May1996 Vol. 24,No.

5
CONTENTS
1 Straight& Level/
Espie"Butch"Joyce
2 AlCNewslH.G.Frautschy
4 AlC25thAnniversary/
GeneChase
10 TheDeVilbiss OMX
SprayGun/G. Braatz
Page4
12 Calendar
13 RolandLaFont's
GrummanMallard/
NormPetersen
16 PrototypeMonocoupe90A
18 Fairchild221H.G . Frautschy
21 WelcomeNewMembers
Page 13
22 A PrecautionaryLanding/
FredLudtke
24 MysteryPlane/H.G.Frautschy
26 Pass ittoBuck!
E.E."Buck"Hilbert
28 WhatOurMembers
are RestoringiNormPetersen
30 VintageTrader
Page 18
FRONT COVER, , , Water and a Grumman amphibian - what a great
combination, ThisparticularMallard.oneofonly32still registered.is ownedand
flownbyRolandLaFontofAlbuquerque.NM, EAAphotobyMikeSteineke.shot
witha CanonEOS-lnequippedwithan80-200mmlens, 1/250secatflOon 100
ASAslidefilm, Cessna210photoplaneflownbyBruceMoore,
BACKCOVER, ,.Backhomeagainin Idaho.thisTravelAir6CO)hadbeenin the
StaggerwingMuseumin Tullahoma.TNfora numberofyearsuntilbeingsold to
a partnership in Idaho, This pretty early evening shot was taken byJim
Oltersdarf ofSalmon. 10, For more on theTravel Air andJim's photography.
pleaseseeA/CNewsonpage2,
Copyright 1996 bytheEAAAntique/ClassicDivision Inc,Allrightsreserved,
VINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943) is published and owned exclusively by the EM Antique/Classic Division. Inc.of the Experimental
Aircraft Association and is published monthlyat EMAviation Center, 3000 Poberezny Rd" P,O, Box 3086,Oshkosh. Wisconsin 54903-3086,
Second Class Postage paid at Oshkosh,Wisconsin 54901 and at additional mailing offices, The membership rate for EM Antique/Classic
Division.Inc.is$27,00forcurrentEMmembersfor12monthperiodofwhich$15,00isforthepublicationofVINTAGE AI RPLANE. Membership
isopentoallwhoareinterestedinaviation,
POSTMASTER:Send address changes to EMAntique/Classic Division.Inc" P,O,Box 3086. Oshkosh,WI 54903-3086, FOREIGN AND APO
ADDRESSES- PleaseallowatleasttwomonthsfOfdeliveryofVINTAGEAIRPlANEtoforeignandAPOaddressesviasurfacemail.
ADVERTISING - Antique/Classic Division doesnotguarantee Of endQfSe any productoffered through the advertiSing, We constructive
criticismandwelcomeanyreportofinferiOfmerchandiseobtainedthroughouradvertisingsothatcorrectivemeasurescan betaken,
EDITORIALPOUCY:Readersare encouraged tosubmit storiesand photographs. Policyopinionsexpressedin articles are solely thoseofthe
authors, Responsibilityforaccuracyinreportingrestsentirely thecontributor,Norenumerationismade.
Materialshouldbesentto: VINTAGEAIRPlANE,P,O. Box3086.Oshkosh.WI54903-3086, Phone414/426-4800,
The words EAA,ULTRALIGHT,FLY WITH THE FIRST TEAM,SPORT AVIATION and the logos of EAA,EAA INTERNATIONAL
CONVENTION,EAA ANTIQUE/ClASSIC DMSlON,INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB,WARBIRDS OF AMERICA are registered
trademarks, THE EAASKYSHOPPE and logos ofthe EAAAVIATION FOUNDATION and EAAULTRAUGHTCONVENTION are trademarks
oftheaboveassociationsandtheirusebyanypersonotherthantheaboveassociationisstrictly
EDITORIALSTAFF
Publisher
Tom Poberezny
Vice-President
Marketing&Communications
DickMatt
Edltor-in-Chief
JackCox
Editor
HenryG, Frautschy
ManagingEditor
GoldaCox
ArtDirector
MikeDrucks
AssistantArtDirector
SaraA Otto
ComputerGraphicSpecialists
OliviaL Phillip JenniferLarsen
Advertising
Mary Jones
AssociateEditor
NormPetersen
FeatureWriters
GeorgeHardie.Jr. DennisParks
StaffPhotographers
JimKoepnick MikeSteineke
CarlSchuppel DonnaBushman
EditorialAssistant
IsabelleWiske
EAAANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION, INC.
OFFICERS
President Vice-President
Espie' Butch'Joyce GeorgeDaubner
P,O,Box35584 2448LoughLane
Greensboro.NC27425 Hartford.WI 53027
910/ 393-0344 414/ 673-5885
Secretary Treasurer
SteveNesse E.E,' Buck'Hilbert
2009HighlandAve, P,O,Box424
AlbertLea.MN56007 Union.IL60180
507/373-1674 815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
JohnBerendt RobertC, "Bob"Brauer
7645EchoPointRd. 9345S.Hoyne
CannonFalls.MN55009 Chicago.IL60620
507/263-2414 312/779-2105
GeneChase JohnS.Copeland
2159CarltonRd. 28-3Williamsbur8Ct.
Oshkosh.WI 54904 Shrewsbury.MA 1545
414/231-5002 508/ 842-7867
PhilCoulson StanGomoll
28415SpringbrookDr. 104290thLane.NE
Lawton.MI49065 Minneapolis. MN55434
616/ 624-6490 612/ 784-1172
Harri s JeannieHill
7215East46thSt, P,O, Box328
Tulsa.OK 74145 Harvard.IL60033
918/622-8400 815/943-7205
DaleA.Gustafson RobertD."Bob"Lumley
7724ShadyHillDr. 1265South124thSt.
Indianapolis.IN46278 Brookfield.Wi53005
317/ 293-4430 414/ 782-2633
RobertUckteig GeneMorris
1708BayOaksDr, 11SCSteveCourt.R,R,2
AlbertLea.MN56007 Roanoke.TX 76262
507/373-2922 817/491-9110
GeoffRobison GeorgeYork
1521 E.MacGregorDr. 181 SiobodaAv.
NewHaven.IN46774 Mansfield.OH44906
219/493-4724 419/529-4378
S.H.OWes"Schmid
2359LefeberAvenue
Wauwatosa.WI 53213
414/771-1545
DIRECTOREMERITUS
S.J.WlHman
1904- 1995
ADVISORS
JoeDickey RogerGomoll
55OakeyAv, 3238VicarioSt, N
Lawrenceburg.IN47025 Sf Paul.MN55126
812/537-9354 612/484-2303
SteveKrog DeanRichardson
930TaraHL E 6701 ColonyDr,
Hartford.WI 53027 Madison.WI 53717
414/966-7627 608/833- 1291
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
by Espie "Butch" Joyce
I'm writing this article whil e at the 1996 EAA
Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-in in Lakeland, Florida. It is
Friday, the next to the last day of the event. From
an attendance standpoint , this fly-in has conti nued
to grow. Jane Kimball is in charge of aircraft regis-
tration at the Antique/Classic Headquarters, hosted
by A/C Chapter 1. She estimated that on the open-
ing day (Sunday) she had registered close to 370 air-
craft in the Antique/Classic area. We' ll be getting
official numbers later in the month.
There were a number of past Sun ' n Fun Grand
Champion aircraft brought back to the fly-in . They
were displayed along the main taxiway in A/C Row
1. It made for an impressive sight when the other
ai rcraft taxied by or fl y-in attendees walked down
the showplane line. After the first weekend passed
by, there were a number of very nice aircraft that
showed up to be judged. The judging of aircraft was
completed earlier th a n in years past - noon on
Thursday, in time for the awards to be presented
that night.
The Antique Grand Champion award went to
Clay Smith of Athens, Georgia to his PT-17 Stear-
man. An interesting not e also is that Clay Smith
also won Reserve Grand Champion with hi s L-6;
how' s th at for a 1-2 punch! The Class ic Grand
Champion went to Duane Huff of Lawrencevi ll e,
Georgia for hi s Aeronca llAC Chief. The Contem-
porary category had an outstanding aircraft belong-
ing to Wayne Strader of Ardmore, Oklahoma a nice
looking Cessna 180.
One of the most outstanding aircraft on the field
was a replica of the "Z" model Gee Bee that had
just been completed by Kevi n Kimball and J eff
Eicher. The workmanship and att ention to detai l
was out of this world. This ai rcraft could not be yet
be judged because it was so new. It has not been
flown as of yet, so it was not eligible. I look forward
to seeing thi s airplane at Oshkosh with it's restric-
tion flown off.
The flybys of the Golden Age of air racing air-
craft has become one of the most crowd pleasing
events at Sun ' n Fun and Oshkosh. The crowd just
stops in their tracks to watch the Mr. Mulligan, vari-
ous Gee Bees, etc. put on demonstration "races;" it
gives you goose bumps to see these aircraft fly by
looking just as they might have on a labor day week-
end back in the 1930's.
On a sad note, Charlie Hillard, long-time air
show performer, lost hi s li fe in a landing accident in
hi s newly rebuilt Sea Fury. His crowd pleasing per-
formance and his friendship will be mi ssed in the fu-
ture. Our condolences to his family and friends.
There were a number of your Antique/Classic
board members and advisors in attendance at Sun ' n
Fun; we were able to talk some about Division mat-
ters. The next Antique/Class ic board meeting will
be in Oshkosh May 10, 1996. We will be finalizing
plans for the Oshkosh Convention at this meeting.
We will also be discussing other items of business
for the Division. Your Division has been granted by
the IRS corporation status of 501(c)3 which will be
of benefit to the volunteers who help us each year.
The officers and directors of your Antique/Classic
Division will continue to improve our service to the
membership in the future. Your monthly magazine,
VINTAGE AIRPLANE, has continued to improve
and we will be working to improve it even more.
Should you have any noteworthy news, information,
or articles, pl ease send them to us so that we can
share these items with the rest of the members.
This is our 25th year of existence as an EAA divi-
sion, so let ' s make it a good one. Ask a fr iend to
join us. Let ' s all pull in the same direction for the
good of aviation. Remember we are better to-
gether. Join us and have it all!
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
A/CNEWS
compiled by H.C. Frautschy
ABOUT THAT REAR COVER ...
Photographer Jim Oltersdorf, Salmon,
ID specializes in dramatic aviation, ex-
treme and high-risk photography in the
western U.S. This past fall/winter, he
captured the this Travel Air 6000 over the
Continental Divide near Salmon.
This particular Travel Air was restored
by Pete Covington and Morton Lester, af-
ter purchasing it from Ernie Webb, who
had purchased it from Dolph Overton's
Wings and Wheels Museum collection in
Santee, Sc. After flying for a while, Mor-
ton placed the Travel Air on loan to the
Staggerwing Foundation, who displayed
it in the Staggerwing Museum in Tulla-
homa, TN.
This past fall, Morton sold the Travel
Air to a partnership comprised of four
people - Mike and Leslee Dorris, Salmon,
10; Jim Eldredge, McCall, 10 and Dick
Waite, Twin Falls, 10.
Only later, after acquiring the air-
plane, did the group learn that it had in
fact been used in Idaho after being built
in 1928. The Bradley Mining Co., who
operated the Stibnite Mine near Yellow
Pine, ID, used the airplane until 1943.
Then, Johnson Flying Service in McCall,
ID used the airplane until 1965, often be-
ing used to deliver smokejumpers to fire
scenes in the northern Rocky mountains.
Jim Oltersdorf took a series of pho-
tographs of the Travel Air 6000 from
Mike Dorris' Cessna 206. If you're inter-
ested in Jim's services, he can be reached
at 2081756-6705, or write him at Rt. 1,
Box 197, Salmon, ID 83467. Our thanks
to Jim and the folks at McCall Air Taxi
Service, Inc. for making these pho-
tographs possible.
EAA STAFF CHANGES
Dick Matt (EAA 18259) has retired
from the position of Vice President, Mar-
keting and Communications. Dick
headed EAA's Marketing and Communi-
cations department which includes the
Editorial, Photo, Video, Advertising,
Marketing and Public Relations functions
for the past 14 years. During that time,
the department has grown into what is
generally acknowledged as among the
finest within the aviation community.
Our thanks to Dick for his guidance
over the years and our best wishes to
Dick and his wife, Yvonne.
Sean Elliot, former Flight Training
2 MAY 1996
BOEING 100
INSTRUMENT PANEL
Philip Kraus, the craftsman who
heads up Vintage Aero, Rt. 22, West-
port, NY 12993 sent up this photo of an
instrument panel he has filled out and
finished for Roy Rehm's restoration of
Kermit Weeks' Boeing 100, which was damaged in Hurricane Andrew. Given Ker-
mit's direction that the panel be reproduced to show its configuration when the air-
plane was delivered from the factory, the original Boeing data plate has been recre-
ated in bas-relief aluminum, and a number of components have been recreated to
build an "as new" Pioneer instrument panel from 1929.
Philip is working on an article about inclinometers for Vintage Airplane, which
I'm sure will prove to be of great interest. Look for it later this year.
Manager at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University in Daytona Beach, FL has
joined EAA as the full time executive di-
rector of the National Association of
Flight Instructors, an affiliate of EAA.
He hold Commercial and Flight Instruc-
tor certificates and various ratings, and
has logged more than 2,500 hours of flight
instruction. An FAA Designated Pilot
Examiner and A&P mechanic, Sean has a
BS in Aeronautical Science from E-R and
an Associate degree in Aircraft Mainte-
nance Technology. Like many of us, Sean
started his aviation career in modeling,
and is a past national C/L Stunt cham-
pion.
Sean and his wife Cindy, along with
their two sons will reside in the Oshkosh
area.
AIC HALL OF FAME
The Antique/Classic Division is solicit-
ing nominations for induction to the A/C
Hall of Fame in 1997. If you wish to nom-
inate a deserving individual into this se-
lect group, please communicate your rec-
ommendations with the candidate's
credentials and background to Nomina-
tions Chairman and A/C Board member
Charles Harris, P.O. Box 470350, Tulsa,
OK 74147-0350.
WW I EVENT
The Great War Aeroplane Associa-
tion, 145. E 14th St., Indianapolis, IN
46202,317/636-4891 (ET, weekdays) has
announced that the Air Force Museum in
Dayton, OH is planning, with the cooper-
ation of the Air Force, to stage a two-day
gala at the A.F. museum the weekend of
July 20-21, the same dates as the Dayton
Interna tional Airshow. Owners of
replica WW I aircraft all scales of R/C
model period aircraft or restored Great
War aircraft, either static of flying, are
encouraged to attend. Since the event
will be held on U.S. Government prop-
erty, there are a number of forms to be
filled out, and all the paperwork is to be
in the Air Force's hands at least 30 days
prior to the event. If you plan on attend-
ing with you airplane, you must contact
Fred Jungclaus at the above address to
make the arrangements. It certainly
sounds like fun!
STINSON BRUNCH
During EAA OSHKOSH '96, the Stin-
son Club is going to try something differ-
ent this year - a brunch instead of a din-
ner. It will be held at Butch's Anchor
Inn, 225 W. 20th St., Oshkosh, WI at 11:30
a.m. on Friday, August 2. Place your
reservations (the cost is $9.96, including
the tip) at the Type Club tent near An-
tique/Classic HQ. For more info, contact
John W. Zewiske, 414/382-5299 (days) or
414/643-7445 (evenings).
VICTOR SPEZIA
A long time vintage aircraft enthusi-
ast, recently passed away - Victor Spezia.
Known to many in northern California as
a cropduster, Victor also was a pilot who
loved old airplanes. He saved a rare Dou-
glas Dolphin from the scrapyard when he
bought it surplus after WW II. After re-
building it at the Palo Alto airport , he
would take it out to the Sacramento river
on weekends and hop rides with it. This
same Dolphin is now owned and flown by
Dolph Overton, who had it briefly at Sun
' n Fun '95. A pilot of nearly 50 years,
Victor will be missed by his many friends.
Our thanks to his friend Ken Krohncke
for sending us a note about Mr. Spezia ....
SUN 'N FUN '96ANTI UE/ClASSIC AWARDS
ANTIQUE AWARDS
(1945 and Earlier)
GRAND CHAMPION
Stearman PT-17 N6975S
E. Clay Smith
Athens, GA
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Interstate L-6 N47093
E. Clay Smith
Athens, GA
SILVER AGE 1933-1945
Travel Air 4000 NC9917 .
Bill Plecenik
Erwinna, PA
BEST WW II ERA
Stearman PT-17 N1270V
Jim Ratliff
Conyers, GA
CONTEMPORARY AGE
Piper J-3 N38755
AI Smith
Valdosta, GA
BEST BI-PLANE
Beech G-17S Staggerwing N8589A
Fred Kirk
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
BEST MONOPLANE
Culver Cadet N37838
Joe Deruytter
Lake Placid, FL
BEST OPEN COCKPIT
Stearman PT- 17 N75761
Fred and Kitsy Vyfvinkel
New Smyrna Beach, FL
BEST CABIN
Fairchild 24 N1595
W.B. Albert
Ocala, FL
OUTSTANDING AIRCRAFT
Stearman 4D NC774H
Ron and Carol Rex
Ocala, FL
OUTSTANDING AIRCRAFT
Stearman PT-17 N65648
Martin T. Lange
Elkridge, MD
OUTSTANDING AIRCRAFT
Beech D-17S Staggerwing N4HX
Layton Humphrey
Dallas, TX
TRANSPORT
Douglas DC-3 N44V
USAir - Winston Salem, NC
CLASSIC AWARDS
(7946 to 7955)
GRAND CHAMPION ClASSIC
Aeronca 11 AC Chief NC3420E
Duane Huff
Lawrenceville, GA
RESERVE GRAND
CHAMPION - ClASSIC
- Not awarded -
GRAND CHAMPION -
CUSTOM ClASSIC
Aeronca llAC Chief NC 333MR
Pete and Mark Rowe -
Midlothian, TX
BEST RESTORED
Below 100 HP
Aeronca 7 AC Champ NC2335M
Ted Roman
Roswell, GA
101-165 HP
Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser N9969A
Cody Owen
Anderson, SC
Over 165 HP
Cessna 195 N2JP
John Preiss
College Station, TX
BEST CUSTOM ClASSIC
Below 100 HP
Aeronca 7DC Champ N1797E
David W. Bruce
Dunwoody, GA
101-165 HP
Stinson 108-3 N400C
Tom and Lorraine Zedaker
Las Vegas, NV
Over 165 HP
Navion N418K
Craig Levedon
New Carlisle, OH
OUTSTANDING ClASSICS
Swift N78168
Joe Ranson
Athens, TN
Cessna 120 N76458
Leon Seale
Lakeland, FL
Luscombe 8E N2423K
Hal Darley
Griffin, GA
Aeronca 7AC N83512
David W. Folks
Chickamauga, GA
Piper J-3 N737N
Mike and Ruth Rigby
Cape Coral, FL
Mooney M-18C N4122
Ted L. Teach
Dayton,OH
CONTEMPORARY AWARDS
(1956 to 7960)
BEST CUSTOM
Beech Bonanza N5337E
Don Gaynor
Englewood, FL
BEST TWIN
Piper Apache - N4373P
Charles Gunderson
Austin, TX
MOST ORIGINAL
Bellanca 14-19-2 N7653G
Lane Bush
Bainbridge, GA
OUTSTANDING
CONTEMPORARY AIRCRAFT
Cessna 180 N9776B
Wayne Strader
Ardmore, OK
Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer N4307A
Gerald Davidson/Ray Allison
Woodbridge, VA
Champion 7FC Tri-Champ N7534B
Steven Button
Indianapolis, IN
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 3
fAA Antique/ClassicDivision
25th Anniversary
PART II
by Gene Chase
Sincemanyof ourcurrentmembersmaynotbeawareof theextraordinaryeffortsthatwentintothe formation of
thelargestoffAA's Divisions, we'repleasedtopresenta 25thAnniversaryreprintofthehistoryof the
fAA Antique/ClassicDivisionas firstpublishedin theJuly 1985editionofthemagazine. forthenextseveral
monthsleadinguptothe fAA Convention, we'llprintasectionofthishistory, andthenin theAugust1996issue
wewillconcludetheserieswitharetrospectivecoveringthelast 10years.- H.C. frautschy
OSHKOSH '72
Theoldcliche "Biggerand bettert han
ever, " describedt he 20t h An nual EAA
Fly-In ConventiononJuly30-August5 in
spiteofsomeoftheworstsummerweather
experiencedin theMidwest in manyyears.
TheweatheratOshkoshwasgoodwit h
onlyoneovernight rain, butthesurround-
ingareaswerehard hit. Sti ll, the total
showplanecountwasupto929.
TheGrandChampionAntique wasa
1929 Waco ATO Taperwing, NC719E
owned by Gordon Bourland,Jr. ofFort
Worth,Texas.
TheReserveGrandChampionAntique
was aHowardDGA-15P, NC95462owned
byJohnR.Turgyan,Wrightstown,NJ.
TheGra nd Champion Classicwasa
newlyrestored1945 PiperJ-3 Cubowned
by DavidG. HamiltonofPortland,IN.
Therewas no ReserveGrand Cham-
pionClassicnamedin 1972.
Oshkosh ' 72 was alivi nghistorybook
for airtransportfans. Flyingin werea
FordTri-Motor ,Boei ng247,two Lock-
heed 12As,J unkersJu. 52, a pre-WW II
Beech18,aStinsonTri-Motor,twoDou-
glas DC-3sanda privatelyownedMartin
404.
BillTurner fl ewhis EdMarquart-built
replica 1934 BrownB-2,"Miss Los Ange-
les" racerall theway from California. The
sightofthis faithful reproduction thrilled a
lotofviewerswho had neverseen that
classofplanein real life. Unfortunatelyit
would benext yearbeforetheAntique/
Classicjudgingsystembegan recognizing
replicasofvintage aircraft ,sothe Brown
B-2 received noaward. However,Bill and
his plane were featuredonthe frontcover
ofthe November1972issue ofSportAvia-
tion.
TheChai rmanofthe Antique/Classic
Division ActivitiesatOshkosh' 72 was
Presidentofthe Division,DavidJameson
4 MAY 1996
E.E. "Buck" Hilbert, Union IL, served as
Antique/Classic Division President from
November, 1972 through December 1975.
ofOshkosh, WI. Vice -PresidentJ. R.
Nie landerofFortLauderdale,FLwas
ChairmanofClassicAircraftactivities.
TheAntiquejudgingteamconsistedof
Chairman,EvanderBritt,Lumberton,NC;
C. W."Pete"Covington,Martinsville,VA;
GeneChase,Tulsa,OK;"Dusty" Rhodes,
Denver,CO;and Ed Sanders,Ft.Worth,
TX.
TheJudgingCommittee for Classics in-
cludedCo-chairmenJimGorman, Mans-
field,OHand MortonLester,Martinsville,
VA. Theywere assistedbyWarrenHall ,
Burlington,NC;JohnEngles,Liberty,NC;
and BillSauter,SantaFe,NM.
ChairmanoftheAntiqueandClassic
Awa rds Committeewas EvanderBritt ,
Lumberton,NCand theChairmanofthe
ParkingCommitteewas EdWegner,Ply-
mouth,WI.
It had beenannouncedearlierthata
meetingwould beheldduringOshkosh ' 72
toelectofficersanddirectorsfor the1972-
73 periodandconductotherDivision busi-
ness. Thatmeetingdid nottakeplace,but
onewasscheduledforlaterin t heyear.
ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING -
NOVEMBER 18,1972
Thi s meet ingwas heldatEAAHead-
quarterswit hPaul Pobereznymaking the
openingaddress. Hedescribedthegoalsof
t he Di visionwit hin EAAand explained
t he reasons DaveJamesonwould notbe
runningfor re-electionasPresident. Mr.
Jamesonspoke briefly,thankingthemem-
bersfor t heirpastcooperationandgiving
wordsofencouragementonsupportingthe
newpresident.
A discussionwasheldregardi ngthe for-
mationofchaptersand theorganizational
benefitswhichwould ensue. Jack Coxex-
plainedt hatachapternumberingsystem
woul d be desirableas it woul d provide
EAAHeadquartersstaffasimple andef-
fective meansofidentification.
Jackalsoexpressedstrongfeelings that
in the nearfutureanindividualpublication
directedspecificallyto theAntiqueand
Classicmemberwouldbea mosteffective
meansofcommunication. Typeclubscould
use thepagesofthispublicationtogetout
theirinformationandit couldserveas an
informationalsourceonspecialproblems
associated primarilywith theAntique/
ClassicDivision.
Theadditionalexpense for suchapubli-
cationwasdiscussed and Morton Lester
made a motion providing for an annual
duesof$10 for membershipin the Divi-
sion. Themotionwassecondedandavote
onthe issuecarriedunanimously. (Thean-
nual dues for EAAwere $15.00atthat
time.)
It wasalsoagreedtohave decalsmade,
reproducingtheAntique/Classic Division
emblem which was designed by Jack Cox.
Dick Wagner offered to prepare the decals
and have them available in the near future.
After a lunch break, the election of Of-
ficers an d Board of Directors was held.
As chairmen of the elect ion committee,
Evander Britt conduct ed thi s portion of
the meeting. Elected for the 1972-73 term
were:
President - E. E. "Buck" Hilbert,
Union, IL
Vice-President - J. R. Nielander,
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Secretary - Dick Wagner, Lyons, WI
Treasurer - Nick Rezich, Rockford, IL
It was decided the present Directors be
retained and the members in attendance at
the meeting be added to the existing Board.
(The names of the Directors were not listed
in the minutes of this meeting.)
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE
The first issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE, Volume 1, Number 1, was
dated December 1972 and edited by Jack
Cox, Editor-in-Chief of EAA' s SPORT
AVIATION. It was 12 pages in length and
printed on EAA's in-house offset press.
Featured on the front cover was a 1962
photo of the completely assembled frame-
work, ready for cover, of Herb Harkcom's
1927 Fairchild FC-2 NC3569, SIN 35. Herb
lived in Inola, OK at the time and after fly-
ing it for six years, donated it to the EAA
Aviation Museum in 1969. (Ed . Note: This
same Fairchild is currently on display in the
EAA Air Adventure Museum in Oshkosh. -
HGF.)
This premier issue contained an editor-
ial by Paul Poberezny, who expressed his
pleasure with the sincerity shown by those
who attended the November 18th business
meeting. He also re-stated the purpose of
the Antique/Classic Division, which was
then one year old.
Buck Hilbert , in hi s first editori al, wel-
comed members to the Division and ex-
plained what the $10.00 membership fee
would provide. He also outlined the future
plans for the organization.
Other articles included the minut es of
the November 18th business meeting, a
"Washington Report " by Dave Scott , and
"Ryan Reflections" by Bill J. Hodges.
Last but not least, Jack Cox wrote, "This
is the first issue of THE VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE, a name chosen to cover all older
planes and it is just the beginning .. . This
house organ of the Ant ique/Classic Divi-
sion of EAA will , like SPORT A VIA-
TION, will become a high quality publica-
tion ... Our goal, quite simply, is to produce
the very bes t magazine for antique and
classic airplanes. "
The second issue of THE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE was dated January 1973 and
was 16 pages in length. Golda Cox (Mrs.
Jack Cox) was li sted on the magazine's
masthead as Assistant Editor and Bonnie
Poberezny was listed as Division Execu-
tive Secretary.
VINTAGE was (and still is) printed by
Times Printing Company in Random Lake,
WI as is SPORT AVIATION. The maga-
(Above) Left to Right: Dusty Rhodes, Evan-
der Britt and Ray Brandly award the
Oshkosh '72 Grand Champion Antique Tro-
phy to Gordon Bourland for his Waco ATO
Taperwing, NC7195.
(Below) There' s nothing more classic than
a classic J-3! This pretty little bird won
Grand Champion Classic honors at
Oshkosh ' 72 for owner David G. Hamilton
of Portland, IN.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
"This is the first issueofTHE VINTAGE AIRPLANE,a name 1973 EAA also leased the land across the
street to the west for use as non-EAA
chosen to coverallolderplanesanditisjustthebeginning...
parking, and the wooded area (Ollie's
Ourgoal,quitesimply, istoproducethe verybestmagazine
Woods) to the south of the antique air-
forantiqueandclassicairplanes." plane parking area to be made into a park
zine was printed on "slick" paper with no
color and it contained photos and selected
type styles.
In his early editorials, President Buck
Hilbert described the Division membership
numbering system, the forthcoming indi-
vidual stationary and illustrated brochures,
and he praised EAA Headquarters for its
strong support of not only the
Antique/Classic Division, but the Warbirds
and International Aerobatic Club as well.
He described the upcoming 1973 Con-
vention at Oshkosh as "the first full blown
adventure for the Antique/Classic Divi-
sion." EAA would provide the parking
area, fencing and a tent, but no more. The
Division would have to provide its own
manpower for parking, registration, secu-
rity, membership promotion, activities,
programs, judging, and a myriad of other
details. Buck asked for "eight or ten volun-
teers to show up four or five days in ad-
vance of the Convention to act as nail ben-
ders, electricians jack of all trades and
organizers." This was the beginning of a
fledgling group of volunteers that would
grow into the huge force of dedicated and
well-organized volunteers which exists to-
day.
On the weekend of January 19-21, 1973
EAA President Paul Poberezny and offi-
cers of the Antique/Classic Division at-
tended the organizational meeting of a new
Florida group which was to become the
first chapter of the Division. The combina-
tion meeting and fly-in was hosted by
Oshkosh ' 73 Grand Champi on Cl assic -
Aeronca 7ACI7CCM, CF-JUU, owned by
Doug Moore of Or angeville, Ontario,
Canada.
Florida President James McClanahan and
his group of enthusiastic members. In ad-
dition to Paul, also attending were EAA
Museum Vice President Dave Jameson of
Oshkosh, WI; Antique/Classic Division
President Buck Hilbert of Union, IL; Vice-
President J. R. Nielander, Jr. of Ft. Laud-
erdale, FL; and Secretary Dick Wagner of
Lyons, WI.
In March, 1973 Gene and Dorothy
Chase moved from Tulsa, OK to Hales
Corners to join the EAA staff. That
month's issue of THE VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE listed the editorial staff as follows:
Publisher - Paul H. Poberezny, Editor -
Jack Cox, Assistant Editors Gene Chase
and Golda Cox. Dorothy Chase replaced
Bonnie as Division Executive Secretary.
Although not listed in the first three issues,
Paul was , in fact , the Publisher and has
served in that capacity to this day (1985).
PREPARI NG FOR OSHKOSH '73
After only three years of use , the
Oshkosh Fly-In site had nearly reached its
limit. Auto parking had been a particular
problem. At its April, 1973 meeting the
EAA Board of Directors authorized Paul
Poberezny to purchase the 56 acre tract of
land just south of the control tower. The
acquisition of this parcel, used in 1972 for
EAA auto parking and antique aircraft
parking, would insure future growth in an
orderly fashion.
This parcel of privately owned land had
been leased by EAA for fly-in weeks on a
year-to-year basis and had it been sold to
outside interests not willing to make the
land avai lable for fly-in use, the Oshkosh
site would have been severely limited. In
complete with picnic tables and outdoor
grills.
Just two months before the Convention
the rainy weather was causing many set-
backs at the Oshkosh site and almost no
volunteer help had made the scene. Buck
Hilbert was telling Antique and Classic
members to be sure and bring tie-downs.
Classic pilots were reminded again to pre-
register their aircraft.
The July 1973 issue ofTHE VINTAGE
AIRPLANE sported some color for the
first time. The front and back covers had
blue borders and selected areas on the in-
side pages were also dressed in blue. The
magazine had grown to 20 pages with this
issue.
In President Buck's July editorial he de-
scribed the storm that hit the Burlington,
WI Airport during an EAA Fly-In, damag-
ing twelve airplanes , including Dale
Glenn's 1930 Ford Tri-Motor, NC8407 on
June 16, 1973. Through the generosity of
some EAA members the damaged Ford
was acquired from the insurance company
for the EAA Aviation Museum. A "Save
the Ford" fund drive would be started soon
and Buck urged Antique/Classic members
to contribute money, parts, or whatever
was needed to get the big bird back into
the air.
(Ed. Note - You can nowsee this samere-
storedFord 4-ATon displayat EAA'sPioneer
Airport,and buyaticketfor arideon theold
airlineron weekends during thesummerfly-
ingseason.- HGF).
OSHKOSH ' 73
" Greater than ever!" exclaimed Divi-
sion President Buck Hilbert in describing
the 21st Annual EAA Fly-In Convention.
168 antique and 422 Classic aircraft winged
their way to Oshkosh to participate. Total
show planes numbered 1,120 and as re-
ported by FAA Controllers at Wittman
Field for the week of July 29 through Au-
gust 4,1973, 58,440 aircraft movements
were reported. This compared with 43,869
movements in the previous year.
Overall Chairman of Antique/Classic
Activities was Buck Hilbert. In charge of
aircraft parking were: Antiques - Gar
Williams and Jim Brewer; Classics - Ed
Wegner. Awards Chairmen were: An-
tiques - Evander Britt; Classics - J . R.
Nielander and George York.
Antique Aircraft Judges were: Evander
Britt - Chairman, Doug Rounds, Ed
Sanders, Kelly Viets, Pete Covington, and
Dusty Rhodes.
Classic Aircraft Judges were: Co-Chair-
men Jim Gorman and Morton Lester, as-
sisting were George York, Buck Hilbert,
John Engles, John Shearer, John Parish,
6 MAY 1996
and Dub Yarbrough.
The premier awards as determined by
the judges were:
ANTIQUE
Grand Champion - 1929 Alexander Ea-
glerock A-2, NC6601, owned by Reagan
Ormand and Jack Brouse, Arlington, TX.
Reserve Grand Champion - Stinson SR-
10, NC21135, George Stubbs, Indianapolis,
IN.
CLASSIC:
Grand Champion -1946 Aeronca 7 A C
converted to a 7CCM, CF-JUU owned by
Doug and Lois Moore of Orangeville, On-
tario, Canada.
Reserve Grand Champion - None
awarded.
REPLICA:
Champion - Great Lakes, N6669, Bill
Duncan, Spokane, W A.
Considering that 1973 was just the sec-
ond year the Antique/Classic Division
managed the full spectrum of its activities
at Oshkosh from aircraft parking, to judg-
ing, awards, forums, security, etc., etc. , Di-
vision President Hilbert was pleased that
things went well. He observed that every-
one seemed to have a good time, but in
planning for Oshkosh '74 they had their
work cut out for them.
Buck specifically noted the Classics
award categories must be expanded as
there were many deserving planes in atten-
dance and the number of awards too lim-
ited. The forums were well accepted and
attendance was excellent, but there was
need for expansion. He called upon the
Type Clubs for assistance in this area.
EAA President Paul Poberezny ex-
pressed his pleasure with the many chair-
men, co-chairmen and volunteers whose ef-
forts were responsible for Oshkosh '73
running so smoothly. He especially noted
the "47 biplanes approaching from the
southeast, and some fifty Cessna 170s given
clearance to land," all carried out with
safety, courtesy and cooperation.
Renowned news commentator Paul
Harvey was in attendance and addressed
Convention goers during one evening pro-
gram. Earlier that day he enjoyed taking a
close look at the Grand Champion Alexan-
der Eaglerock.
Also at Oshkosh '73 was actor Cliff
Robertson, whose real love is airplanes.
He graciously signed autographs as he in-
conspicuously attempted to be one of the
guys.
Immediately after the Convention,
Buck Hilbert approached Paul Poberezny
regarding the possible utilization of an ex-
isting farm building on the Antique/Classic
site as a Division Headquarters. Paul gave
him the green light and plans to accomplish
this would be finalized later.
In October, 1973, Paul Poberezny rep-
resented EAA at a meeting in Washington,
DC of the Consultative Planning Confer-
ence Energy Outlook for Aviation. The
subject discussed was the the fuel crisis and
its effect on general aviation. In addition
to fuel quantity shortages, some refiners
announced plans to discontinue the pro-
duction of 80 octane avgas. EAA agreed
with the FAA that auto gas should not be
used in the absence of avgas.
1974 - A BLEAK OUTLOOK?
The picture in 1974 was not rosy for
sport aviation enthusiasts. July 1 was the
deadline for the installation of Emergency
Locator Transmitters (ELTs) in ALL air-
craft. New aircraft , including homebuilts,
had been required to carry ELT's since
January 1,1972. (Later, some exemptions
were allowed, but not for most antique and
classic aircraft.)
It was feared the fuel crisis would ad-
versely affect attendance at fly-ins, includ-
ing Oshkosh '74. Because many FBOs and
gas stations throughout the country would
not be open on Sundays, the EAA Board
of Directors changed the dates from the
previously announced Sunday through Sat-
urday to Wednesday, July 31 through Tues-
day, August 6. Although the FAA Ad-
ministrator later rescinded his request that
FBO's suspend Sunday sales, the revised
dates for the 1974 EAA Convention would
remain the same. Auto gas would still be
unavailable on Sundays.
In January 1974 Nick Rezich resigned as
Treasurer of the Antique/Classic Division
and the Board of Directors selected Gar
Williams of Naperville, IL to replace him.
Nick was praised for his tireless efforts on
behalf of the Division and he would con-
tinue to write for THE VINTAGE AIR-
PLANE. His "Reminiscing with Big Nick"
articles were all-time favorites.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
"The Red Barn was barely completed in time and as soon as
The Red Barn was barely completed in
time and as soon as the last of the shavings
the last of the shavings was swept away, the gals took over.
was swept away, the gals took over. Edna
Edna Viets, Dorothy Hilbert, Nancy Hall, Pauline and Liz
Viets, Dorothy Hilbert, Nancy Hall,
Winthrop and others really pitched in." Pauline and Liz Winthrop and others really
THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE grew to
24 pages with the June, 1974 issue. Previ-
ous issues had been 20 pages in length.
Buck proudly noted the improvement in
content and quality and credited it to the
contributors beginning to make their
mark." He stated the magazine was doing
its job in pulling all Antique/Classic mem-
bers closer together.
THE RED BARN
On Saturday, March 16, 1974 the Offi-
cers and Directors of the Antique/Classic
Division met at EAA Headquarters in
Hales Corners, WI.
President Buck Hilbert welcomed Vice-
President 1. R. Nielander, Secretary, Dick
Wagner; Treasurer, Gar Williams; and Di-
rectors Claude Gray, Jim Horne, Morton
Lester, George Stubbs, Kelly Viets, and
Jack Winthrop. Directors AI Kelch and
Aviation Greats at Oshkosh '75. Front row,
left to right: Jack Rose, Karl White, Ole
Fahlin, Bob Granville, Clayton Bruckner,
Matty Laird, Russ Brinkley, C.G. Taylor,
Fred Weick, Bill Ong, Grace Harris, Bernie
Pietenpol. Back row, left to right: Roger
Don Rae, Fish Salmon, Eldon Cessna,
Howard Morey, Tony LeVier, Steve
Wittman, Martin Jensen, Ed Granville, T.
Claude Ryan, Jim Church and Vernon
Payne. Missing when this photo was taken
were Art Davis, Woody Edmondson, Eddie
Fisher, Ray Hegy, Mike Murphy, Harold
Neumann, Bill Sweet, Blanche Noyes, Tom
Towie, Sinnie Sinclair, Len Povey, Edna
Gardner Whyte and Elrey Jeppesen.
Evander Britt were unable to attend.
Among the items of business was a dis-
cussion on converting the aforementioned
farm building on the Antique/Classic por-
tion of the Oshkosh Fly-In site into a pleas-
ant, rustic-style permanent headquarters
for the Division. Edna Viets volunteered
to head up the staff for this headquarters
building, later affectionately known as the
"Red Barn." Prior to Oshkosh '74 the An-
tique/Classic Headquarters during the
Convention was a tent.
In the spring Buck started work on the
remodeling, delayed somewhat by the
need to recover from knee surgery and by
wet, cold weather. Work progressed
steadi ly but it soon became obvious t hat
completion of the work by Fly-In time
would require a Hercul ean effort. When
school was out he pressed hi s family into
service and then recruited the earl y Fly-In
arrivals. The last of the interior paneling
was nail ed into place just before the first
day of Oshkosh '74. We don't have the
names of all those who helped, but mem-
bers owe each of them a debt of gratitude.
OSHKOSH '74
Two of the most visible improvements
in the Antique/Classic area at Oshkosh '74
were the new Headquarters Building (Red
Barn) and the moving of the Classic park-
ing area to the area south of Ollie' s Woods
(where Show Plane Camping is now). The
Antiques continued to park in the expanse
between the FAA Control Tower and Ol-
lie's Woods.
pitched in. They signed up new members,
took renewals, sold back issues of THE
VINTAGE AIRPLANE (a hot item, inci-
dentally) sold decals and patches and
served as an information booth until their
voices cracked.
Vice-President J. R. Nielander had a
full slate of speakers for the forums cover-
ing many of the older aircraft types. Gen-
eral Chairman for Antique/Classic Activi-
ties was Buck Hilbert. Gar Williams was in
charge of Antique and Classic aircraft
parking. Evander Britt handled the An-
tique awards and J . R. Nielander took
charge of the classic awards.
Among the highlights on the flight line
was the national debut of Dale Crites' just
compl eted 1911 Curtiss Pusher restoration
with an OX-5 engine. Many Antique/Clas-
sic members were thrilled to meet one of
the all-time aviation greats, Mr. T. Claude
Ryan, who was being escorted at the Con-
vention by Dave Jameson, the Divi sion's
first President. Also, George Williams of
the Rearwi n Type Cl ub had Ken Rearwin
as hi s special guest. Another famous per-
sonage appearing in the forums area was
Fred Weick, designer of the Ercoupe, and
credited with enough other contributions
to aviation to more than fill the pages of
this magazi ne.
The worry about low attendance was
unfounded as never in the 22-year history
of EAA had there been such a jump for-
ward in the size of its Fly-In Convention
from one year to the next.
The number of show planes increased a
full 20 percent over the previous year, to
1,345. This included 173 Antiques and 512
8 MAY 1996
Classics. Part of the increase in the num-
ber of Classic planes was attributed to the
change in the description of the category
to include those aircraft manufactured
through 1955 rather than 1950. The top
aircraft awards were:
ANTIQUE:
Grand Cha mpion - Fa irchild 24R,
NC77661 , Tom Leonhardt, Dick Buck and
Jud Gudehous of Rockingham, CT.
Reserve Grand Champion - Rearwin
Sportster, NC20723, Alfred Nagle and Ken
Gatzke, Montello, WI.
CLASSIC:
Grand Champion - Swift GC-1B ,
N2459B, Edmund Gorny, Livermore, CA.
Reserve Grand Champion - Piper J-3
Cub, NC42621 , David Hamilton, Ander-
son, IN.
REPLICA:
Champion - 1911 Curtiss Pusher ,
N1911D Dale Crites, Waukesha, WI.
As the Annual EAA Convention grew
in size, so did the number of volunteers
needed . The efforts of these dedicated
members are typified by Antique/Classic
member Ernie Moser, manager and FBO
of the St. Augustine, FL Airport who came
early and stayed late, spending an incredi-
ble 130 hours on a tractor helping to keep
the grass mowed on the huge Fly-In site.
It's members like Ernie who make the
EAA movement work.
1975 - ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
DIVISION'S 5TH YEAR
Early in the year EAA President Paul
Poberezny asked all EAA members to
write to their elected officials in Washing-
ton to express concern over the exorbitant
federal use taxes. The government planned
to raise some $78 to $88 million to "par-
tially recover the costs of airway services
which are used by general aviation, and the
certifying and licensing of airmen, aircraft
and aircraft equipment." It was felt by
many that these changes would have a dev-
astating effect on the future of sport/gen-
eral aviation.
In April Buck announced that members
would not be able to camp with their an-
tique and classic aircraft at Oshkosh as in
the past. This was due to complaints from
other members of the clutter, open fires,
cooking and general disarray in an area in-
tended for aircraft display. The opening of
the new campground across the road to the
west would "make this new requirement a
little easier to take and the facilities would
be much more convenient."
Pre-registration for classics at Oshkosh
would be required once again and because
of the limited parking area at the Fly-In
site, members were asked to register "dis-
play quality classics only." Other classics
would park in the transient aircraft parking
area. Buck Hilbert described a "display
quality" aircraft as "one that the owner
takes considerable pride in and wants oth-
ers to see and enjoy as much as he does.
He is proud of it, he takes very good care
of it, and it looks it."
In April, Antique/Classic President
Buck Hilbert and lAC Division President
Verne Jobst attended meetings in Wash-
ington, DC with FAA top echelon. The
meetings were arranged by Charlie Schuck,
FAA Coordinator, for the purpose of get-
ting acquainted. Among those they met
were the Acting Administrator, Jimmie
Dow, the new Assistant Administrator for
General Aviation, Allan Landolt, the FAA
Medical Chief, the Chief of Flight Stan-
dards and the Editor of the FAA Aviation
News. Buck and Verne left the meeting
with a real sense of direction and were
pleased to learn the men they met were
also interested in sport aviation.
At the April 12, 1975 Board meeting,
the Directors voted unanimously to accept
the Judging Rules drawn up by the Judging
Standards Committee, composed of Gar
Williams, Dick Wagner and Al Kelch. The
intention was that the rules would be used
at fly-ins throughout the country.
In May, 1975, it was announced that in
cooperation with EAA, the Smithsonian's
National Air and Space Museum and
famed designer E. M. "Matty" Laird, the
Florida Sport Aviation Antique and Clas-
sic Association would restore the 1931
Laird Super Solution racer. Spearheaded
by FSMCA President, Ed Escallon, the
plane would be restored to flying condition
then put on display in the EAA Air Mu-
seum. (Ed. Note: It remains on display in the
Air Racing Gallery of the EAA Air Adventure
Museum. -HGF)
OSHKOSH '75
There were many highlights of the 23rd
Annual EAA Convention, July 29 through
August 4, 1975, but none greater than the
"Greats of Aviation Day." This group of
36 men and women were the guests of
EAA and were recognized for their signifi-
cant contributions to the development of
aviation prior to WW II.
They were given tours of the entire Fly-
In, presented to the members in several
stage appearances and generally given the
celebrity treatment they so richly deserved.
Oshkosh '75 broke every record but
two. Those were showplanes down to 1338
compared with last year' s 1345 and total
aircraft movements down 67,314 as com-
pared to 701128 in 1974.
Ironically, however, these two bell-
wethers of EAA Fly-In success were down
slightly because the overall operation was
so huge . Due to a portion of last year's
Classic parking area being taken to estab-
lish a showplane campsite, Classic pre-reg-
istrations had to be restricted to pre-1951
aircraft about half way through the process,
so great were the numbers of owners of
these popular post-war aircraft wanting a
show line spot.
The more recent Classics were on the
airport , parked in the itinerant area. And
because the fly-by pattern in recent years
had become very close to the saturation
point, a schedule of fly-by times, based on
aircraft speeds was imposed. This resulted
in a much safer operation, but naturally
cut down on total aircraft movements.
The top awards were:
ANTIQUE:
Grand Champion - 1928 American Ea-
gle, NC731O, Ed Wegner, Plymouth, WI.
Reserve Grand Champion - Rearwin
Sportster, NC20723, Alfred Nagel and Ken
Gatzke, Montello, WI.
CLASSIC:
Grand Champion - Stinson 108-2,
N971J, Jim Mankins, Corona, CA.
Reserve Grand Champion - Swift GC1
B, N2459B, Edmond Gorney, Livermore,
CA.
REPLICA:
Best WW I - SE-5A, N9841, A. Mangos,
Williamsport, P A.
Antique/Classic Chairman at the Con-
vention was Buck Hilbert, and Cochairman
was J. R. Nielander. Chairman of An-
tique/Classic parking was Kelly Viets, with
Jack Winthrop and Gar Williams as Co-
chairmen. A wards chairmen were Antique
- Evander Britt and Classic - Morton
Lester.
The Antique Judging Committee was
Evander Britt - Chairman; Dusty Rhodes,
Paul Hopkins, Al Kelch, Doug Rounds,
Pete Covington, Dale Gustafson and
Claude Gray.
Morton Lester and Jim Gorman were
Co-chairmen of the Classic Judging Com-
mittee, assisted by Brad Thomas, Roger
Jennings, Dale Wolford, Duffy Thompson,
John Engles, John Womack, Swanson Poer,
George York, John Parish, Maurice Clavel,
John Turgyan and Dub Yarbrough.
During the Board of Directors Meeting
at the Convention on August 4, 1975 the
election resul ts were announced. Re-
elected were incumbents: J. R. Nielander,
Vice-President; Gar Williams, Treasurer;
and Directors Jim Horne, Morton Lester,
Claude Gray and George Stubbs.
Personal notes of thanks were extended
by President Buck Hilbert to the Judging
Committee for their development of the
new Judging Standards; J R. Nielander for
his extensive and far reaching efforts to
make the Convention a success; and also to
the volunteer workers for their participa-
tion and help in making the Antique/Clas-
sic part of the 1975 Convention the success
it was. A special thanks was given to the
Parking Committee Chairman Kelly Viets
and to Jack Winthop.
On October 11,1 975 Paul Poberezny
was presented with the Lawrence P.
Sharples Award by the Aircraft Owners
and Pilot's Association. This annual
award is intended to "recognize and in-
spire unselfish contributions to general
aviation." ..
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
ITW DeVilbiss Refinishing Products supplied us
with this article describing their new spraying system
using the DeVilbiss OMX gun. With the advent of a
variety of "new" paint application technologies, tak-
ing a closer look may help members who are in the
market for a spray system make their decision.
The DeVilbiss
OMX
SprayGun
by George Braatz
VP of Public Relations, Hart Associates
Thecompleterestorationofa1957
PiperTri-Pacer(PA-22-150), usinga
newlydesignedpaintspraygun,resulted
in a savingsin time andmoney- andan
award-winningappearance.
TheTri-Pacer,ownedbyWallyRo-
jem(EAA321065) ofLambertville,MI,
andrestoredby Ken Schneider(EAA
155489)ofToledo,OHcapturedthe
Contemporaryclass"Outstandingin
Type"award for thePA-22categoryat
EAAOSHKOSH'95.
Priortotherestoration,the38year
oldplanewasdescribedas"deplorable"
bySchneider. Butaftermorethan1,000
hoursofworkovera5monthperiod,the
vintageaircraftwas toutedas" better
thannew. "
Alsoassisting in theprojectwas Mark
Charpie(EAA482289), fleet market
managerfor ITW DeVilbissRefinishing
Products,whoprovidedanewlydesigned
DeVilbissOMXspraygun for the pro-
ject.
Theeffort was partlya laboroflove
andpartlyanartistic restorationchal-
lenge. Rojemis employedas an electri-
cian forToledoEdison,andSchneideris
apilotfor NorthwestAirlines.
TheworkbeganonNovember1,1994
with the aircraftbeingtotallydisassem-
bled," includingeverylastscrewand
bolt,"Schneidersaid. Wheneverything
was removed from thetubularskeleton
ofthefuselage ,it wasevidentjusthow
much rustandcorrosionwere present.
"Oldplanes,suchas thisTri-Pacer,
seldom receivedadequateprotectionfor
long-lasting service," Schneiderex-
plained.
Thenextstepwas tosandblastthe
Piperskeleton,which allowed the restor-
erstoseeexactlywhererustexisted.
10 MAY 1996
Significantcorrosionwas found, result-
ingin thereplacementofabout30feetof
metal tubing in the frame. The old,
rustedsectionswerecutoutandthenew
oneswelded intoplace.
Mostofthereplacementwasrequired
onthelowersectionsofthelongerons,
becausemoisturenaturallygravitatesto
thebottomandproducesthemostrust
there.
Schneiderand Rojembuilta tempo-
raryspraypaintboothwith2x4sand
plastic,includingaventilationfan.
Theentireaircraftframewaspainted
with DupontColorEpoxy Primer. Then
two mediumcoatsofDupontImron
paintwereapplied. Thecolorblackwas
selectedprimarilybecauseitisoneofthe
leastexpensivecolorsandthecolorwas
immaterialbecause itwould becom-
pletelycoveredlater.
It wasduringtheseearlyoperations
thatSchneiderrealizedsomeofthead-
vantagesofthe DeVilbissOMXgravity-
feed spraygun.
TheOMXcan paintupsidedown,
without losing fluid flow or leaking
throughvents,which wouldoccurwith
traditionalpaintguns. Thismeantthat
all portionsofthetubularframecouldbe
paintedatone time,Schneidersaid.
With normalguns, theentirefuselage
would have tobe rotatedseveraltimes
soall surfacescould be covered. Time
for drying is required between each
movementoftheframe.
"Inevermoved theframe duringthe
paintingoftheTri-Pacer," headded.
DeVilbiss' Charpieexplainedthatthe
newOMXguncan sprayin anyattitude,
includingupsidedown, becauseofa
sealed,disposable linersystem. Ithasno
ventstoleakand theguncan becleaned
with onlyoneto twoouncesofcleaning
solvent.
Afterthe pre-sewnfabricenvelopes
werepositionedonthevariouspartsof
theplane'sskeleton,gluedandshrunk
into place,reinforcingtapeswereap-
plied,thefabric wasstitchedto the ribs
and thestitcheswerecoveredwith sur-
face tape. A totalof11 differentcoatsof
filler dope wereappliedto thefabric
covering,oftenwith sandingperformed
betweeneachcoat.
Themultiplecoatsofdopesaturate
thefabric,providinga protectivesurface,
whilenotbeingtooheavytototallycover
theweave inthefabricandgive it too
slickan appearance.
"Thiswas builttobea usableair-
plane- notjustashowpiece,"Schneider
said. " If thefabric's paintcoatingis too
thick,cracksmaydevelopduringnormal
flying. By makingsure some ofthe
weave is still observable,we aremore
confidentthefabric will maintain the
neededelasticity,withoutcracksshowing
up in thepaint. "
Thesecoveringsofdopealsoform the
foundation thatwill bondto thefinal
paintapplication. Sandingbetweeneach
coathelps toreinforcethebondingcapa-
bility for the next coat, but also to
smooththeedgeswherereinforcingand
corneringtapeswereplaced.
Newcables,floorboards andelec-
tronicequipmentwerealso installed into
therestoredaircraft.
Twofinishingcoatsofwhitepaintwere
sprayedontothePiper'ssurface. Then,
using Dupontfine-line finishing tape,the
updatedpaintschemeofablue and red
designwereadded,Schneidersaid.
"Therewasa tremendoussavingsin
quantityofpaintusedwiththenewDeV-
ilbiss OMX gun," he said. " It only took
three-fourths of a gallon of paint to cover
the whole fuselage, where it woul d nor-
mally require two gallons. I only needed
two quarts to complete the frame, in-
stead of one and a half gallons.
"When you are talking about more
than $100 per gallon for some of the
paint, the dollar savings are substantial,"
the restorer said. "You can almost pay
for the cost of the paint spray gun wit h
the savings from painting one airplane."
Charpie explained that the paint sav-
ings are due to the low air velocity exit-
ing the air cap and the patented DeVi l-
biss adjustable control valve that allows
the painter to dial in the correct amount
of material required for the pat-
tern size selected. A special "low
flow" air cap is also provided to
permit the OMX to operate on
only a 2 hp air compressor, more
readily found in the shop of an
EAA Antique/Classic member.
The finished product was partic-
ularly satisfying to owner Rojem
and restorer Schneider, but even
more inspiring when it caught the
eye of EAA judges at Oshkosh.
The completely restored 1957
Tri-Pacer, with its sporty red,
white and blue design, will again
make a visit to Oshkosh in 1996.
For more information on the DeVil-
biss OMX system, call Mark Charpie,
DeVilbiss Refinishing Products at
419/891-8129. ...
(Below) Award-winning appear-
ance of 1957 Tri-Pacer following
restoration.
(Above) Prior to restoration, the Tri-Pacer
displayed a deplorable exterior.
(Left) Rust and corrosion were rampant un-
der the Tri-Pacer's skin before restorat ion.
(Below) The fuselage begins to take shape
with fabric stitched and glued in place, and
surface tapes applied. The tubular struc-
ture was painted with black Dupont Imron
prior to fabric application.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
Fly-In
Calendar
The following listof comingeventsis fur-
nishedtoourreadersas a matterof infor-
mationonlyanddoesnotconstitute
approval, sponsorship, involvement, con-
trolor directionof anyevent(fly-in, semi-
nars, fly market, etc.)listed. Pleasesend
theinformationtofAA, All:Golda Cox,
P.O. Box3086,Oshkosh, WI54903-3086.
Informationshouldbereceivedfour
monthspriorto theeventdate.
MAY 17-19 - COLUMBIA, CA - 20th Annual
Gathering of Luscombes. Aircraft judging,
spot landing and flour bombing contests, and
the 4th Annual Great Luscombe Clock Race.
For info, contact Doug Clough, 360/893-6623
or Art Moxley, 206/630-1086.
MAY 18 - HUNTSVILLE, AL - Moontown airport.
EAA Chapter 190 Fl y-In and airshow. Call
205/498-3454 for information.
MAY 18-19 - HAMPTON, NH - Hampton
Airfield. 20th annual Aviation Flea Market.
Fly-In, Drive-In, camping on field. No fees.
No rain date. Anything aviation related OK.
Food available. For info, call 603/964-6749.
MAY 19 - WARWICK, NY - Warwick
Aerodrome. EAA Chapter 501 annual Fly-In
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Unicom 123.0. Food and
trophies, registration for judging closes at 2
p.m. Call Harry Barker at 201/838-7485 for
more information.
MAY 24-25 - ATCHISON, KS - Amelia Earhart
Memorial Airport. 30th annual Fly-In, hosted
by the Kansas City Chapter of the AAA. For
info call or write: Gerry Gippner, Fly-In
Chairman, 14810 W. 159th St., Olathe, KS
66061, 913/764-8512 or Lee Crites, 14325 W.
89th St., Lenexa, KS 66245, 913/888-0596.
MAY 25-26 - DECATUR, AL - EAA Chapter 941
and DAAS sponsored Fly-In and Fly market,
Antique, Classic homebuilts and more.
Everyone is welcome, great food and shuttle
available. For info call 205/355-5770 or 830-
4460.
MAY 25-27 - PARKERSBURG, WV - 1st Annual
Mid-Ohio Valley Stearman Fly-In. For info call
Dan or jim Ramsey, 304/464-4450.
MAY 26 - ZANESVILLE, OH - EAA Chapter 425
Annual Fly-In, Drive-In Breakfast. 8 a.m. - 5
p.m. Sandwiches, etc from noon 'till closing.
Riverside Airport. Contact Don Wahl,
614/454-0003.
MAY 31-jUNE 1 - BARTLESVILLE, OK - Frank
Philipps Field. BIPLANE EXPO '96. 10th
Annual National Bipl ane Convention and
exposition. Biplanes and NBA members free;
all others pay admission. Contacts: Charles
Harris, Chairman, 918/622-8400 or Virgil
Gaede, Expo director, 918/336-3976.
JUNE 1 - FOWLERVILLE, MI - Maple Grove air-
port EAA Chapter 1056 Fly-In, aerobatic
demos, lunch, pilot events, rides, hog roast,
camping. Call Ron at 517/223-3233.
JUNE 1-2 - ELKHART, IN - EAA Chapter 132
Pancake Breakfast and Elkhart Airshow. Call
616/699-5237.
JUNE 1-2 -GRAVENHURST, ONTARIO, CANA-
DA - Muskoka Air Fair. Snowbirds, Oscar
Boesch and others. Aviation trade show. For
info or booth space, call Li zann Flatt,
705/687-1620.
JUNE 2 - DE KALB, IL - DeKalb-Taylor
Muni cipa l Airport. EAA Chapter 241
Breakfast, 7 a.m. - noon. For info call jack
Bennett, 815/756-7712.
JUNE 7-8 - MERCED, CA - 39th Merced West
Coast Antique Fly-In. For info contact Merced
Pilots Association, P.O. Box 2312, Merced,
CA 95344, or Virginia Morford, 209/383-
4632.
JUNE 7-9 - DENTON, TX - Texas Chapter
Antique Airplane Association's 34th Annual
Fly-In at Denton Municipal Airport (DTO).
For info call jim Austin 817/429-5385, Penny
Richards 817/482-6175 or john Whatl ey
214/517-1981.
JUNE 8-9 - COLDWATER, MI - Fairchild Fly-In
at Branch Co. Memorial Airport. Contact:
Mike Kelly 517/278-2654.
JUNE 9 - GA YLORD, MI-EAA Chapter 1095
pancake breakfast. 517/732-7377.
JUNE 9 - TOWANDA, PA - Towanda airport
(N27) Fly-In Breakfast - all you can eat. Eggs,
sausage, pancakes, 100% pure maple syrup.
7 a.m. -1 p.m.
JUNE 13-16 - ST. LOUIS, MO - Creve Coeur
Airport. American Waco Club Fly-In.
Contacts: john Halterman, 314/434-4856 or
Phil Coulson, 616/624-6490.
JUNE 14-16 - CAMARILLO, CA - 16th annual
Fathers Day Fly-In, hosted by EAA Chapter
723 and the CAF. Homebuilts, Warbirds,
Antiques, Cl assics, Pancake breakfast .
Contact: 805/985-4058.
JUNE 15 - ANDOVER, Nj - Olde Fashioned Fly-
In, sponsored by EAA Antique/Classic Chapter
7. Aeroflex-Andover Airport, 12N. Olde
birds, good eats. 20 1/786-5682 or 361-0875.
Rain Date: june 16.
JUNE 15- 16 - RUTLAND, VT - 5th Annual
Taildragger Rendezvous. EAA Chapter 968,
pancake breakfast 8- 11 a.m. (Free to the first
25 PICs). Prizes in all categories. For info call
802/492-3647.
JUNE 16 - LACROSSE, WI - Fathers Day
Fly/Drive-In breakfast. 0700- 1200. $4 each,
PI C is free. Displays, music, aerobati cs.
Check NOTAMS. 608/781-5271.
JUNE 16 - REDDING, CA - EAA Chaper 157
Fathers Day Fly-In. Contacts: Bruce Taylor,
916/275-6456 or Armal Owens, 916/243-
4382.
JUNE 21-23 - COLUMBIA, CA - 21st Annual
Southwest Stinson Club Fly-In and Camp out.
Call 510/686-3812 for info.
JUNE 23 - ZANESVILLE, OH - EAA Chapter 425
Air Awareness Day, Fly-In, Drive-In Breakfast.
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Come enjoy the planes on dis-
play and good fellowship. Riverside Airport.
Contact Don Wahl, 614/454-0003.
JUNE 23 - NILES, MI - j erry Tyl er Memorial
Airport (3 TR). EAA Chapter 865 Fly-In break-
fast, 6:30 - Noon. Call Ralph Ballard for info:
616/684-1726.
JUNE 25-27 - LAKE TEXOMA, OK - (F31) Short
Wing Piper Club's annual convention. For info
call 817/491-9529 or 275-1082.
JUNE 27-30 - MT. VERNON, OH - 37th Annual
National Waco Reunion Fly-In. 513/868-
0084.
JUNE 29-30 - LONGMONT, CO - 18th Annual
EAA Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In - home-
builts, antiques, Classics, ultralights, warbirds.
no admission for fly-ins. Friday arrivals wel-
come. For info call Bill Marcy, 303/798-6086
or the airport manager 303/651-8431.
JUNE 29-30 - GAINESVILLE, GA - 28th Annual
Cracker Fly-In, sponsored by EAA Chapter
61/. Homebuilts, antiques, warbirds. judging
in nine categories. Pancake breakfast Sat. and
Sunday. For info call: Mick Hudson, 770/531-
0291 or Bob Savage 770/718-1966.
JUNE 30-jUlY 5 - LAKE GUNTERSVILLE, AL -
28th annual convention of the International
Cessna 170 Association. Lake Guntersville
State Park Lodge. 205/571-5440. Contact
Harley Pickett, 205/640-4785.
jUl Y 7 - MICHIGAN CITY, IN - (MGC) EAA
Chapter 966 Fly-In/Drive-In pancake break-
fast. Call 219/325-0133.
JULY 12-14 - LOMPOC, CA - 12th Annual Piper
Cub Fly-In. After 5 pm, call Bruce Fall at
805/733-1914 or Monte Finley 805/733-4413.
jUlY 23 - ZANESVILLE, OH - EM Chapter 425
Annual Pancake Day at Parr Airport. 8 a.m. -
5 p.m. Oshkosh bound pilots encouraged to
fly-in, eat and refuel. Contact Don Wahl,
614/454-0003.
JULY 26-27 - COFFEYVILL E, KS - Funk Aircraft
Owners Assoc. Reunion. Contact: Gene
Ventress, 10215 S. Monticello, Lenexa, KS
66227.
JULY 26-28 - RED LAKE, ONTARIO, CANADA-
Norseman Float Plane Festival. For more info,
contact the Festival Committee at 807/727-
2809.
JULY 27-29 - KEOKUK, IA - Sixth World Wide
ga thering of L-Birds, then en masse up to
Wisconsin for EAA great OSHKOSH '96 on
August 1. Contact Irv Linder, 319/524-6378.
AUGUST 1-7 - OSHKOSH, WI - 44th Annual
fAA Fly-In and Sport Aviation Convention.
Wittman Regional Airport. Contact John
Burton, fAA, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI
54903-3086. 414/426-4800.
AUGUST 3 - ELLSWORTH, KS - EAA Chapter
1127 Fly-In breakfast (Oshkosh stop-over) and
Cowtown Day. Call Dale Weinhold, 913-
472-4021(w) or -4309 (h) for info.
AUGUST 18 - BROOKFIELD, WI - Capital
Airport. EAA NC Chapter 11 Vintage Aircraft
Display and Ice Cream Social, Noon - 5 pm.
Midwest Antique Airplane Club meeting as
well. For info call Capital Airport at 414/781-
9550.
AUGUST 27-29 - YOUNGSTOWN, OH -
BARTLESVILLE, OK AND EL CAJON, CA -
Staggerwing Beech Commemorative Tour.
Call William Thaden, 207/439-1161 for info.
AUGUST 30-31 - HA YWARD, CA - EAA
Antique/Classic Chapter 29 Fourth Annual
Antique Fly-In and Airshow. Free Early Bird
Dinner to all display aircraft on Friday. This is
a northern California points event. Contact
Bud Field at 510/455-2300.
AUGUST 30 - SEPT. 1 - PROSSER, WA - EAA
Chapter 391 25th Anniversary Fly-In at Prosser
airport. Ca ll Cormac Thompson for info:
509/786-1034.
AUGUST 31 - MARION, IN - Sixth Annual Fly-
In/Cruise-In breakfast sponsored by the Marion
High school Band Boosters. Antiques,
Classics, homebuilts, and Antique. classic and
custom cars welcomed. For information, con-
tact Ray johnson at 317/664-2588.
SEPT 1 - ZANESVILLE, OH - Riverside Airport.
fAA Chapter 425 Labor Day Weekend Fly-In,
Drive-In Breakfast . 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sandwiches, etc. from noon to closing.
12 MAY 1996
RolandLaFont's
Grum
Malia
by NormPetersen
One of the prettiest amphibians to park
on the line at EAA Oshkosh ' 95 was a 1947
Grumman G-73 Mallard, N2954, SIN J-14,
that completely defi ed it's 48 years of exis-
tence. Owned by Roland LaFont (EAA
498645) of Albuquerque, NM, the big twin-
engined amphibi an has enjoyed the bene-
fits of corporate ownership most of its life
plus a great deal of TLC by all of its own-
ers.
Completed at Grumman' s Bethpage,
Long Island, NY, plant on January 21 ,
1947, the ten place (plus two pilots) am-
phibian was owned by Howard Hughes and
Hansa Jet before being acquired by Preci-
sion Valve Corp, Yonkers, NY, who owned
the Mallard for 26 years. The next owner
was Walkers Cay Air Terminal , Inc. of Ft.
Lauderdale, FL, who proceeded to expend
about $250,000 refurbishing the big twin,
including a large amount of anti-corrosion
treatment, newly majored engines and
props and a host of other improvements.
In 1993, Walkers traded the Mallard for
a Turbine Mallard owned by Freeport-Mc-
Moran, Inc. of New Orleans. Roland La-
Font purchased the Mallard from Freeport-
McMoran and promptly flew it to
Ardmore, OK, home of Higgins Interiors,
(Above) Climbingoutsmartlyinthe
morning sun,theprettyMallardgives
usalookattwonicelycowledP&W
R-1340enginesand props. Thehigh
tailfinandrudderwerenecessaryforstabilityinthisGor-
donIsraeldesignedamphibian.
(Inset) Themanofthehour,Roland LaFont,whobrought
theprettyMallardallthewaytoOshkoshfromAlbu-
querque,NewMexico,toattendhisfirstEAAconvention.
Headmitshewasquitesurprisedatthehugesizeofthe
EAAgathering.
(Left) Theverygraceful66-footwingemploysaNACA
23000seriesairfoilthattapersfroma23022attherootto
a 23012atthewingtip. Thetailsurfacesareall cantilever
in design. Theoverwingexhausthelpstoquietthecabin
ofthebigtwin.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
(Above) Extremely clean en-
gine cowl houses a P & W R-
1340 engine of 600 hp swinging
a full feathering Hamilton Stan-
dard propeller with brightly pol-
ished blades and spinner.
(Right) This is the forward pas-
senger compartment that holds
five people in pure luxury, in-
cluding fans by the ceiling and
individual air vents above each
seat.
who installed a new interior after improv-
ing the soundproofing of the large cabin.
The result was an airplane that is really
pleasant to fly because it is so quiet. In ad-
dition, the entire airplane was stripped, the
aluminum etched, the hull sealed and the
entire airplane was repainted with Jet Glo
polyurethane. The colors are creamy
white, deep red and dark blue trim. The
pictures speak for themselves as to the
quality of the paint scheme.
At the same time, the old 105,000 BTU
heater was removed and a new 55,000 BTU
heater from a Cessna 421 was installed un-
der an STC. Roland reports the combina-
tion of the new heater, the excellent insula-
tion and sound proofing, and first class in-
terior makes for a most comfortable air-
plane, even in the coldest of weather.
With the Mallard shining like a jewel,
Roland took his 28-year-old son along on a
trip around Alaska in the summer of 1994.
They enjoyed a fanta.stic journey and vis-
ited many places they had read about plus
stopping to see numerous friends in the
49th state. One of their friends had built a
ramp in front of his place that allowed
Roland to land the Mallard in the water
and taxi up the ramp to dry land. He ad-
mits this is about as deluxe as it can get.
On the entire trip , the Mallard never
missed a beat and really engendered
Roland's respect for the 1947 amphibian.
Along with the airplane, Roland re-
ceived the entire logged history back to
day one. The logs filled one huge box, just
by themselves. One item that had been in-
stalled years back was a cuff on the wing
that is supposed to aid the ability of the
Mallard to fly in icing conditions. How-
ever, Roland is quick to add that the Mal-
lard is not a great airplane with a load of
ice clinging to it and he will go out of his
way to avoid ice. (Why tempt the devil ?)
Roland LaFont (the name is of French
Canadian derivation) came by his aviation
interest in an honest way. His father, Justin
LaFont, was a Certified Flight Instructor at
Sweetwater, Texas, during World War II,
14 MAY 1996
teaching the WASP candidates how to fly.
(The pioneering efforts of these instructors
and the immeasurable impact of the female
WASP pilots would only be fully recog-
nized many years later.) Roland's father
taught him how to fly in a Fairchild PT-19
after the war and Roland made his solo
flight at the tender age of 11, back in 1948.
Sadly, Justin LaFont would pass away in
1989 and never have a chance to fly the
magnificent Mallard with his son.
Once out of high school, Roland en-
tered the U. S. Navy and spent four years
in the submarine service. He was on board
the diesel electric sub that made its way un-
der the ice pack at the North Pole in a test
run prior to the nuclear-powered Nautilus
making the same trip.
Once out of service, Roland entered the
U.S. Park Service concession business at
Shenley, Arizona. This business has grown
to where he now has lodges at Monument
Valley, Utah and Lima Valley, Utah. Dur-
ing all this, his interest in aviation has con-
tinued. In 1987, he discovered in seaplanes
and the itch was finally taken care of when
he purchased a DeHavilland Beaver on
Wipline amphibious floats. The Beaver
had all the Kenmore mods and was a fine
airplane to gain the skills necessary to fly
an amphibian - and stay out of trouble .
Roland admits he learned a great deal with
the Beaver. When he bought the Mallard,
he figured he knew about all
there was to know about flying
an amphibian - Wrong!
During the past 115 hours of
flying the Mallard all over the
country and around Alaska,
Roland admits he has learned
more about amphibian flying
than he ever knew before! Perhaps the
best part is that he has managed to keep
the big twin in perfect shape during all this
"learning." One item he has developed is
a dinghy that has a motor on the back
which fits into the cabin by removing the
rear three seats. Once the airplane is on
the water, the dinghy is placed in the water
and the boat engine is started. Pretty neat.
The Mallard is a large airplane with a
wingspan of 66 feet, eight inches; a length
of 48 feet, four inches and a gross weight of
12,750Ibs. It is powered with two Pratt &
Whitney R-1340 engines rated at 600 hp
each and swinging three-bladed Hamilton
Standard propellers . Normal cruise is
about 180 mph with a top speed of about
215 mph. Normal fuel capacity is 380 gal-
lons which at 50 gallons per hour, gives a
cruising range of up to 1900 miles, depend-
ing on load and cruising speed. The main
designer on the Mallard was Gordon Is-
rael, who worked for Grumman from 1941
to about 1950. He also helped Benny
Howard develop the "Mr. Mulligan."
Here is the "business office" of the Mal-
lard, complete with dual controls and
overhead throttle, prop and mixture con-
trols. Note the window cranks on each
wall panel. The small curtain below the
right hand panel allows a person to move
forward to the nose hatch compartment.
Roland LaFont says the Mallard is a
most enjoyable and comfortable airplane
for cross-country flights and is an especially
fine handling airplane on the water. With
true amphibious capabilities, the Mallard is
obviously the best of all worlds for the
sportsman pilot.
A very special "thank you" is accorded
Roland LaFont for bringing his beautiful
Grumman Mallard to the EAA Oshkosh
Fly-In and allowing us to photograph the
airplane on the ground and in the air.
Ed. Note: Of the 59 Mallards built by
Grumman, there are presently 30 pis-
ton-engined models and two turbine
Mallard conversions remaining on the
U. S. register. ...
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
Bob Fergus'
by H.C. Frautschy
Photos by Jim Koepnick
Breathes there an antiquer who, as a
kid with cellulose glue on his fingers,
didn't get all excited about building a
model of the Fairchild 22? With all
those struts, it could be a daunting task,
but oh my, what a beauty when you fi-
nally finished it. That long, slender
nose and a pair of airwheels nestled
into a set of beautiful wheel pants, and
the characteristic Fairchild fin and rud-
der ended the fuselage in a graceful
swoop. Just reading about it makes
you want to pull out the Cleveland
plans and start whittling balsa!
TrishaandArtMiller,Ocala,FLflewBobFergus'
FairchildtoSun 'nFun'95. Therestorationisnearly20
yearsold,andyetisstillgoodenoughtohavewona
"BestOpenCockpit"AntiqueawardatSun'nFun '95.
Theaftcockpitinstrumentpanel(theforwardpitisde-
voidofinstruments)isstillbeautifullymaintained,and
haseverythingyouneedfordayVFRflight.
18MAY1996
Bob Fergus (EAA 9717, A/C 6713)
Dublin, OH has been satisfying his de-
sire for one of these depression-era
beauties since 1978, when he purchased
a completely re-created Fairchild 22
C7D from Jim Dewey of Santa Paula,
CA. Jim spent a number of years
putting this particular Fairchild together
from bits and pieces he had collected
and built, replacing the Cirri us HI-Drive
of the C-7B with a Menasco Pirate D-4.
First built in 1934, it carries SIN 915, and
while built originally as a 22 C7B, it is
now a 22 C7D. Five of the" D" models
are now registered with the FAA, al-
though one is listed as not having an en-
gine. While never built in large num-
bers, only 26 of the various Fairchild
22's still exist , and a number of those
are not currently in flying condition - Of
the 26, only 17 actually have engines
listed in their registrations, so it's safe to
assume there just a couple more than a
dozen model 22's still flying. From one
perspective, that's a shame, simply be-
cause so few pilots can share the joy of
flying such a lovely airplane.
Looking at it from the other side, I'm
pleased there are still some flying.
We were privileged to see Bob' s
Fairchild at Sun ' n Fun ' 95. It had been
flown to the EAA gathering from Lee-
ward's Air Ranch in Ocala, FL by Art
and Trisha Miller. Longtime residents
of "the Ranch," they' ve been fortunate
to be allowed to fly the Fairchild on oc-
casion. Art ' s a wealth of knowledge on
the airplane, which has been a love of
his as long as Bob's - it must be one of
those airplanes that gets under your
skin.
Bob's Fairchild 22 really has not
had a great deal of work done to it in
the ensuing years, besides regular in-
spections. The 125 hp Menasco D-4
has been running well all these years
(Okay, all together now - knock on
wood!) , with the only "major" piece of
work that needed to be done was the
replacement of all the fuel and oil
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
hoses, done a as preventative measure.
As Bob pointed out , the sun is the
biggest enemy of an aircraft covering
job and leather trim, so the little
Fairchild has always been hangared ex-
cept when flying. The visits to fly-ins
are the only time it has spent outside.
In the hangar in Florida, a dehumidifier
runs to keep the moisture down to an
acceptable level. The covering, which is
Ceconite finished with dope and then a
final finish of Dupont Dulux enamel
has held up quite well, with a few "char-
acter" marks in the finish - a ringworm
or two on the fuselage from inside im-
pacts and people leaning against the
fuselage are the only noticeable defects
in the 20 year old finish.
Bob feels bad that he does not fly the
airplane as often as he would li ke, but
others around Leeward ' s fly the air-
plane. Since its restoration, the
Fairchild has been flown just a little less
than 200 hours, about 10 a year on aver-
age. Art says that it handles quite eas-
With a 125 hp Menasco Pirate under the
cowl, Bob Fergus' 1934 Fairchild 22 C-7D
looks especially elegant on the flight line
at Sun ' n Fun '95. In the early and mid
70' s, Jim Dewey, Santa Paula, CA built
the airplane up from a wreck. Bob
bought the airplane in 1978, and has
flown it ever since.
20 MAY 1996
ily, espousing the " flies like a bigger
Cub" analogy that many of us use when
describing an airplane that most An-
tique/Classic pilots would be able to fly
well with a littl e dual under our seat-
belts. Without instruments in the front
cockpit, Art says you quickly find out
who is a pilot and who is an "instrument
chaser. "
With ball bearings in the control sys-
tem (34 of 'em!) and balanced elevator
and rudder, the feel of the Fairchild was
just as nice as its bigger brother of later
years, the model 24. A triangular "stall
strip" was mounted on the leading edge
nearly full span, helping keep the stall
more predictable.
While never built in great quantity,
the Fairchild 22 series remains one of
the the most recognizable sportplanes
of the Depression, inspiring many
youngsters who created their own ver-
sions in miniature with kits by compa-
nies like Cleveland, Peerless and
Megow's. Now that we' re older, we can
still marvel at the sleek lines and beauti-
ful fairings and struts that helped create
the Fairchild mystique. ...
New
Members
James R. Almand........................Grand Prairie, TX
Dan C. Arnold.................................Pomeroy,OH
WayneArny.....................................Arlington, VA
Ri ckBalaz...... .......... . Burlington,Ontario,Canada
Ri chardH. Bartlett...................... ...........Sussex, Nj
WilliamJ. Basher............ .......................Miami ,FL
j.W.Bates.................................Pickerington,OH
Evolut L. Bazzoli..........................Philadelphia,PA
Bill Becker........................................Foristell, MO
Jeffrey S. Benger.................... .. ........ .. Littl eton,CO
Eric G. Bengeyfield...... .. .................Townsend, DE
KellyBenjamin.....................................Alburg,VT
Thomas Berthe................................Buriington,VT
John F. Binns.....................................5anjose, CA
Gwen Bloomingdal e................Provincetown,MA
FrancisM. Bonner..............................Houston,TX
Gregory Bracket
..........................Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa, japan
Ed R. Bridenbaugh.............................. Ral eigh,NC
Charles K.Brown,jr..............,.........Greenville,TX
David G. Brown...............................Rock Hill ,SC
DavidM. Brown............................St Charles, MO
MichaelM. Brunka
.....................................Toronto, Ontario,Canada
Robert W. Buck.............................Lovettsville, VA
john Byrne...................................Manchester,NH
Robert Dean Caliahan...........Apachejunction,AZ
Charles j.Cartledge........ .............Wadsworth,OH
CarlaCastiglione............................San Di ego, CA
Stephen R. Chiarello..........,.................Hiliside, Nj
TerryClaassen.............................Washington, DC
johnW. Clark ................ .. ....................Eagan,MN
GeorgeColeates........................Canandaigua,NY
johnC. Collins...................................Newark,CA
ChristopherCook................ .................. . Slana,AK
Keith Cossairt...............................Sacramento, CA
j ames E. Crews ...................................Lawton, OK
Paul j.Crotty................................Indianapolis, IN
Donald A. Cunningham...............Middlefi eld, OH
Kenneth Dahn......................,..........Las Vegas, NV
Hugh E. Dalrympl e...............................Gretna, LA
joelK. Darbro.............. .......... ..............Topeka,KS
johnW. Davis................,.......................j enks,OK
Lee B. Davis..............................N. LittleRock,AR
Don G. Douglas.......................... Park Rapids, MN
Tom Duffy.............. ......................Haddonfield,Nj
C. A. Dwinnell-Moore.................BuenaVista,CO
FredMarshall Eaton .......................woodland,CA
jerryA. Edgerton .......... .. ....................McLean,VA
David E.Elliott..........,.........ColoradoSprings, CO
Charles P.Ernst...............................Tinl ey Park, IL
jon W.Ewing............................ .............Miami, FL
Peterj.Farmer.................................Lancaster,MA
john David Fields,jf......................5anAngelo, TX
L. Charles Firth..................................Paladale,CA
TerranceC. Forbes.... ...... .................. . Tequesta,FL
LarryC. Fountaine............ ...Colorado Springs, CO
Elaine Friesen .............Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Robert Garnes.... ...... ................Chambersburg, PA
Hugo Goldfeld....................Goiania,Goias, Brazil
Donald WayneGoodman....................Goode, VA
Robert P. Goodrich........... .......... . Newtown,CT
NorbGregory..............................Farmington,MN
RobertW. Hall....................................Granger, IN
Randy R. Hammons.......................Clear Lake, WI
Edward Harbur............................South Salem, NY
james D. Hardie............ ............HeberSprings, AR
GeneHarl.............. ..............................wilton,CA
james G. Hart
....................Ft. Nelson,BritishColumbia, Canada
Chuck Heberle...............................Ewa Beach, HI
johnR.Hensley........................... FortCollins, CO
Thomas Hesselgrave............................Houma, LA
james P. Hidalgo............................Wimberl ey, TX
Allen D. Hoffman, Sf.....................Cheboygan,MI
Gerald E. Holmes............,...........Chattanooga, TN
WalterD.House........,.. ......, ...............Wichita,KS
Lloyd F. HuntLos..............................Alamos, NM
james M. Hurdle..............,.............Fort Worth,TX
Lowwell j .Hurley.................. ,..........St james, MN
james R. Hurt.................... .. ,................Odessa,TX
Roland M. johnsen ......................Georgetown,KY
Guy E.johnston......................................Peori a, IL
joejuptner..................................Laguna Hills,CA
Armand A. Larocque................. ... .... .....Dover,DE
Hans Lauridsen.........................Litchfield Park,AZ
DougLaursen........................................Chino, CA
MarcW.Leasa..........,........,........Fond Du Lac, WI
ArthurM. Levine............ .. .... .. ..........Brooklyn,NY
jackM. Lewis............, .......... ...... .....Savannah,GA
Sam Lewis...........................................Elmhurst, IL
Kasey Lindsay...................... .. Redondo Beach,CA
ThomasV. Lord..............................Show Low,AZ
Loui eLozoya..........,............................Oakley,CA
james Luke......................................Loveland, OH
Kim P. Lussier...................................Lebanon,NH
Thomas L. Miller........, ...... ... .........Clemmons,NC
DavidM. Macrae..............................Princeton, Nj
Brian K. Maddison
....................5anichton,BritishColumbia,Canada
GiulianoMarini ........ ..............VillaDossolla, Italy
GiulianoMarini......................villaDossolla, Italy
Rick Howard Martin.......................Las Vegas, NV
Sam j .McDowell............................5tatesville,NC
james D.McLaine...............................Clarion, PA
Ri chard B. Miholick........................Edmonds, WA
Bruce L. Miller........................,.............Urbana, IL
Ralph W. Miller............,................ . Las Vegas, NV
Robert A. Miller....................................Auburn,IL
RobertS. Miller...... ........,.........Laurel Springs, NC
IshiiMinoru................. .....................5endai, japan
WayneA. Moody........................TraverseCity, MI
jerryMorgan...................... .......... ........Vall ey, WA
Ted R. Morgan.................................Fairacres, NM
Sam Morrison..................,................ . Lexington, IL
MichaelL. Morton....................Elizabethtown, PA
Gail E.Muller.............. .. ,................Green Bay, WI
AlbertC. Mullin................................Dayton,OH
Robert j .Munn,jr..............,..................Clifton, VA
Thomas A. Murphy..........,..................Hinsdal e, IL
johnT. Murray...............................Ridgecrest, CA
james W. Myers................ ..........Eden Prairi e, MN
David R.Nelson......................GlenwoodCity, WI
Robert C. Newman.................... ..........Taveres, FL
Lars-Gunnar Nilsson..............Linkoeping, Sweden
MikeR. Novick............ ....................Chandler, AZ
Kevin O'Hara...................... ......SchuylerFalls, NY
Sean O'Leary..................................Grass Lake, MI
DavidM. Olmstead............ ............Plymouth,MN
Vernon D. Olson............ .. ..,.................Visali a, CA
David W. Onyon..................,.......Townshend,VT
Cyril Ostendorf...................................Cypress, TX
DamesG. Owen...............................Cordova,TN
Gregoryjames Parker..........Whittington,Australia
Paul P. Patrick........................................Mesa, AZ
johnMiles Patterson.......................... Frankfort,KY
Don E. Pew......................................Chandler, AZ
jesse B. Phelps........,...........................Linevill e, IA
Raul D. Pons..........,...............Canelones, Uruguay
Richard Porter............ .........................Casper,WY
Lutz P. Pritschow....................Dexheim,Germany
Al ex Pucciariello..........,.......................Haskell ,Nj
HarryM, Pyle......................, ..,........,Lady Lake, FL
Ronald T. Reid................,..................Oxnard, CA
Richard Reiley.................... .... .......Anchorage, AK
Darwin Remboldt.......... ............... Santa Maria,CA
Larry D. Ri ckabaugh....................... .5. Laguna,CA
Don Robinson.................. .. .... .. New Braunfels,TX
john E. Robinson ................................jackson,MS
jim H. Robison.................................Asheville,NC
Michael j. Rowe...... .. .... .... ......................APO,AP
WalterB. Rowe.. .. ...... ............ ............... Clovis, CA
Tom Rulffes.............................Newman Lake, WA
HarrySchoning.......... .............. .. .. Palm Desert,CA
MilbertF. Schott.................. .. ............Madison,WI
WayneS. Scott................Auckland,NewZealand
johnA. Sherman ....................SedroWoolley,WA
RobertW. II Siegfried................Sowners Grove,IL
Perryj. Sisson..................................FortMyers,FL
Tom F. Skelly..................,....................Livonia,MI
RodneySlagle............ .... .............. ... Las Vegas, NV
Richard Smith .............................. PanamaCity, FL
Aaron Solsrud ........................ ...........Hartland,WI
Tim C. Spencer...................... ..........Wakarusa, IN
Robert E. Suilivan......................MapleGrove,MN
CurtisN.Swanson...............................Lawton, MI
Larry DeanTammel........................... Preston,MN
EricThompson.....................................Tempe,AZ
DougLa Tourette...............................McLean,VA
PeterTruesdell..................Glenwood Landing, NY
Robert W. Turner................................. Brooks, GA
Kathleen VanRooy.............,..............Appleton,WI
FranciscoViliapun..............,............Madrid,Spain
Ann-MarieWalko.................... ......Springvale,ME
LarryWallace..................,...................Corona, CA
Patrick R. Walsh .............................Brookfield,WI
Edward Waterhouse .......................San Diego,CA
Thomas Lynn Waters........,....................Terrell, TX
AI C. Weaver.............................Cochiti Lake,NM
AllanW. Wehman,jr....................Summervile, SC
Thomas P. Weidli ch........................Scottsdale, AZ
RobertWest......................................Ballwin,MO
jim R. Wi ens.......................................Newton,KS
Richard O. Wikert..............................Fremont,NE
David E. Williams.......... ,................Cynthiana, KY
Russell Williams.............. .. .............. Issaquah,WA
MarkWolf........................,............Long Lake,MN
jamesS. Wolper................................Pocatello,10
PhillipA. Wright..............................Morrison,CO
VINTAGEAIRPLANE21
needed to reassure myself. As I stepped
down I saw that the left wheel pant was
stained green by the alder tree saplings
A Precautionary
and blackberry vines that served as an ar-
resting gear. My walk around revealed
that the lower cowling and venturi tube
LANDING!
by Fred Ludtke
(NC 13053)
The landing was smoother than I
planned but the underbrush arrested my
roll-out. Since the radial engine blotted
out my view of the remaining distance of
the clearing, I braked hard, then released
the right one to turn off to the left side of
the strip. One minute before I was an ea-
gle polishing my air show program, then I
became a grounded turkey with a burned
out Warner engine.
The figure that needed my attention
was the Square Cuban Eight. It involved
flying two centered vertical half rolls be-
tween two opposing square loops . The
smoke line from my first vertical half roll
lingered long enough to show me exactly
where to place the second one. After
completing the final square loop, I exited
the maneuve r with a horizont al line .
Then, satisfied with the difficult figure, I
pulled five Gs up into a Hammerhead.
Considerable concentration is required
to execute a safe Hammerhead turn in a
Monocoupe 110 Special. The Clip Wing
must be parked motionless in a perfectly
vertical position or it will roll off the top,
risking an inverted spin. As I drove up
the line, I held the bottom of my left wing
perpendicular with the world while con-
trolling the torque with right rudder.
When the airspeed registered zero I
kicked left rudder. I hit the keyhole in the
sky perfectly and the 'Coupe pivoted 180
degrees on its wing tip.
I dove vertical down my up smoke line,
and then THUD, a puff of smoke came
over the cowling and instantly disappeared
over the windshield. The prop ground to
a stop. The speed was still too low to pull
out. I turned off the smoke oil pump to
prevent a fire and retarded the throttle,
then pulled out of the dive. The increased
speed caused the prop to windmill.
"Whimper thud, whimper thud" was the
terrible sound of the destroyed Warner
engine. A glance inside revealed 2,000
feet altitude and zero oil pressure. The
engine had seized, then the speed of the
dive recovery had broken it loose.
I was level at 2,000 feet heading south
toward the Whidbey Island airport. Five
miles of wooded hills and a high ridge sep-
arated me from home base. It ' s familiar
22 MAY 1996
runway and my hangar tempt ed me.
Should I use the engine? Would it seize
again? Would a splintering crash through
the tall fir trees result ? Precious seconds
were wasted with these quest ions and
thoughts. Decision time had passed.
I had planned my aerobatic flight 2,000
feet above the uninhabited, forested por-
tion of the island that contained a private
strip. The strip was somewhere to my left!
So, left I turned, with eyeballs out looking
for a cut through the trees. Long seconds
passed, then to my left a dark line ap-
peared in the trees. Continuing to glide
east, I planned my pattern. The trees
were too high to approach from the south.
Everyone of the remaining thousand feet
of alt itude were needed to glide around
the strip to land from the north.
To conserve altitude, I turned left 45
degrees to cut the corner across the south
end of the strip. Another 45 degree turn
placed me on downwind. Damn! The
trees have hidden the strip, I'm low! Was
there any power remaining? Easing the
throttle forward, the whimper-clunk-clunk
sound became more rapid and pro-
nounced as the rpms increased and my
sink rate was reduced. I est imated where
the north end of the strip was and began
my turn into the runway. Speed: 90, the
interval between each loud clunking sound
increased as the Warner offered up its last
to save the Monocoupe. The clearing
came into view with the left wing tip skim-
ming the tree tops. Speed: 80, the last
clunk sounded as the Aeromatic prop
stopped in front of my face. I slipped vio-
lently with hard right rudder, then
straightened; stick all of the way back to
drop it in.
I wanted to land hard to di ssipate en-
ergy, instead a li ght touchdown resulted.
The underbrush thrashed against the
wheel pants as it arrested my roll-out. I
got on the brakes as hard as I dared, then
released the right one to turn off to the
left side of the strip. I clicked the mag and
master switches off, then the fuel selector.
Next I disconnected my five point harness
and the secondary seat belt.
Of course, I knew that the "Spirit of
Dynami te " was all in one piece but I
were also green streaked. The only per-
manent mark found was a scratch on the
red painted stabilizer leading edge. The
white crankcase was splattered with oil
around the prop shaft. I pulled the prop
through. The Warner groaned and re-
sisted my effort to turn it. I kn ew the
crankshaft and master rod were burned
out. What a loss!
My thoughts of the scarcity of Warner
parts and the impending financial loss
from canceling several air shows upset my
stomach. However the 'Coupe was safe
and would fly again.
The 23 foot wing didn't allow me much
time for thought. There was only a
minute between the time the engine
clanked up at 2500 feet to when I parked
the airplane. However, I did have time
to reflect on this incident as I picked my
way through the blackberry vines that
protected the trail out to the county road.
I recounted the decisions , some made
years before this flight, that made this
more like a precautionary landing rather
than a forced landing.
First, I anticipated that engine failure
can occur at any moment, so I selected a
practice area that included an emergency
landing strip. Second, my aerobatic alti-
tude exceeded the FAA's 1500 foot mini-
mum. Should that antique engine have
seized in the vertical up line, I would have
welcomed all 2500 feet to recover from an
unplanned tail slide. Another decision
was that I always made 180 degree, power-
off landings. This provided me with daily
forced landing practice and made airspeed
control and energy management a condi-
tioned response.
Finally, the knowledge and execution
of emergency procedures also helped save
II'
the day. When that Warner clanked up,
the needed altitude, the nearby emer-
gency strip, and the skill were all in place,
ready to be utilized. I simply flew the air-
plane. I gained speed in the dive to pre-
vent stalling in the pullout and turned off
the smoke oil to prevent a fire. Next, I
closed the throttle to save the engine for
the approach and planned the landing pat-
tern. I controlled airspeed and conserved
energy, then used the last of the engine to
make the field. Finally, I dropped it in
with a full stall landing to reduce the land-
ing roll. All that was left to do was un-
strap the Clip Wing from my backside just
as I have done a hundred times before ....
VINTAGEAIRPLANE23
by H.G. Frautschy
The May Mystery Pl ane is quite a craft - plenty of rudders,
struts and cables to satisfy even the most ardent ri gger! Your
answers need to be in no later than June 25, 1996 for inclusion
in the August issue.
The February Mystery Plane sure had a number of folks
thinking corrugated aluminum, but only one managed to hit the
rivet on the head - Robert F. Pauley (EAA 1277), of Farming-
ton Hills, MI knew what he saw in the magazi ne:
''The Mystery Plane in the February issue of Vintage Airplane is
the Ford/Stout Executive monoplane.
This all-metal five sea t-design was built in April 1927 and was
issued the CAB license No. X-1085 in August of that year.
Powered by a 225 hp Wright J-5 engine, and with a gross weight
of 3700 pounds, it was a very poor flying airplane due to an aft CG
location . It was another of Bill Stout's design failures.
Incidentally, the photo may have come from Wally Norman's
photo collection, but Wally did not take the photo. Proper photo
credit should be given as "Ford Motor Co. photo 189-4652."
A number of readers thought this aircraft might be the
Thaden T-2 , and while simi lar, it is not the same airpl ane.
24 MAY 1996
(Above) Included in Peter's collection was this one
shot of the Thomas-Morse 0-2, captioned in the 1919
edition of the Aircraft Yearbook as being the "Model
0-2 Two-Place Tractor with 135 H.P. Thomas En-
gine."
(Right) The T-2 featured a pai r of anti - turn over
skids, to help save the pilot from embarrassment,
and the need for the airplane's crew chief to replace
the prop and/or engine in case of a nose over on
landing.
An added bonus from last
month's answer is this collec-
tion of Thomas-Morse T-2 pho-
tos, courtesy of Peter Bowers,
Seattle, WA. We ran out of
space last month to run them
all at one time, but we're happy
to present them to you now.
(Above) A remarkable shot of a Thomas T -2, com-
plete with a leather cowling hold down strap and
buckle, on landing approach.
(Inset) Ailerons top and bottom, and a pair of wide
cockpits make the T-2100k rather inviting.
(Left) Another inflight shot, this one highlighting the
square, flat cowling over the engine. Only the top of
the cowl appears to have a curve in it.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
PASSdio-
BUCK
byE.E. "Buck" Hilbert
EAA #21 Ale #5
P.O. Box 424, Union, IL 60180
California was great, and I had a
great time at Flabob especially during
EAA Chapter One's Open House, and
the 25th Anniversary of the Marquart
Charger.
As usual , Ray Stits was everywhere,
filling in where needed, boosting the
Fly Market inventory with some of his
stock of new, old airplane and engine
parts, setting up the tent, the P. A. sys-
tem, and trying his best to assist Janice
Johnson with all the arrangements.
There was only one Stits Playboy in
attendance at the open house, much to
Ray's dismay, but the turnout on Satur-
day was great! The weather cooperated
with seven layers of severe clear condi-
tions with li ght and variable winds.
This was a bit disconcerting to the
SMOG pilots from the basin. Several
of them were commiserating about see-
ing TOO much and being rea ll y con-
(Left) Who says you have to have brakes
on the wheels? Here' s a clever fellow
who decided that a single lever would do
the trick on his Pietenpol!
(Below) Frank Brown's little Porterfield
Collegiate looked great on the turf at
Flabob.
fused at how many landmarks they
could see at the same time. I even over-
heard one pilot saying it was downright
dangerous!
One small incident occurred at the
height of the afternoon traffic. A
Japanese student flying a Cessna 150
was overhead at about 7,000 feet when
his engine suddenly quit! He spiraled
down and although he miscalculated his
base leg, was able to execute a reverse
pattern and land downwind with very
little interruption of the normal pattern.
The FAA man, Jack Gentry, classified
it as an incident and lauded the stu-
dent's handling of the situation. Jack
and I checked out the Cessna and were
unable to run the engine to determine
the problem. It was definitely a "dead
stick" landing.
The evening dinner, awards' presen-
tations, and speeches were great! Ed
26 MAY 1996
(Right) Another racer from the pre-war golden days, this is a
replica of the Keith Rider R-4, known as the Schoenfeldt
Firecracker. That' s Stanley Rackleff standing next to his
long-term project.
The original R-4 is owned by the Planes of Fame Air Museum
in Chino, CA.
(Below) This pretty Curtiss Robin was brought to the EAA
Chapter 1 Open House. Southern California, even with its
complex airspace, is still a haven for antique airplane
owner/pilots. They're all over the place!
(Below) Ed Marquart makes airplane noises as he
sits in the cockpit of his project. The airplane?
This is a Buhl CA-3C Sport Airsedan, SI N 28, which
served as the prototype of this model Buhl. Built
under ATC 46, it' s the only Airsedan left on the FAA
registry.
Marquart was asked to say a few words
about the Charger since it was the 25th
anniversary of it's design, and of course
everyone groaned when he got up to
speak, but it was a fine dissertation. We
all love him! Our own Bob Mackey did
a superb job. Since J oe Juptner was
taken ill and had departed for home, I
was unable to give him his Sport Avia-
tion Antique/Classic Hall of Fame tro-
(Left) Some of the Stearman drivers
phy. The trophy had been damaged in
think the old biplane can be a monster
transit and is now being refurbished at
on landing, at least according to the sign
Oshkosh. It will be returned to Joe af-
on this Tasmanian Devil.
ter the repairs are completed.
The Northrop-Grumman B-2 pilots
did a great presentat ion on the contro- t he cemetery. The memorial is being have managed to accumulate a display
versial bomber and spent a good deal of refurbis hed and a new memorial wall of memorabi lia that is second to none.
time answering questions and auto- added, and NAA was asked to partic- They have old aviation movie posters,
graphing pictures. ipate. After seeing who is interred in personal effects, uniforms, wings - you
Bob Mackey came away with t he this memorial, and learning a li ttle more name it - and all of it in pristine condi-
door prize of the year-a beautiful about the place, I recommended NAA tion , too! They are very hospitable
model of the B-2! He loves it when I'm participate by sponsoring a memoria l hosts. Drop in and see this coll ection if
jealous like this! plaque dedicated to the memory of the you ever get the chance.
All of us were somewhat dismayed Wright Brothers. After all, Orvill e, who I also attended the AAA Chapter 14
when Sunday morning proved to be wet was the first president of the Aero Club meeting at the Aerospace Museum
and windy. The rain started during the of America - the president of the N AA - Tuesday night. I said a few words about
early a.m. hours with thunderstorms and he personally signed the pilot li- the Aviation Rules Committee work
heralding the approaching front. censes of everyone interred below the and the hopes I had that FAA would be
I had wondered why the San Diego monument floor! a party to a looser owner/pilot mainte-
bunch hadn't shown up. It turned out We then drove on down to San Diego nance program involving the type clubs.
they had experienced that same weather where it was li ke old home week. I got I would have stayed and attended the
Saturday. Matter of fact, they had snow to visit with some of my fellow United Casa Grande Fly-In, but a close friend
in the mountains above Ramona and a Airlines retirees; see and touch our old and fellow aviator from my home town,
Cessna 172 trying to get through the Ryan STAin the Aerospace Museum; Truman Fisher, had Gone West and I
pass didn' t make it with the loss of three look at the almost completed Ford Tri- felt strongly that I had to attend the ser-
lives and the airplane. Motor restoration; and see the progress vices. Maybe next year.
It was still raining when I departed on the SBD and F4F that were recov- I've enclosed some of the shots I
about noon for north Hollywood to ered from Lake Michigan a whi le back. took while out on the "left coast."
look at the Valhalla Cemetery's Portal Had a chance, too, to visit Willis
of Folded Wings memorial. I had been " Bill" and Claudia Allen's museum fa-
f(
asked the by National Aeronautics As- cility at Gillespie Field. In addition to
sociation to check out the memorial and some very significant airplanes, they
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
WHATOURMEMBERSARERESTORING
------------------------------- by NormPetersen
DeKevin Thornton's Cessna 170A
Cruising high above Lake Winnebago near Oshkosh is
DeKevin Thornton (EAA 312254) of Marion, lA, in hi s
Cessna 170A, N1702D, SIN 20145, with his young son, Spencer
Charles Thornton, as co-pilot. This particular 170A was in-
volved in a mid-air collision at EAA Oshkosh '90 with a T-28
Trojan and came out with wing and fuselage damage, how-
ever, both pilots were able to land their airplanes. DeKevin
had the wing rebuilt in Minnesota, majored the Continental
145 hp engine and restored the pretty taildragger to flying
condition. He has logged over 125 hours since completion of
the rebuild. The 170A is named "Charlie" in memory of
DeKevin's father, who died in 1994, and his young son, who
shares his grandfather's name. Every year at Oshkosh,
DeKevin contributes an entire week of his time (and sacri-
fices his tender body) in helping the EAA Photo Crew take
hundreds of pictures at each EAA Convention.
28 MAY 1996
John Thomas' Parks P-2A
The photo of this rather rare Detroit Parks P-2A,
NC956K, SIN 2981, was sent in by owner, John
Thomas (EAA 421765, AIC 19900) of Bethlehem,
CT. One of only two Detroit Parks P-2A aircraft re-
maining on the FAA regis ter, John's red and silver
open cockpit biplane is powered with a Wright J6-5
engine of 165 hp, swinging a ground-adjustable Hamil-
ton Standard propeller. This airplane, previously
owned by John Donnelly III (EAA 181547, A/C 6750)
of South Salem, NY, was restored a few years back by
the younger John Donnelly, his wife, Laura, and nu-
merous other folks who were completely unafraid of
hard work (see story in December, 1991, VINTAGE
AIRPLANE). The Parks is a three-place airplane
and does a very respectable job with the 165 hp en-
gine. John Thomas purchased the airplane in the fall
of 1995 and was able to log about fifteen hours in the
biplane before cold weather and the "Winter of ' 96"
set in. He is patiently waiting for warmer weather!
Golden Oldie
Contributed by Chuck Faber (EAA 135542, A/C
4591) of Brookfield, WI, this "oldtime" single seat para-
sol airplane was constructed by Charles Keen of Madi-
son, WI, about 1932. Powered with a four-cylinder Cir-
rus engine of about 65 hp, the "Keen" was sold to
Howard Tubbs of Whitewater, WI , who soloed the air-
plane under the tutelage of Robert Huggins. Later, it
was sold to Truman Waters of Whitewater, WI, who
eventually sold it to Stanley Gurlock of Palmyra, WI.
Stan sold the "Keen" to a gentleman from Sussex, WI,
who eventually cracked it up on the railroad tracks in
Sussex, according to Dean Crites. This photo was
taken about 1935 by Dale Crites of Waukesha, WI. If
any reader has more information on the "Keen" air-
plane, drop us a line at VINTAGE AIRPLANE.
Another Golden Oldie
This photo of a Kreider-Reisner KR-21, N362N, SIN
1017, was sent in by longtime EAAer, Chuck Burtch
(EAA 56205) of Phoenix, NY, who had obtained the
photo from the owner (named Sheppard) who took the
picture at Constantine, NY, back in the 1960's. Old
records at EAA indicate the KR-21 was owned in 1964 by
Lee Nemett of Minda, NY; in 1974 by Dolph Overton
(EAA 61308) of Santee, SC, and the present owner is vet-
eran EAA member, James B. (Jim) Wilson (EAA 29605,
NC 17495) of Cross, SC, who has promised to bring us an
update on the neat, taper-winged biplane.
Mert Taylor's Rose Parakeet Replica
Pictured on the soft grass of the Brodhead, WI, Airport is a beautiful Rose
Parakeet, NC8971 U, SIN T-106, that is the pride and joy of veteran EAAer Mer-
wyn (Mert) Taylor (EAA 156, A/C 19462) of Whitewater, WI. Fond of the Para-
keet since he was a youngster, Mert decided to build one in his home shop begin-
ning in January, 1994. Mert used a one-piece upper wing with 3/4" and 5/8" spars
along with two three-gallon wing tanks to augment the 11 gallon fuselage tank.
With a Continental C-85 engine, he makes about 100 mph cruise at 4.5 gph for a
range of over 3.5 hours. Finished in about 15 months, the Parakeet has proven to
be a lively performer with an empty weight of only 610 lbs. Note the pretty paint-
ing on the fin of a parakeet and a rose and the overall nice workmanship on the
entire airplane. A productive builder, this is Mert's seventh airplane he has con-
structed.
THE BEST FABRIC
GLUE GUN EVER
Our glue gun makes application
a one-handed process, leaving
the other hand free to smooth
and shape fabric. Squeeze the
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surface. Cleans up with normal
thinners for repeated use. Cuts
glue application time by at least
1/3. $35.00 PPD. Order from:
Accipiter Aviation, Inc.
229 Airport Road
Longmont, CO 80503
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 29
MEMBERSHIP
INFORMATION
.,
EAA
Membership in the Experi mental Aircraft
Association, Inc. is$35 foroneyear, including 12
issuesofSPORTAVIATION. Familymembership
is aval1able foranadditional$10annually. Junior
Membership (under 19 years ofage) is available
at$20annually. Allmajorcreditcardsaccepted
formembership.
ANTIQUE/CLASSIC
Current EAA members mayjoin the Antique/
Classic Division and receive VINTAGE AIR-
PLANEmagazineforanadditional$27 peryear.
EAA Membership, VINTAGE AIRPLANE mag-
azine and one year membership in the EAA
Antique/Classic Division is available for $37 per
year(SPORTAVIATIONmagazinenotincluded).
lAC
CurrentEMmembersmayjointhe International
AerobaticClub, Inc. Divisionandreceive SPORT
AEROBATICS magazine for an additional$35
peryear.
EMMembership, SPORTAEROBATICSmaga-
zine and one year membership in the lAC
Division is available for $45 peryear (SPORT
AVIATIONmagazinenotincluded).
WARBIRDS
Current EAA members may join the EAA
Warbirds ofAmerica Division and receive WAR-
BIRDSmagazineforanadditional$30 peryear.
EAA Membership, WARBIRDSmagazine and
oneyearmembership in the Warbirds Division is
available for $40 peryear (SPORTAVIATION
magazinenotincluded).
EAAEXPERIMENTER
Current EAA members may receive EAA
EXPERIMENTERmagazine foranadditional$18
peryear.
EAA Membership andEAA EXPERIMENTER
magazine is available for $28 peryear (SPORT
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Please submityour remittance with a check or
draft drawn on a United States bank payable in
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EAAAVIATIONCENTER
P.O.BOX3086
OSHKOSH, WI54903-3086
PHONE(414) 426-4800
FAX (414) 426-4873
OFFICEHOURS:
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ITSDIVISIONSARENOTTAX
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CONTRIBUTIONS.
Something to buy, sell or trade? An inexpensive ad in the Vintage Trader
may be just the answer to obtaining that elusive part. .40 per word, $6.00
minimum charge. Send your ad and payment to: Vintage Trader, fAA
Aviation Center, P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086, or fax your ad
and your credit card number to 414/426-4828. Ads must be received by
the 20th of the month for insertion in the issue the second month following
(e.g., October 20th for the December issue.)
AIRCRAFT
1909 Antoinette Repli ca - Complete except
lacks fabric covering. Structure redesigned to
FAA requirements. Two-place. Brochure avail-
able.MarshallWood 916/483-8055.(2/ 97)
1948 St i nson 108-3 - Looks and flys like a
dream. Always hangared. Completely metal-
ized. IFRcertified 7/ 95. Annual 1/ 96. Mid-time
engine Lycoming 195hp. New Airtex interior.
Loran/ digital radios/heated pitot/more.
$25,000. Bryce Iden, Evenings 614/577-1297,
Work614/486-7736. (5/96)
MISCELLANEOUS
BabbitBearingService- Camshaft regrinding,
cam followers reground, piston rings, piston
pins, valves. For shipping instructions, call
1/ 800/ 233-6934. Jack H. Bunton, Machinist,
Vintage Engine Machine Works, N. 604 Freya,
Spokane,WA99202.
SUPER CUB PA-18 FUSELAGES - New
manufacture,STC-PMA-d, 4130 chromoly tub-
ing throughout, al so complete fuselage repair.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN AIRFRAME INC. (J.
Soares,Pres.),7093 Dry Creek Road,Belgrade,
Montana 59714, 406/388-6069, FAX 406/388-
0170. Repairstation No.QK5R148N. (2/97)
FREECATALOG - Aviation booksand videos.
How to, building and restoration tips, historiC,
flying and entertainment titles. Call fora f ree
catalog. EAA,1-800-843-3612.
Curtiss JN4- D Memorabilia - You can now
own memorabilia from the famous Curtiss
"Jenny," as seen on "TREASURES FROM THE
PAST." We have T-shirts, posters, postcards,
videos,pins, airmail cachets,etc. We alsohave
RIC documentationexclusivetothishistoricair-
craft. Sale of these items supports operating
expensestokeepthis"Jenny"flying fortheavi-
ation public. We appreciate your help. Send
SASE to Virginia AViation, P.O. Box 3365,
Warrenton,VA22186.(12/96)
Ragwing Replicas - Ultralight legal
Aircamper, Heath,Pitts, Duster,Triplane. Plans
$52. Brochure$3. P. O. Box39,Townville, SC
29689. (3/97)
Original Brass Tip Spark Plugs C-26
Champion, new $19.00; military reconditioned
$7.50to$12.00. Tom,770/478-2310. (9/96)
Endless cables - 1/ 16" $80.00 PP. 3/ 32"
$90.00 PP. Specify length. George Grubich,
Box36,Buhl, MN 55713, 218/258-3313. (6/96)
FREE WORLDWIDE BOOKSEARCH forout of
print books. ALSO,over1,000aeronautictitles
available. Send $2.00 for list, refundable first
order. Leatherstocking Bookscout, 738 Hillside
Ave., Lake Wales, FL 33853. 1/ 800/230-8071.
(6/ 96)
PARKS AIR COLLEGE - Parks graduate and
owner of 1929 Parks P-2A (NC965K) seeks
information on Parks Aircraft Corporation.
Would welcome any photosorcorrespondence
from anyone with any connection to Parks air-
planes; to be used in future book about same.
John Thomas, 60 Robert Leather Road,
Bethlehem,CT06751,203/266-5787.
CompleteExchangeEnginesFactoryLimitO/H's
CylinderO/H's.PowerSectionsSub-Assemblies
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Formoreinformationcontact:
NorsemanCommittee
Box 1.31 Phone: (807) 7272809
Red Lake,Ontario POV2MO
CANADA Fax: (807) 7273975
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qualityClassicinterior
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Cushionupholsterysets
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Firewallcovers
Seatslings
Recoverenvelopesanddopes
Freecatalogofcompleteproductline.
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and
stylesofmaterials:$3.00.
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259LowerMorrisvilleRd.,Dept.VA
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VINTAGEAIRPLANE31
T.E. Tom Pittman
Currently retired.
EAA AntiguejClassic
Division methber.
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