more annoying than stepping
in a puddle of fluid as you work on
your engine. That's where Drippans

come in. These newly developed

pans are designed to protect floors
from those irritating drips of oil,
fuel, and hydraulic oil. The overlap
ping sides allow you to interlock
different pans to match your re
quirements, making Drippans an
indispensable piece of hangar equip
ment. They work great in the garage
under your cars as well! You can or
der Drippans from Drippans, 8891
Airport Rd., C-6, Blaine, MN 55449,
by calling 763/786-5004, or by visit
ing www.goldenwingsmuseum.com.
The 24-by-30-inch pan retails for
$16.95, and the 18-by-48-inch pan
costs $18.95. Shipping costs $5.00
for the first pan and $2.50 for each
additional pan.
CURTISS QUICK DRAIN HOSE

We're all familiar with the ubiqui

tous Curtiss drain valve, which has
been standard equipment in the avi
ation world for over 50 years. Now,

Curtiss is introducing a new line of

drain hoses that mate perfectly with
their drain valves. In most cases, a
simple push and twist action locks
the Quick Drain Hose in place. Inter
nal O-ring seals assure a drip-proof
connection, with 5 feet of clear vinyl
hose attached to the connector.
There are five different hose fitting
configurations, and you can get free
information on these new drain
hoses by contacting Curtiss Superior
Valve Company . Send them e-mail
at quickdrain@earthlink.net, or by
clicking on their website located at
www.curtissuperiorvalve.com. Tele
phone them at 602/230.2387 or fax
at 602/230.2487.
SUPER CUB FUSELAGES

have been completed and shipped

to the "lower 48," Canada, Europe,
and Alaska, and production is in
full swing. A new fuselage costs
$10,250. Doors, "tail feathers," etc.
are also available at regular prices.
A deposit gets you a delivery date
and your "Cub" is on its way to its
next half century of flying or per
haps even immortality. For more
information contact Airframes Inc.,
at 907/892.8244, www.supercubs.com
or e-mail: info@supercubs.com. ......

Super Cub owners and builders

will be pleased to know complete
new fuselages are now
available from Air
frames, Inc. of Big
Lake, Alaska. Fully
FAA approved under
STC & PMA, many
modern and popular
improvements are in
cluded at no ad
ditional cost or FAA
paperwork. Refine
ments include using
all chromoly tubes
and fittings, improved
door mechanism, ex
tended
baggage,
180-pound regular
baggage capacity, re
movable rear seat bar,
"dog leg" bulkhead
reversed, top deck "X"
1998 RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
tubes, tail reinforce
ment, shou lder har
AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED BUYER
ness attach tubes and
more. Customer re
quests and additions
such as float fittings
can be accomplished
before shipping.
Thirty fuselages

1929 PITCAIRN PA-6 MAILWING

STEPHEN PITCAIRN
(609) 259-3309

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

23

TYPE CLUB

Continental oil pump rebuilding

by Matt Rybarczyk, Wisconsin State Rep. of the Int'l Cessna 120/ 140 Assoc.
From the December 2000 Int'J
Cessn a 120/140 Assoc. Newsletter.
I couldn't read the letters in the
September newsletter #272 about
starting up and not getting oil pres
sure without responding.
I had this problem myself and
learned a lot about these [Continen
tal] pumps in the process of trying to
make them work. I used to prime the
pump through the oil temperature
capillary tube hole. Eventually,
though, it gets to the point that
nearly every time you go flying you
have to prime the pump. This is not
something I want to do, nor do I
want to let the engine run without
oil pressure for 30 to 60 seconds,
waiting to see if it's going to come
up.
Once you have oil pressure there
is nothing to worry about. The pump
does not "pump" to create pressure.
The pressure is crea ted by the resis
tance to flow of oil past the engine
bearings and the pressure relief valve.
It's like putting your finger over the
end of a garden hose to cause water
pressure for cleaning or something.
[f the resistance to flow were high
enough, these pumps are probably
capable of producing somewhere in
the neighborhood of around 1000
pounds of pressure. Therefore the
pump can have tremendous amounts
of wear and still pump adequate
amounts of oil to the engine, once it
does start pumping.
The pu mp loses its prime because
there is too much clearance between
the gears and/or gear housing, and
24 MARCH 2001

the oil drains out over time. Yes,

heavier oil will help alleviate this
problem because it doesn't drain out
as fast and tends to cling to the gears
and housing a little better. So if you
fly regularly, the pump does not
have enough time to completely
drain itself dry, and you will have oil
pressure when you start up, unless
the pump is very badly worn.
The simple fact is that if you're
having this problem, your oil pump
is worn out. [n fact, if the clearances
in your pump are correct, it doesn't
need any prime to suck the oil up
the pick-up tube.
The only correct way to fix this
problem, in my opinion, is to have
the pump rebuilt. There are a num
ber of places I found that work or
have worked on them. Each place
had a little different way of going
about it. However, only a couple of
them have an STC and can yellow
tag the work so the part can be legally
returned to service on a certified air
craft.
One of those I talked with, Drake
Air Inc., in Tulsa, Oklahoma, was my
preference. They have an STC in
which they weld up the gear housing
and then re-machine it back Ollt to
new dimensions and tolerances.
They install bronze bushings in the
gear shaft holes. The whole process
takes about a week, not including
transit time, and it's sent back to you
yellow-tagged and ready to put back
on the airplane.
The gear shaft holes are where
wear occurs, and this allows the gear

One of the high-wear areas for piston

engines is the oil pump gallery. Using an
STC'd process, the pump gallery on the
Continental series of engines can be
restored by Drake Air, Inc. This corroded
example of the aft case cover of an A-65-8 is
an unairworthy spare in the EAA
Foundation'S collection . It shows some scor
ing on the face where the oil gear impellers
contact the case.

teeth to scrape against the gear hous

ing, creating the wear and gouges
you see on the housing walls. This
and a new set of gears will give you a
new oil pump. YOll won't ever have
to worry about not getting oil pres
sure again when you start up.
I would not recommend putting
old, used gears into the new oil pump
cavity. Do it right and you'll never
have to worry about it again. Be
tween the work Drake Air does and
the new gears, you'll have about
$600 invested. This is what I did and
it's been well worth it. Don't forget,
every time you run that engine wait
ing for the oil pressure to come up,
you're wearing it out.
For more information you may con
tact Drake Air, Inc. 4085 Southwest
Blvd., Tulsa, OK 74107. Phon e:
918/ 445-3545 or 800/ 542-6899. E
mail: drakeair@ionet.net

PASS

IT TO

BU CK

by E.E. "Buck" Hilbert

EAA #21 VAA #5
P.O. Box 424, Union, IL 60180

More heat and preheat!

The preheat articles have certainly
generated many comments and sug
gestions. I've had a number of calls
and letters, and I'm really gratified at
the interest shown. I wish we had
room to publish all of them, but the
few we have printed will show just
how interested our members are.
I've been taken to task by some
and lauded by others. But so far the
pros, the guys who tear down the en
gines and accessories and who see
the heart of the matter, have all been
of one voice. Their strong opinion is
that internal condensation is a killer,
and whatever we do, we have to take
that into consideration.
People have written and called
about severa l alternate methods of
heat/preheat; some are very novel.
One fellow merely attached a hose to
his automobile exha ust system and
blew the hot exhaust over the engine
while he stayed warm in his car. An
other variation was to insert a panel
in place of the side window of the
car, with two hoses through that
panel to the cowling. Then he ran
the car heater blower at full hot and
full high, waiting in the car while
the very hot air warmed the engine.
There were others who did various
preheats. Some used a small 11O-volt
electric heater set on top of the en
gine under a blanket or cowl cover of
some sort. Others used the familiar
propane heaters, both operating
from AC and o r DC power (off the
car or airplane battery).
These were all preheats. Now we
come to the proponents of constant
heat.
No one disagreed that the prob
lem was condensation, us ua ll y

caused by uneven heating. Warming

the oil but not the metal is the prob
lem. The condensation collects in
areas not privy to heating, and the
result is rust and corrosion, certain
premature death to an engine.
The Swift and the Cessna 170 peo
ple have had problems with the
C-14S Continentals. If condensation
occurs, and water is present in the
oil, the resul t is oil pan corrosion.
This is caused by condensation accu
mulating in the pan, and the area
never rea lly gets up to temperature
to vaporize and eliminate that con
densation. I have seen examples
where it was so corroded you could
literally poke a pencil through th e
pan.
Keeping the heat on continually is
a great idea if, and this is the prob
lem, you can keep the entire engine
compartment warm. The advantage
h ere is this: the oil temp e rature
comes right up, cabin heat is almost
instantly available, and there is little
chance of corrosion. A good case for
a heated hangar. What?
One caller who, like our preSident,
fli es a Beech Baron (I might add right
here that he lives in a moderate cli
mat e, unlike our Midwestern
bone-chilling cold.), use s 100-watt
li ght bulbs under a blanketed cowl
ing. This assures him easy starts and
a quick oil-operating temperature.
I had another respondent who
was adamantly against this method.
He was worried about the possibility
of gasoline and oil res idue possibly
overheating and causing a fire. Un
warranted,
mayb e,
but
a
consideration.
H.G. eve n put in his two cents

worth. He thinks all this procedure

might do is give a mouse a well
lighted home and a cozy place to
nest. His thoughts on this are sim
ple-long-term, "low-heat" systems
result in moisture condensation on
whatever area that acts as the transi
tion zone between the cold and
warm surfaces. In the case of the pad
heaters left on all the time, that area
appears, by the accounts we've read,
to be the inside of the crankcase
and/or internal gears and camshaft.
Based on what we've seen in our
letters, it 's H.G.'s opinion that an
overnight warm-up with a pan
heater, followed by a flight-up to op
erating temperatures, is fine. But
leaving it on for days and weeks on
end seems to be the problem. For the
times he has preheated, when possi
ble he's used a ceramic heater with a
plenum and insulated ducts attached
to the output and a cover over the
cowl. Two hours of hot air blasting
from it did the trick. He did point
out that it really was only effective
down to around IS-20F-any colder
was too cold for him, and the tem
perature rise from the heater wasn't
enough to make it worthwhile. I
know that doesn't help those in
hangars or tied owns without electri
cal service.
The many-faceted engine heaters

-continued on page 27
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

25

This month's Mystery Plane

comes to us from a batch of inter
esting and rare airplane photos
supplied by Ralph Nortel!.
Send your answer to: EAA, Vin
tage Airplane, P.O. Box 3086,
Oshkosh, VVI 54903-3086. Your an
swer needs to be in no later than
April 10, 2001, for inclusion in the
June issue of Vintage Airplane. Due
to changes in the Vintage Airplane
production schedule, we have to
move the due date back a bit over
the next couple of months.
You can also send your response
via e-mail. Send your answer to
vintage@eaa.org.
Be sure to include both your
name and address (especially your
city and state!) in the body of your
note and put "(Month) Mystery
Plane" in the subject line.
The December Mystery Plane
from the collection of Harry Luecke
was fun for many of you. Readily
identified, it was relatively rare
even in its heyday.
Here's our first letter:
Dear Mr. Frautschy,
I think the December Mystery Plane
is an Aeromarine 39A or 39B. Most
likely a 39B since more of them were
built. There were 50 model 39A 's
26 MARCH

2001

by H.G. Frautschy

built and 150 model 398's. At least

there was a contract for that many.
The 39A had a 100hp Hall Scott A
7 A engine and the 398 had a 100 hp
Curtiss OXX-6. On October 26, 1922
,a 39B piloted by Lt. Cdr. Geoffrey
DeChevalier, Naval A viator no. 7,
made the first landing on the deck of
the Navy's first aircraft carrier, the
USS Langley.
The order for these planes (150)
was placed in 1917 and was the
largest order ever placed for aircraft by
the Navy up to that time. In 1920 the
Navy offered some planes for sale
among which were some model 39B's.
Their sale price was advertised as

$3000.00 and the ad the Navy pub

Lished stated this was considered their
best buy. The ad stated all the planes
were new and that most of them were
still in the factory crates. There were
seven different models of aircraft of
fered for sale in the ad put out by the
US Navy Bureau of Supplies and Ac
counts.
VVayne Van Valkenburgh
Jasper, Georgia
And from the Northeast:
The Mystery Plane shown in the
December issue of Vintage Airplane is
an Aeromarine 39B. To the best of our
knowledge, the Rhinebeck Aerodrome

-Buck continued from page 25

Aeromarine 39B

Museum has the only known example

of this aircraft in the world. Sadly,
most of it was destroyed in a fire in
1966. The Aeromarine was being
transported to another location on an
open trailer for a cigarette advertise
ment film-shoot. Ironically, a cigarette
thrown from an oncoming car during
transportation set the airplane ablaze.
Cole quickly pulled over and at
tempted to extinguish the flames to no
avail, receiving burns in the
process. The remaining portions of the
Aeromarine were stored in the attic of
Cole's house and in 1984 the house
was burnt to the ground by an arson
ist while Cole was away in his Florida
workshop.
We still have fittings and parts
that can be us ed as patterns to
build/restore the Aeromarine and all
of the necessary drawings are still
available. The Aeromarine was one of
the six original World War I airplanes
that Cole purchased in the 1950s
from Roosevelt field to start the Old
Rhinebeck Aerodrome. It would be
great to have an Aeromarine flying in
our airshows here at some point in the
future.
Tom Polapink
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome

Hello again, H.G.,

That's got to be Keyport, New Jer

sey's own Aeromarine 39, either an A

or B model. If it's an A model it has

got the dreaded Hall-Scott 100hp en
gine. The B ha s the much more
reliable Curtiss OXX-6. it was the
U.S. Navy's earliest and most useful
training aircraft. among others.
Yours truly,
Gil Halpin
From the famous and ancient
Stormville airport, New York
The final note is one included
with the photo sent in by Harry
Luecke.

This photo was taken about 1925

in Texas. it was one of the planes
used by Robert T. Jefferson, Transport
Pilot 92, during his barnstormer days.
I became acquainted with him in
1934 when he was chief pilot and in
structor at Northeast Philadelphia
airport. He soloed me in an Aeronca
C-3 in four hours. After the flying
school was sold, he flew for Aero Ser
vice Corporation, flying photo
missions. Many years ago, after a long
day flying at high altitude, he came
home, sat down, and died. It was the
end of a long flying career. Many pi
lots used to come for a half hour of
instruction from him, just to get his
TP 92 in their logbook. I never did get
to know the make of these two air
plan es, but the Red Goose was to
advertise Red Goose shoes.
Harry Luecke

Lexington, North Carolina

......

with probes in the heads and

wraps around the cylinders as well
as the heat pads epoxied to the oil
pans and tanks do the job well on
the flat engines with oil pans, but
what do we do with the old round
engines with external oil tanks?
Now we have considerations
most of us don't have to contend
with. The oil tank usually has a
baffled section that contains about
10 percent of the available oil.
This 10 percent warms first, and as
the heat makes the oil less viscous,
the surrounding oil leeches into
the system as it warms up. In the
old days the larger engines, like on
the B-17, the DC-3, and the like,
had oil dilution systems and pro
cedures that used gasoline to dilute
the oil and assure free flow. Right
in the operations manual were ta
bles based on temperature
expectations.
The result was thinning of the
oil, making the engine easier to
crank and hopefully start, and as
soon as the oil temperature got up
to operating temperature, the gaso
line evaporated and the oil
returned to its original specifica
tions. This was an alternative to
draining the oil, taking it with you
to the hotel or home, sitting it on
the radiator all night, and when
you wanted to fly, pouring it back
into the tank.
The pad heater on the external
tank isn't a bad idea. Just be sure
the oil cap is open or vented so the
condensation will be vented over
board. This will assure warm oil to
the engine almost as soon as you
start cranking. Don't forget to put
the oil cap back on!
H.G . and I would like to hear
more from you users out there. It's
been great, the response that we've
gotten. Let's keep this going be
cause it affects everyone of us that
flies in cold weather climates, and
what we learn helps us all.
Over to you,
f(

~t(ck ~
VINTAGE AIRPLANE

27

NEW MEMBERS

Pieter De Bruijne ....................................... .

............................ Bergen NH, Netherlands

Yang Kuo-Shan .......... Toayuan City, ROC

Brian Molloy .......... County Meath, Ireland

Hans-joerg Berg ........................................ ..

............................ 32257 Buende, Germany

Henning Foro ............................................ ..

.............................. 1395 Hvalstad, Norway

David W. Friday ........................................ ..

.................... 11481 Riyadh, Saudia Arabia

Mario Prado ...................... La Ligua, Chile

Emanuele Sironi ........................................ ..

.................................. Nova Milanese, Italy

Joseph Rudnicki ................ Apo, AE 09841
Charles Croft ............................................ ..
Salt Sp Island, British Columbia, Canada
Luke Bowman ...... Picton, Ontario, Canada
Timothy Dube .... Orleans, Ontario, Canada
Ian McQueen ............................................ ..
...................... Ailsa Craig, Ontario, Canada

Thomas H. Sullivan .................................. ..

............ Little River, Saskatchewan, Canada

Joseph S. Hilbig ........................................ ..

.............. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Michael Lee ........................ Fairbanks, AK

Ottis E. Myrick ........................ Warrior, AL

Billy J. Singleton .................... Thorsby, AL

Daniel J. Delany .......................... Mesa, AZ

Ivan Me Laws .......................... Payson, AZ

Danny 1. Metz .................. Sierra Vista, AZ

Perry S. Neal .......................... Phoenix, AZ

Robert T. Regester .............. Goodyear, AZ

Stephen Thompson .............. Scottsdale, AZ

Pauline Atilano ........................ Ontario, CA

Eric Barnes ........................ San Mateo, CA

Michael K. Brasier ........ Palm Springs, CA

John Chandler ............................ Davis, CA

Paul Clary .......................... San Rafael, CA

Robert P. Davis ........................ Quincy, CA

Leslie Day .............................. La Mesa, CA

Gerry Filby .................... San Francisco, CA

Dick Hersman ...................... Riverside, CA

Stephen Holifield .................... Sonoma, CA

Charlie Miller .................. Morgan Hill , CA

Dan O. Morris ...................... Hayward, CA

Jeff Pearson .................. Anaheim Hills, CA

Eddie Rohwedder .............. Aliso Viefo, CA

James Sands .................. Yucca Valley, CA

Michael Terry ........................ Ventura, CA

Ronald M. Wilcox ................ Lancaster, CA

Taylor Stephens ................ Fort Collins, CO

Gerald L. Vincent ...................... Cortez, CO

Lawrence Kurland .................... Sharon, CT

Richard R. LaQuerre .............. Endfield, CT

David P. Yarger .............. West Granby, CT

Joseph K. Larrimore .................. Milton, DE

Joseph Black .................. Winter Haven, FL

Bryce Bock ..........New Smyrna Beach, FL

28 MARCH 2001

Salvatore O. Capra ................ Lakeland, FL

William De Vries ...................................... ..

.................................... Boynton Beach, FL

Paul A. Donahue ............ N. Lauderdale, FL

Paul Gearen ...................... Jacksonville, FL

Raymond J. Kane .............. .. ...... Jupiter, FL

Fabio Labrada ...................... Palm City, FL

David Liddle .......................... Sarasota, FL

A. William McGraw .................................. ..

.................................. Fernadina Beach, FL

Carl A. Miller .................... Vero Beach, FL

Paul J. Schiebler ...................... Arcadia, FL

Robert D. Siedle .................... Lakeland, FL

Byron C. Starr ...................... Edgewater, FL

Dick Terhune ........................ Belleview, FL

Earl Webb .................. Saint Augustine, FL

Timothy A. Higgins .... .. ......Cumming, GA

Ken Taylor ................ Stone Mountain , GA

James E. Toombs ....... .Peechtree City, GA

DOIm Sensor .......................... .... Clinton, IA

Daniel J. Sokolowski .... W Des Moines, IA

Holbrook Maslen ........................ Boise, 1D

David W. Eiselt ...................... Wheaton, IL

Edward C. McKeown .......... Barrington, IL

Ron Campbell ...................... Loogootee, IN

Michael T. Gray ..... .......... .Indianapolis, IN

Eric A. Henricks ........ .. ...... lndianapolis, IN

David Jones .................... .... Terre Haute, IN

Terry Williams .......................... Elwood, IN

Ronald Scott Blum ................ Goddard, KS

Jim F. Maxwell.. .................. Concordia, KS

David Mueller. ................ ......... Verona, KY

Jerry F. Wilcher ............ Gravel Switch, KY

W. JeffYork........................ Lexington, KY

James F. Cooper .............. YoungsvilJe, LA

Gary Spiller .................... Baton Rouge, LA

Gene T. Brennan .................. Needham, MA

William S. Hunt.. ............ Winchendon, MA

Leonard Langer ................ GJoucester, MA

Charles Lohmiller .................... Sharon, MA

Curtis Simpson ........................ Holden, MA

Buck Carlton ...................... California, MD

Michael Gray ...................... Salisbury, MD

Russell Guibord ........................ Bristol , ME

James S. Guillaume .......... Farmington, ME

William Appleberry .................. Warren, MI

Robert B. Jackson ........................ Niles, MI

James C. Russell ...................... Pontica, MI

Keith M. Denbrook .................. Erhard, MN

Stanley N. Kittelson ............ Litchfield, MN

Terrence J. Schwartz ............... .Jordan, MN

Kenneth L. Algiere .............. Columbia, MO

Charles C. Green .............. Springfield, MO

Floyd E. Shewmake .. .. ............ Granby, MO

Ken Baird ................................ Raleigh, NC

Paul S. Cash ...................... Morganton, NC

M. David Laczko .................. Catawba, NC

Harold Norton .................. Bladendoro, NC

Alonzo J. Outlaw ...... .. ........ LaGrange, NC

Larry Peoples ...................... Louisburg, NC

Jack C. Phillips ............ ........ New Hill, NC

Douglas Reid .................. Thomasville, NC

Scott Smith ................. ........... New Hill, NC

Shawn Johnson ........................Omaha, NE

Jerry Lee May ........................ Kearney, NE

Keri-Ann Price .................. Portsmouth, NH

Robert L. Disch .............. Merchantville, NJ

Frank Mazza ........................ Bridgeton, NJ

Robert Ransom ................ Moorestown, NJ

Keith Allen Courson .......... Las Vegas, NV

Michael Duffy ...................... Bethpage, NY

William J. Holland .................. Bergen, NY

Dana Tarr .......................... Steventown, NY

Kenneth R. Ball ........................ Sidney, OH

Ronald F. Gossard ...... .. .......... Dunkirk, OH

Chris Hollinger ...................... Fairfield, OH

Ken Johnson ...................... Winchester, OH

Mark A. Mastrangelo .............. Mentor, OH

George Pais ................................ Milan, OH

Mark Homp ........................ Ponca City, OK

Edwin L. Richardson ................ Madill, OK

Cannon Braatz ............................ Bend, OR

David C. Kelly .................... Redmond, OR

Mark Minor .......... .......... Central Point, OR

Jack Cutler .................. ... .Wyomissing, PA

Michael Downend ............ Union Dale, PA

Barton Glass .................. .. .... .... Reading, PA

Craig S. Potter ................ Fairless Hills, PA

Robert Burr ............................ Franklin, TN

John Cross .............................. Houston, TX

Mike E. Hale .................... Georgetown, TX

Clifton E. Lamb ................ St. Hedwig, TX

Nick Leonard ...................... Pipe Creek, TX

Robert Lett ................................ Dallas, TX

James Lindsey .................... ..Amarillo, TX

Doug A. Loughmiller .................. Plano, TX

Mark Payne ........................ Lewisville, TX

Victor Poole .................... San Antonio, TX

Gordon B. Richardson .......... Caldwell, TX

Dennis Monell Smith ............ Houston, TX

P. A. Smith ................................ Dallas, TX

Keith Snodgrass ........................ Austin, TX

Kenneth G. Sorenson .............. Houston, TX

Jim Wolcott ...................... Grandview , TX

Danny S. Sorensen ................ Bountiful, UT

Donald Alexander ...... Mechanicsville, V A

Jack Chapman .................... Great Falls, VA

Susan Friedhoff ..................... .. . Aylett, VA

Ted Klapka .................. Fairfax Station, VA

Albert Seim ........................ Richmond, V A

Nelson G. Purinton .................... Bristol, VT

John W. Dueringer .............. Stanwood, W A

Frederick Lundeen ................ Olympia, W A

Andy Marcolin ...................... Sequim, WA

Neil Whittlesey .......................... Kent, W A

Gary Sheldon .......................... Madison, WI

Warbird aircraft stalic displayljlight demos. Pan

cake breakfast 7a.m.-noon. Lunch served Noon- 3
p.m. Free breakfast for pilotsf/ying in with afull
airplane. Fuel discount for f/ight demo pilots. Free
parking and admission. Info: Alan 630/466-4579.
JUNE J6 - LaGrange, OB - EAA Ch. 255's 7th An
nual Fly-In/Drive-In Pancake Breakfast, 8 a.m.-l
p.m. Harlan Airfield (92 D) Info: Dale 440/355
6491.
JUNE 23-24 - Longmont, CO - Rocky Mountain EAA
Fly-In.

Fly- In Calendar
The following list ofcoming events is furnished to our readers as a mailer ofinformation only and
does not constitute approval, sponsorship, involvement, control or direction ofany event (fly-in, sem
inars,jly market, etc.) listed. Please send the information to EAA, All: Vintage Airplane, P.D. Box
3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Information should be receivedJour months prior to the event date.
APRIL 8-14 - Lakeland, FL - Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-In.
Info: www.sun-n:fim.org.

MAY 25-27 - Watsonville, CA - EAA Ch. 119 's 37th

Annual Fly-In & Air Show. Info: 831/763-5600.

MAY 4-6 - Shelbyville, IL - "Mayday" Antique Fly-In.

Shelby County Ailport. Breakfast Sat. & Sun. morn
ings. Lunch available. Pig roast Sat. night. Two
grass runways. One asphalt runway for training
wheel equipped airplanes. Info: 217/774-4/ 11

MA Y 25-26 - Atchison, KS - 35th Annual Greater

Kansas City Area Fly-In, Amelia Earhart Memorial
Airport. Friday night potluck dinner for registered
guests. Saturday catered Awards Banquet. Accom
modations avail. in town, camping on the field. Sat.
concessions avail. Info: Stephen 816/223-2799,
9m03@ponyexpress.net, or Jeffjsullens@kc.rr. colll

MA Y 5 - Wiscasset, ME - Katahdin Wings 99s host

Maine Poker Run. Info: Ann at 207-882-5475.
MA Y 6 - Santa Paula, CA - Piper Cub Fly-In, in con
junction with Santa Paula Airport First Sunday of
the Month Fly-In. Info: 805/525-7081.
MA Y 6 - Rockford, lL - EAA Ch. 22 Fly-ln/Drive-In
Breakfast, Greater Rockford Airport, Courtesy Air
craft Hangar. Info: 815/397-4995.
MAY 6 - Dayton, OH - EAA Ch. 48, 38th Annual Fun
dllY Sunday Fly-In Breakfast. Moraine Air Park.
Fly market, awards, lunch, vendors and much more.
Sat. night free camping with things to see and do.
Many antiques on thefteld. Info: 937/291-1225 or
937/859-8967.

MA Y 26 - Zanesville, OH (Riverside Airport) - EAA

Cil. 425 Annual Memorial Day Pancake Breakfast
Fly-lniDrive-In, 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. (Rain date May 27.)
Lunch items, airplan e rides after 11 a.m. Info :
720/454-0003
JUNE 1-2 - Merced, CA - 44th Merced West Coast
Antique Fly-In, Merced Ailport. Info: Virginia or
Ed 209/383-4632
JUNE 1-2 - Barlesville, OK - 15th Annual Biplane
Expo, Frank Phillips Field. Info: Charlie 918/622
8400 or www. biplaneexpo.com.

MAY 12 - Rock Hill, SC - Wings & Wheels Day Fly

IniDrive-In. Lunch available. Info: 803/329-4454

JUNE 3 - DeKalb, IL (DKB) - 37th Annual EAA Ch.

241 Fly-In/Drive-In Breakfast, 7 a.m.-Noon. Info:
Ed 815/895-3888.

May 12-13- Green Sea, SC- Green Sea Airport and

Myrtle Beach EAA Chapter 1167 Fly-In Air Festi
val. 843/756-1497, shirshaW@Sccoast. net..

JUNE 3 - St_Ignace, MI Airport - EAA Ch. 560 An

nllal Fly-lniDrive In Steak Out, Noon-4 p.m. Public
welcome. Info: 231/627-6409 or 231-238-0914.

MAY 18-20 - Columbia, CA - 25th Annual Gathering

ofLuscombes 2001. Aircraft judging, spot landing
andf/our bombing competitions, and the 9th An
nual Great Luscombe Clock Ra ce. Info:
360/893-5303 or 253/630-1086.

JUNE 3 - Russell, KS - Prairiesta Fly-In, Russell Mu

nicipal Airport. Chuckwagon Breakfast, Military
Static Displays, Walker Air Base Reunion, Antique
Cars and Tractors, Rattlesnake Show. EAA Ch.
1214, Fuel100LL available onfield, RSL 16/34,
4402 x 75 runway paved, Unicom 122.7. Info: Rus
sell 785/483-6008

MAY 19-20 - Winchester, VA - EAA Ch. 186 Spring

Fly-In, Winchester Regional Airport (OK V) from 8
a.m.- 5p.m. Pancake breakfast 8- 11 a.m. Static dis
play ofaircraft; airplane and helicopter rides,
demos, aircraft judging, children 's play area, and
more. Concessions, souvenirs, goodfood. lnfo: Ms.
Tangy
Mooney
703 / 780-6329
or
EAA 186@netscape.net.
MA Y 19-20 - Hampton, NH - Hampton Ailfield Fly
Market. Info: 603/964-6749.
MA Y 20 - Niles, MI - VAA Ch. 35 Hog Roast Lun
cheon, Niles Airport (3TR).lnfo: 616/683-9642 or
bobjackson@triton.net.
MAY 20 - Wanvick, NY - EAA Ch. 501 Annual Fly-In,
Warwick Aerodrome (N72). 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Unicom advisO/y ji-equency 123.0. Food available,
trophies will be awarded. Registration for judging
closes at 2:00 p.m. Info: Michae1212-620-0398.
MA Y 20 - Romeoville, lL (L 01) - EAA Ch. 15 Fly-In
Breakfast, 7 a.m.-Noon, Lewis Romeoville Airport.
Info: Frank 815/436-6153.

JUNE 8-9 - Akron, OH - Funk Aircraft Owners Assoc.

2nd Ever Reunion and Fly- In, Akron-Fulton Air
port. Info: 302/674-5350.
J UNE 8-10 - Gainesville, TX Municipal Airport
(GLE) - Texas Ch. , Antiqlle Airplane Assoc. 40th
Annual Fly-In. Info: Jim 817/ 429-5385, Don
817/636-0966, or Janet 817/42 1-7702.
JUNE 9 - Elba Municipal Airport, AL (14J) - Ch. 351
hosts Fly-In, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Fly market,food, early
arrivals welcome,free transportation to local mo
tels, under wing camping permitted, restroom
available in terminal, Young Eagles. No rain date.
GPS Coordinates: 31-24-59N 86-05-33 W. Info:
Mike 334/897-1137.
JUNE 9-10 - Petersburg-Dinwiddie, VA - Virginia
State EAA Fly-In.
JUNE 10 - Sugar Grove, lL (KARR) - 17th Annual
Aurora AirExpo sponsored by Fox Valley Sport
Aviation Assoc.- EAA Ch. 579 and Aurora Munici
pal Airport. Antique, Classic, Homebuilt, and

JUNE 23 - Zanesville, OB (Riverside Airport) - EAA

Ch. 425 Pancake Breakfast Fly-In/Drive-In, 8
a.m.- 2 p.m. (Ra in dale June 24.) Lunch items and
airplane rides after 11 a. lII. Info: Don 7401454
0003
JULY 7-8 - Hampton, NH - 5th Annual Hampton Air
field Biplane Fly-In. Info: 603/964-6749.
JULY J 1-15 -Arlington, WA -Northwest EAA Fly-In.
JULY 22 - Zanesville, OH (parr Airport) - EAA Ch.
425 Annllal Pre-Oshkosh Fly-lniDrive-ln Pancake
Breakfast, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch itelns and airplane
rides after 11 a.m. Info: Don 740/454-0003.
JULY 24-30 - Oshkosh, WI - AirVenture Oshkosh
2001, Willman Airport. Info: 9201426-4800,
www,airventure.org.
JULY 27 - Oshkosh, WI - Stinson Lunch, Oshkosh,
11:30 a.m. meet at the Vintage Red Barnfor afree,
short bus ride to Golf Central Restaurant. Pay on
your own at the restaurant. Sign up in Type Tent or
caI/630/904-6964.
AUGUST 5 - Queen City, MO - 14th Annual Water
melon Fly-In , Applegate Airport. Info :
660-766-2644.
AUGUST 10-12 -Snohomish, WA - 19th Annual West
Coast Travel Air Reunion. Harvey Field (S43).
Largest Travel Air gathering for 2001. Local air
tour, memorabilia auction and more. Info: Larson
425/334-2413 or Rezich 805/467-3669.
AUGUST 11 - Cadillac, MI - EAA Ch. 678 Fly
In/Drive-In Breakfast, Wexford County Airport
(CAD), 7:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Info: 213/779-8113.
AUGUST 19 - Dayton, OH - EAA Ch . 48 Pancake
Breakfast, Moraine Airpark. Info: 937/291-1225 or
93 7/859-8967.
AUGUST 24-26 - Coffeyville, KS - Funk Aircraft
Owners Assoc. 24th Annual Reunion and Fly-In
Coffeyville Municipal Airport. Info : Gerald
302/674-5250.
SEPTEMBER I - Zanesville, OB (Riverside Airport)
- EAA Ch. 425 Annual Labor Day Weekend Fly
In/Drive-In, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Lunch items and airplane
rides after II a.m. Info: Don 740/454-0003
SEPTEMBER 1 - Marion, IN (MZZ) - II th Annual
Fly-In Cruise-In, Marion Municipal Airport. Pan
cake Breakfast. All types ofaircraft, plus antique,
classic and custom vehicles. Info: 765/664-2588 or
rayjohnson@bpsinet.com.
SEPTEMBER 2 - Mondov~ WI - 15th Annual Fly-In,
Log Cabin Airport. Info: 715/287-4205.
SEPTEMBER 7-9 - Sacramento, CA - Golden West
EAA Fly-ln.
SEPTEMBER 7-9 - Marion, OH - Mid-Eastern EAA
Fly-In.
SEPTEMBER 14-16 - Watertown, WI (RYV) - 17th
Annual Byron Smith Memorial Midwest Stinson Re
union. Info: Nick or Suzette, 630/904-6964.
SEPTEMBER 21-22 - Abilene, TX - Southwest EAA
Fly-In

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

29

VINTAGE TRADER

Til' GtfLY ~n'"

WAYTG
'GVE."' ~

YG"'"
AXR.PLAtfi
Of course, if you plan to fl~ it,
the easiest way is sUD Poly-Fiber.
Something to buy, sell or trade?
Classified Word Ads: $5.50 per /0 words. 180 words maximum. wilh boldf ace lead-in
on firslline.
Classified Display Ads: Olle coillmn wide (2. 167 illches) by I, 2, or 3 inches high al
$20 per inch. Black and white only, and no frequency discounts.
Advertisillg Closing Dales: 10lh ofsecond mOlllh prior 10 desired isslle dale (i.e .
January 10 is Ihe closing dalefor Ihe March issue). VAA reserves the righl to reject
any advertisillg ill conjlicl with its poliCies. Rates cover one insertioll per issue.
Classified ads are not accepted via pholle. Payment must accompany order. Word ads
may be sent via fax (9201426-4828) or e-mail (classads@eaa.org) using credit card
payment (VISA or MasterCard). Include name on card, complete address, type of
card, card number, and expiratioll date. Make checks payable to EAA. Address
advertising correspondence to EAA Publications Classified Ad Mallager. P.O. Box
3086. Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.

MISCELLANEOUS
BABBITT BEARING SERVICE - rod bearings, main bearings, camshaft bearings,
master rods, valves. Call us Toll Free 1/800/233-6934, e-mail ramremfg@aol.com
Web site www.ramengine.com VINTAGE ENGINE MACHINE WORKS, N, 604
FREYA ST. , SPOKANE, WA 99202.

~hy

Poly-Fiber? Because for 30 years builders

"
have followed our easy steps and achieved safe,
truly superlative, long-lasting results. And Poly-fiber
products are painstakingly manufactured and proven
over time. Our reader-friendly manual is almost like
having an instructor right there with you , and if you'd
like some coaching, try one of our hands-on workshops.
There's also a step-by-step video, a kit for practicing
with Poly-Fiber, plus a web site full of information.

Stlfift1

www.polyfiber.com
e-mail: inio@poJyfiber.c:om

Air c r a ft Coating s

WANTED - 1950's era McCulloch radial two-cycle engines (aircraft), also known as
Umbaugh autogyro engines . Radial design with even number of cylinders .
Complete engines or crankcase, and misc. parts. Send info, or picture if possible,
to Joe Hicks, P. O. Box 159, Fisherville, KY 40023. 502-649-5833
WANTED - Aviation magazines from 1920s, '30s & '40s, "Air News" or similar
types, single magazines or sets. Mail info or call , J. D. Hicks, P.O. Box 159,
Fisherville, KY 40023. 502-649-5833.
McCauley 1B90/CM 70/40 Propeller (Experimental) newly reconditioned as per
McCauley Service Manual by Prop Shop. $600, Phone/Fax 218-723-1126.

Fly high with a

quality Classic interior

Complete interior assemblies for doit-yourself installation.

Custom quality at economical prices.

VlflTAGt Atl<O FAP.>I<ICJ, LTD

::::::; .::.J;III}J( 1/01,\::::::;

Don't compromise yourrestorotion with modern coverings".

finish the job correctly with authentic fabrics.
Certificated Grade A(allan

Early aircraft (allan

Imported aircraft linen (beige and tan)

German WW 1 Lozenge print fabric

Fabri( tapes: straight, pinked and early Ameri(an pinked

Waxed linen lacing (ord

Vintage Aero Fabrics, ltd. 18 Journey's End, Mendon, VT 05701

tel: 8027860705 fax: 8027862129 website: www.avdoth.(om

30 MARCH 2001

Cush ion upholstery sets

Wall panel sets
Headliners
Carpet sets
Baggage compartment sets
Firewall covers
Seat slings
Recover envelopes and dopes
Free catalog of complete pro duct line .
Fabric Selection Guide show ing actu al sample colors and
styl es of m aterials : $3 .00 .

Qir'e~RODUCTS,

'. :

INC.

259 Lower Morrisville Rd. , Dept. VA

Fallsington , PA 19054 (215) 295-4115
www.airtexinteriors.com

Membershi:R Services Directo!y_

VINTAGE

Enjoy the many benefits ofBAA and the

AIRCRAFT
BAA
Vintage AircraftAssociation
ASSOCIATION
EAA Aviation Center, PO Box 3086, Oshkosh WI 54903-3086

OFFICERS
President
Esple Butch Joyce
P.O. Box 35584
Greensboro. NC 27425
336/393.()3M
windsock@ool.com

Y"ocePresldent
George Doubner
2448 Lough Lane

HartfOfd. WI 53027

262/673-5885
anHque2@a ol.cam

Secretary
steve Nessa
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lee. MN 56007
f'lJ7/373- 1674

Treasurer
CharlesW.Harris
7215 East 46th St.
Tulsa.OK 74147
918/622-8400
cwh@hvsu.com

DIRECTORS
DavId Benne"
P.O. Box 1188
Roseville. CA 95678
530/268-1585
anHquer@lnreech.com

Jeannie Hill
P.O. Box 328
Harvard. IL 60033
815/943-7205

dinghao@owc.net

Robert C. ' Bob' Brauer

Steve Krog
1002 Heather Ln.
HartfOfd. WI 53027
262/966-7627
sskrog@aoi.com

9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago. IL 60620
773/779-2105
phatopilat@aol.com
John Berendt
7645 Echo Point Rd.
Cannan Fal~. MN 55009

f'lJ7/263-2414
fchid@rconnect.com

John S. Copeland
I A Deacon street
Northborough. MA 01532
f'IJ8/393-4775
copeland l@juno.com

Phil Coulson
28415 Spnngbrook Dr.
Lawion. M149065
616/624-6490
rcoulsan516@cs.com
Roger Gomoll
321-1/2 S. Broadway #3
Rochester. MN 55904
f'lJ7/288-28 1O

rgomoll@hotmail.com

Dale A. Gustafson
7724 Shady HII~ Dr.
Indianapolis. IN 46278
317/293-4430

Robert D. ' Bob' Lumley

1265 South 124th St.

Brookfield. WI 53005
262/782-2633

lumper@execpc.com

EAA and Division Membership Services

800-843-3612 . FAX 920-426-6761
(8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Monday -Fri day CST)
New/renew mem berships: EAA, Divisions
(Vintage Airc raft Association, lAC, Warbirdsl.
Na tional Associa tion of Flight Instructors
(NAFI)
Address changes
Merchandise sales
Gi ft m embersh ips

Programs and Activities

EAA AirVen ture Fax-On-Dem and Directory
. . ... . ......... . . . .... . .... . .. 732-885-6711
Auto Fuel STCs . ............ . .. 920-426-4843
Buil d / resto re in fo rmatio n ... . .. 920-426-4821
Chapte rs: locating/organ izing .. 920-426-4876
Ed ucation ........ . ...... . .. .. . 920-426-6815
EAA Air Academy
EAA Scholarships

Gene Morris
5936 steve Court
Roonoke.lX 76262
817/491-9110
n03capt@flash.net
Dean Richardson
1429 Kings Lynn Rd
stoughton. WI 53589
608/877-8485
dar@apnlaire.com

GeoII Robison
1521 E. MacGregor Dr.
New Haven. IN 46774
219/493-4724
chlef7025@aol.com
S.H. Wes Schmid
2359 Lefeber Avenue
Wruwatosa. WI 53213
414/771-1545
shschmld@gdinet.com

DIRECTORS

EMERITUS

Gene Chase
2159 Carlton Rd.
Oshkosh. WI 54904
920/231-5002

Phone (920) 426-4800 Fax (920) 426-4873

Web Site: http://www.eaa.org and http://www.airventure.org E-Mail: vintage @eaa.org

E.E. ' Buck' Hilbert

P.O. Box 424
Union.IL 60180
815/923-4591
buck7ac@mc.net

ADVISOR
Alan Shackleton

P.O. Box 656

Sugar Grove. IL 60554-Q656

530/466-4193

Fligh t Advisors information .. . .. 920-426-6522

Fligh t Instruc tor in formation ... 920-426-6801
Flyi ng Start Program 920-426-6847
Lib rary Services/Research . .. . . . 920-426-4848
Med ical Questions .. . . . . . .. . ... 920-426-4821
Tech nical Counselors . . .. . . . . .. 920-426-482 1
Young Eagles .. . . . .... .. .. . .. .. 920-426-4831
Ben efits
Aircraft Financing (Textron) . . . . . 800-851-1367
AUA . .. . . . ....... . ...... . ..... 800-727-3823
AVEMCO . . . .............. . . .. 800-638-8440
Term Life and Accidental .... . .. 800-241 -6103
Death Insurance (Harvey Watt & Company)
Editorial
Submitting article/photo; advertising information
920-426-4825 . . . FAX 920-426-4828
EAA Aviation Foundation
Arti fac t Do natio ns ... ... .... . .. 920-426-4877
Financial Support ......... . ... 800-236- 1025

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
EAA
Membership in the Experimental Aircraft ASSOCiation,
Inc. is $40 for one year, including 12 issues of SPORT
AVIATION. Family membership is available for an addi
tional $10 annually. Junior Membersh ip (under 19
years of age) is available at $23 annually. All major
credit cards accepted for membership. (Add $16 for

Foreign Postage.)

VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

Current EM members may join the Vintage Aircraft
Associaton and receive VINTAGE AIRPLANE maga
zine for an additional $36 per year.
EM Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE magazine
and one year membership in the EM Vintage Air
cra ft Association is availab le for $46 per year
(SPORT AVIATION magazine not included). (Add

$7 for Foreign Postage.)

lAC
Current EM members may join the International
Aerobatic Club , Inc. Division and receive SPORT
AEROBATICS magaz ine for an add itional $40
per year.
EM Membership, SPORT AEROBATICS magazine
and one year membership in the lAC Division is

available for $50 per year (SPORT AVIATION mag

az in e not included ). (Add $ 10 for Fore ign

Postage.)

WARBIRDS
Current EM members may join the EM Warbirds of
America Division and receive WARBIRDS magazine
for an additional $35 per year.
EM Membership, WARBIRDS magazine and one
year membership in t he Warb irds Division
is available for $45 per year (SPORT AVIATION
magazine not included). (Add $ 7 for Fore ign

Postage.)

EAA EXPERIMENTER

Current EAA members may rece ive EAA

EXPERIMENTER magazine for an additional $20
per year.
EM Membership and EM EXPERIMENTER mag
az ine is available for $30 per year (SPORT
AVIATION magazine not inciuded).(Add $8 for For

eign Postage.)

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

103346.17n@compuserve.com

Membership dues to EAA and it s divisions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions.
Copynght 2001 by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association

All nghts reserved.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) IPM 1482602 is published and owned exclusively by the EM Vintage Aircraft Association of the EXperimental Aircraft Associalion and is published monthly at EM Avialion Center. 3000

Poberezny Rd. P.O. Box 3086. Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54903-3086. Periodicals Poslage paid at Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54901 and at addrtional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EM Vintage Aircraft Association.

P.O. Box 3086. Oshkosh. WI 54903-3088. FOREIGN AND APO ADDRESSES - Please allow at least two months for delivery 01 VINTAGE AIRPLANE to foreign and APO addresses via suriace mail. ADVERTISING - Vintage Aircraft
Association does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through the advertiSing. We invite constructive criticism and wek:ome any report of inferior merchandise obtained through our advertising so that COfTective measures can
be taken. EDITORIAL POUCY: Readers are encouraged to submit stories and photographs. Policy opinions expressed in artK:ies are solely those of the authors. Responsitility for accuracy in reporting rests entirety with the cootnbutor. No
reoumeration is made. Material shoold be seot to: Edrtor. VINTAGE AIRPLANE. PO. Box 3086, Oshkosh. WI 54903-3086. Phone 920/426-4800.
The words EM, ULTRAUGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM. SPORT AVIATION, FOR THE LOVE OF FLYING and the logos of EM, EAA INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION, EAA VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION, INTERNA
TIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB. WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are I!!J registered trademarf<s. THE EAA SKY SHOPPE and logos of the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION. EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION and EAA AirYenture are lrede
marks of the above associations and their use by any person other than the above association is strictly prohibited.

VINTAGE AIRPLANE

31

AUA would like to thank you - our customers - for your continued
support. We appreciate having the opportunity to serve you. Together,
we can continue partnering to provide affordable, quality insurance for
vintage aircraft enthusiasts. Thanks again! See you at Sun 'N Fun!

Look for AUA at

Booth#B57

AUA's Exclusive EAA

Vintage Aircraft Assoc.
Insurance Program

AUA is

Lower liability and hull

premiums

approved.

Medical payments included

Fleet discounts for multiple
aircraft carrying all risk
coverages

To become a

No hand-propping exclusion

member of the

No age penalty
No component parts
endorsements

Vintage Aircraft

Discounts for claim-free

renewals carrying all risk
coverages

Association call

800-843-3612

The best is affordable.

Give AUA a call - it's FREE!

Remember,
We're SeHer Togetherl

800-727-3823
Fly with the pros ... fly with AUA Inc.

AVIATION UNLlMlnD AGENCY