T-34 ASSOCIATION, INC, Charles H. Nogle President P.O. Box 1618 Champaign, IL 61820 217-356-3063

Travis Edwards Vice President 102 N. Leadbetter Ashland, VA 23005 804-798-4643

James H. Nogle Julie Clark Editor,Tres. Membership Chairman 1009WilshireCrt. 3114 Boeing Rd. Champaign,IL 61821 Cameron Pk, CA 95682

217-359-7990 916-677-0634

Ken Williamson Merchandise Sales 1246 E. College Ave. State College, PA 16801 814-237-2581

june 1987 O^zusCetter Issue 47

THE MENTOR MONITOR

This issue of the newsletter is loaded with some really interesting articles. The table of contents will give you a good idea of what to expect, but 1 want to mention just a few here.

Of special significance to B model owners is a project currently under way that will allow a B model to be licensed under the aerobatic certificate. Charlie Nogle reports on his progress.

We have a report from Travis Edwards for our maintenance section. He tells of his success with a special treatment of magnesium sur-faces to prevent corrosion and blistering. Travis really does his homework and I know you will find this article of interest if you plan to paint your aircraft or its surfaces.

Turbine engines seem to be in the news these days. As you may re-member, Marsh Aviation near Phoenix, AZ installed a Garrett turbine in an A model some 6 years ago, or so. Charlie Bilella reports that his T-34B Garrett project is well under way. And, we understand that there is yet another Garrett turbo-prop in the works which belongs to Earle Parks. Last I spoke with Earle, he was busy with a project to re-engine T-34S for the Venezuelan government with I0-550s. He indicated that he hadn't had time to make much progress on the Garrett project.

In addition to these, another turbine T-34A modification is undenway and, in fact, just took to the air. This one is sporting an Allison 420 hp turbine. This conversion is the product of a joint effort between Charlie Nogle and Bob Farrell, Allison Aircraft Engines Division of General Motors, and Soloy Conversions. Collins Radio Division of Rockwell is also participating and the avionics and panel installation is truly state-of-the-art. This is really a special project - details and pic-tures are inside.

We also have reports from various fly-ins, an article from Walt Troyer regarding the Navy Recruiting Command, information and a ballot for our Board of Directors election, and lots more

Jim Nogle, editor

IN THIS ISSUE:

Allison Turbine Conversion 2

T-34 News by Charlie Nogle 4

B Model Aerobatic STC 4

Oshkosh Rooms 4

T-34 Book & Buyer's Guide 5

Working Mentors 6

Navy Recruiting Command 8

About Your Ballot 9

Letters to the Editor 10

Weight & Balance 11

Formation Report 12

Chelan, Wash. Fly-in 14

N# Regulation Correction 14

F/A-18 & T-34 Formation 15

Florida International Airshow 15

Maintenance Section 16

Stripping & Painting Magnesium 16

TICO & Sun 'n Fun Report 18

New Philadelphia Fly-in Report 20

Board Meeting Minutes 22

FOR SALE 23

Oshkosh Arrival Procedures 24

Dues 24

Allison 420 HP Turbine T-34A by: Charlie Nogle

Ano the r powerplant option is now coming into being witii the advent of an Allison powered turbo-prop engine flying in a T-34A. While it will take some time for the flying prototype demonstrator to become available as a certified aircraft, it does promise a new lease on life for the Mentor in the years ahead.

The Allison Model 250 B-17D powerplant makes the most sense for converting a T-34 to turbo-prop performance when compared to the other turbine engines on the market, it is the smallest, lightest, least expensive (but it is not cheap by any standard), and uses the least amount of fuel. Weighing only 195 lbs. the engine delivers 420 shaft horsepower. It is well proven over the past 25 years with thousands of engines in operation and over 20 million flight hours.

The engine is operated with a two lever system. In flight only the power lever is utilized which allows thrust control from takeoff power to maximum reverse (Beta). The second lever, the condition control, is used during startup and shutdowns to provide on-off fuel control to the engine and in flight to adjust the propeller speed for specific missions.

The engine and prop combination are now certified and flying in about a dozen A-36 Bonanzas. The performance of the Allison A-36 demonstrator has been dazzling A-36 owners for over two years now, with orders now back-logged at Soloy Conversions in Olympia, Washington.

The actual conversion was performed by Soloy under contract to Allison, myself, and Bob Farrell (Bob is a partner of mine in the project). The airplane used for the prototype conversion is my T-34A, N4CN. This was the

AT-34A (Allison Mentor) N4CN's front panel. The large square instrumer^t in the center is a Collins CRT HSI. The two rectangular boxes to the tower left are an Apollo Loran and the HSI control panel. The HSI controller allows the pilot to select between multiple display options. The display options include several variations each of HSI, RMI, & ADF; vertical guidance for climbs and desents, DME information and lots more. The large round instru-ment to the lower right of the HSI is the digital fuel flow, temp., & totalizer. To its left is a Collins Pro-Line DME and OAT. The radio package consists of two Coms, two Navs, an ADF, a Transponder, and a DME - all Collins Pro-Line. A take command function allows either pilot to take contol of the entire radio package by simply pressing a button.

Rear Panel: The pilot in back is treated to the entire Pro-Line radio package that the pilot in front has. Again the HSI dominates the panel.

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only T-34 flying in the fleet with STC'd cowl flaps in lieu of augmentor tubes. It also sported a more streamlined Travelair vertical stabilizer. The conversion to the Allison did away with the cowl flaps and an entirely new nose has been grafted into place. A new firewall was added about 14 inches ahead of the original and gives a new forward baggage bay. The twin exhaust outlets are out the bottom of the cowl at approximately the 5 and 7 o'clock positions. The exhaust flow is beneath the wings so that exhaust fumes are away from the cockpit area. About 65% of the parts of the A-36 conversion kit have been used in the T-34 installation. The original battery with its original location is retained.

The throttle quadrants are modified by removal of the mixture control arm and knob and adding a button for controlling the beta feature. The wing root air intakes are covered over to preclude turbine exhaust from entering the cockpit area. Hot and cold air enter through the nose with cockpit heat being provided by a patented shroud device with power blower built for the Allison application by Casey of Canada.

We have built and installed new wings which house 40 gallon fuel cells, giving a total of 80 gallons of internal storage. We have also installed 20 gallon lip tanks, adding another 40 gallons for a total of 120 gallons of fuel. This

translates to an endurance of 4 hours plus reserves. The tip tanks are all metal and made by Osborn. Late Bo-nanza style gear is used to give the aircraft the gross weight capacity of an F-33A which is 3,400 lbs.

Empty weight on the prototype, including an oxygen system and an unbelievable Collins dual front and back Pro-line IFR package, comes to 2360 lbs. — only 135 pounds heavier than before. The center of gravity worked out to within 1/2" of what it was prior to the conversion.

The original plans for this conversion were made only a few months ago. With the immediate availability of the Bonanza conversion kit and Soloy's experience we targeted completion before the first of June in order to display and demonstrate the aircraft at the Paris Air Show. The engineers and mechanics at Soloy put in long hours to help make the schedule. Their efforts paid off and we just learned that the airplane successfully made the trip to Paris without incident, and that the Allison folks have received a lot of interest in the conversion.

In preparation for the trans-Atlantic crossing a temporary 60 gallon fuel tank was installed in place of the rear seat. This extra fuel brought the total fuel capacity up to 180 gallons. An HF transceiver was also installed temporarily for the crossing. No other changes or mods were required

with the exception of personal survival gear.

The short time available to get the ship ready to make the Paris Air Show did not provide adequate opportunity to become familiar with the ship in the air. Three hours were all that I was able to squeeze in, but these were great hours spent tooling around Pudget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. Performance was quite similiar to the Allison A-36 Bonanza, as was expected. Take-off and climb are spectacular and the beta prop makes landings amazingly short. Although the Allison engine is temperature limited, indicated cruise speeds of 175-180 knots at 25 gph were no problem. This ship compares very favorably with the T-34C 1 have flown, while using less fuel and weighing about 1000 lbs less.

We will report more on the performance data and give a pilot report with the next newsletter. The ship should be back from Europe in plenty of time to make Oshkosh. We intend to demonstrate it during the afternoon airshows.

T-34News: by Char l i e Nogle

News fo rT -34B owners and p i lo ts . We have petitioned the FAA for an STC to change the B model certificate of airworthiness from the utility category to the aerobatic category. The Central Region of the FAA has accepted our application and issued a type inspection authorization number for the project. Flight testing by the FAA is scheduled tentatively for July using our 285HP B model for conformity inspection and flight testing. The STC flight testing will require putting the aircraft into the experimental category until the flight tests are completed, hopefully with successful results. If we don't meet the criteria, we will restore the plane to utility category until we can try it again.

An airfoil modification to the leading edge is the basis for the STC. Center of gravity limits must be determined and will become part of the STC. Initially only the 285 HP T-34B will be tested, however, after we have this STC in hand it should not be too difficult to expand it to include the original 225 HP if there is a demand for it. Stay tuned for further developments on this exciting project.

New Beech C.E.O.: Beechhasjustannouncedthatlhey have a new C.E.O., Max Bleck, to replace James Walsh, who resigned to pursue non-aviation interests. The new head at Beech has previously held the top job at Cessna and Piper, and was also an executive at Beech a few years ago. These days a shake up in top management at an aerospace company sends ripples of concern both inside and outside the company. I certainly hope that this change at Beech doesn't signify any serious problems and will turn out to everyone's best interests.

OSHKOSH ROOMS: EAA Oshkosh'87 is just a month away with preparations in full swing at Whitman Airfield. I have been working on the van transportation assignment, as I have for the past seven years. This year, with the Warbirds lodging in three different motels instead of just one, it is most difficult to determine just what the needs of the membership will be with regard to ground transporta-tion. We are adding two more vans to the usual 4 that we have always had. Volunteer drivers are badly needed to make this expanded system work. Any of our T-34 folks who would like to assist are certainly encouraged to do so. Ann Russell and the Blackwell boys have been some of the most effective drivers we have had. It can be a fun experience if you like driving and like people. The vans will all be 1987 model Dodges.

Rooms at Fon du Lac are now taken and have been since late March. We, as the T-34 group, had 40 rooms set aside at the Dartmoor. However, only 30 of these were reserved by our group before they were opened up to the general membership, which snapped them up very quickly. For 1987, room availability is history, but if we start making plans for 1988 we can shoot for the full 40 rooms again. 1 will try to get this set up again, but our slow response is going to make it difficult. Reservations need to be made by mail no later than January 1988 it we are going to have the showing at Oshkosh that is possible.

Fon du Lac is going to have a temporary FAA manned tower on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. This is a new procedure, but should be an improvement. This will not affect our training flights on Wednesday or Thursday.

NAVY TO GET MORE C MODELS: The U.S. Navy and Beech have announced a new production contract whereby a total of 19 new T-34Cs will be built with the first deliveries being made in June of 1989, or about two years from now. The price is quoted at $1,000,050 each.

Since the Navy has recently stated that 19 T-34Cs have been written off due to operational accidents, it would be safe to assume that the purchase was approved based on bringing the Navy fleet of T-34s back to the original number of 334. Evidently the new ships will not be changed from the original design and powerplant.

Currently, Beech says that civilian orders will be accepted if they are received in time to mesh them into the Navy production run. I haven't heard what price one can be purchased at, but I would doubt if Beech could sell them to anyone cheaper than the price that the Navy is paying. A congressman or the media would give the Navy fits over this kind of procurement.

T-34C : The Navy proclaimed that the T-34C has the lowest accident rate of any aircraft type in the Navy inventory. The T-34C is now approaching 1,000,000 flight hours in Navy service!

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Trading Hands: Two longtime member-owners have recently sold their Mentors: Ben Bradley of Ft. Lauder-dale, Florida, who has owned his ship, G-782, since 1974 has sold it to Jud Deakins of Stewart, Florida; and Dave McPherson, of Bloomingdale, IL has sold his G-714 to George Westmoreland of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Dave has been the owner since 1977. We welcome the new owners and say goodbye to Ben and Dave.

Bonanza Conven t ion ; July 15-18 is a big weekend for the American Bonanza Society and for Beechcraft. The ABS is celebrating its 20th birthday at its Convention in Wichita and Beech is celebrating its 40th anniversary of Bonanza production. The ABS hopes to have 1000 Bonanzas in attendance to draw attention to this meaning-ful event.

Since the T-34 Mentor owes its existence to Walter Beech and his Bonanza design concept, 1 felt it would be worth-while to join in the celebration and hold a T-34 seminar for ABS members who wanted to know more about the T-34 and the T-34 Association. Although we are included on the ABS agenda and advertised on the schedule of events, my youngest son, John, is getting married that weekend. When I learned of the wedding date I wrote a letter to Cliff Sones expressing my regrets on being unable to attend. With only six weeks notice, it wasn't possible to prepare someone to take my place. I regret that we are unable to share in the activities and hold the T-34 seminar. How-ever, I encourage any ABS members (or prospective members) in our organization to attend. I'm sure it will be worth your while.

Please Help Us To Help Others : As mentioned else-where in this newsletter, we are making an effort to create a new Association publication. This book will deal with the

It happened on November 8th last year. Kris Cox married Ramona Munoz, the pretty lady pictured to the right in the rear seat. The photo served as their unique wedding invita-tion. It is a really neat picture and we wanted to share it with the membership.

history of the T-34, but more importantly it will attempt to deal with the information that a prospective T-34 purchaser should know. It will help him/her to select the machine that will meet his/her individual expectations. Hopefully it will help do away with bad surprises and demolished budgets. This is to be the long awaited "T-34 Buyer's Guide".

The people working on this project really need help. Because of the realities of the printing costs and a limited market, it is doubtful that we will have an opportunity to print a revised edition for many years. Therefore, we are doing our level best to do this right the first time. We're afraid, however, that we may be a great example of the old saying "too close to the forest to see the trees." We need input from new owners as to what they wish they had known before their purchase and what surprises they found after the purchase. This is a great chance to help ourselves, too, as "horror stories" in any market tend to drive down values. Any interesting history, information, or anecdotes concerning T-34s are most welcome. To be successful we need your help please contact us with whatever you might have of interest.

Oshkosh 1987 — It is almost here and are you ready for it? Formation practice starts at Fon du Lac Tuesday after-noon, July 28. Oshkosh begins on Friday, July 31. The Saturday opening has been moved forward to Friday and it is likely to be this way from now on. The Warbird banquet has been moved back to its original place of Wednesday. The experiment of having it on Tuesday last year did not work out. The Lakelawn fly-out is set for Monday, with Tuesday as the rain dale. Seminars will be on Tuesday.

See you in Wisconsin!

Best Regards, Charlie Nogle

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WORKING MENTORS by: Charlie Nogle

V ery few privately owned T-34s earn their keep tinese days. Instead, they are flown mostly for fun with a few business trips thrown in; and even business trips in a T-34 are fun, to say nothing about the excitement created upon your arrival in a warbird. There are, however, several Mentors out there working full time for a living, and 1 would like to take this opportunity to tell you about a pair of them and how they found their "new" role in aviation — a role, much like they started their existence with, over 30 years ago.

Home for these Mentors is Litchfield Airport at Goodyear, Arizona (a suburb of Phoenix). The airport itself is a holdover from military service with the U.S. Navy. A few miles to the North of Litchfield is Luke, AFB, an active jet fighter training base. For many years Luke trained Ger-man Luftwaffe pilots in transitioning to the Lockheed F-104.

The owner of the two T-34s is Airline Training Center, better known simply as ATO, and this is a division of Pacific Southwest Airline (PSA). ATC came into being by a chance meeting some 20 years ago when the President of PSA was traveling to Germany aboard a Lufthansa 707 in the company of the President of Lufthansa Airlines. On the long trip the Luke AFB training of Luftwaffe pilots came up in discussion and the Lufthansa exec, wistfully pro-claimed how great it would be to train his airline pilots in such a perfect climate and setting as Luke AFB. He described the difficulties of the European weather, which was making training schedules impossible, plus the restrictions of airspace due to close national borders and military operating areas. Also, the high cost of fuel in Europe added to their problems. His feelings were re-ceived by the PSA chief with great compassion and before the flight reached Frankfort, an offer by PSA had been made to Lufthansa whereby PSA would set up a pilot training center, staffed by PSA people (Americans) to do nothing but train Lufthansa pilots (Germans).

In a little less than a year the details were worked out and the airport at Litchfield was selected as the base of operations. The airport authority gave them a satisfactory lease for space in an old and very large WWII Navy hangar. This location gave them the desired climate and was close to the German pilots in training at Luke.

The whole concept of the PSA operation was based upon quality. Quality in personnel, in aircraft, in facilities, and in maintenance. The chief pilot of the operation, Will Ennls, is still there today as is the quality of the operation. Will became a Navy pilot early in WWII and went to the fleet carriers as a Gruman F6F fighter pilot. He earned a Navy

Cross at Manila Bay by placing a 500 lb. bomb on the bridge of a Japanese cruiser during the initial campaign to retake the Philippines. Will stayed in the Navy to fly F9Fs from carriers during the Korean War and Douglas A-4s from carriers in the Viet Nam War. It was during a 1967 strike over Viet Nam that Will decided enough was enough. 25 years as a carrier pilot and current com-mander of an air group was put behind him. Will returned to civilian life in San Diego and called on PSA for a job, his first stop. PSA, looking for the right man to head the ATC operation, hired him.

Under Will Ennls ATC has become the premier private training facility in the world. It has received very little publicity as they really didn't need or want it and they have just gone about their business quietly, effectively, and professionally. Lufthansa, which pays all the bills, must be well satisfied with the end product as over half of all Lufthansa flight crews are now ATC trained. The balance are German Air Force trained.

Funding to improve facilities and purchase new aircraft have recently been completed and a new 20 year lease with the Airport Authority has been signed. May 1987 has seen the completion of a new $800,000 maintenance hangar and associated shops, storerooms, and offices. The old Navy hangar is no longer in use by ATC since the new building's completion and other aviation operators have moved into the old space.

Along with the new building has come new aircraft. Nine new 1986 58 Barons were added at a cost exceeding $3,000,000. The Barons join a fleet of fourteen 1980-1986

Will EnnIS piloting T-34 A, N102 PS, near Goodyear. AZ shortly after completion of a complete IRAN. This aircraft was formerly owned by Charlie Nogle as N7CN.

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F33A Bonanzas. Beechcraft has been the aircraft manu-facturer of choice since the inception of ATC. Bonanzas (33 series) and Barons (55 series) were there at the beginning. Only in the aerobatic phase of their training were Beechcrafts non-performing. This phase of training has seen a succession of types, all of which were less than satisfactory. Champion Citabrias started it out and were then succeeded by Beech Aerobatic Sports and most recently by Great Lakes biplanes. None of these per-formed with distinction during these aerobatic trials and tribulations.

Will Ennis was lusting after Beech T-34s to fill this role and compliment the Bonanzas and Barons. Will's pleadings fell on unsympathetic German ears. Lufthansa could not see the wisdom of operating 30 year old former military trainers. They wanted new trainers that would measure up to the quality of the whole training fleet. Actually the Germans wanted to use the Fan Trainer for this role. It was a German design and product but was very slow in making it through testing and into the market place.

It wasn't until the Fan Trainer showed less than hoped for characteristics that the fathers in Frankfurt gave in to Will and authorized him to lease 3 T-34s to test their suitability for the intended role of ATC aerobatic and formation trainer. Rex Derby, then with Beechcraft's military section, recommended that Will contact me to find suitable and available Mentors. We were very much impressed with Will, PSA-ATC and Bud Hayes who is head of mainte-nance. Jud, Jim, and myself agreed to lease three of our

N102PS's new instrument panel. Used entirely for local aerobatic and formation instruction, gyros and navigation instruments aren't needed. Circuit breakers and switches are lined in a row at the bottom of the panel.

airplanes to them. This first lease was extended into a second one and our three airplanes were in Arizona for the better part of two years and 1700 flight hours.

After these two successful trial runs of T-34s, Lufthansa agreed that these were the needed aircraft types and funds were made available to purchase two T-34 As. They wanted machines that were 285 HP and ones that were reasonably priced as they wanted to put the two ships through their own maintenance dept. for a complete IRAN with painting to match the ATC fleet. The basic color being yellow with a blue stripe and trim.

They further wanted to tie as many components into common parts with the F-33s as possible to ease the load on the parts and maintenance departments. This operation prides itself on a very high percentage of readi-ness and everything possible was done to the T-34s to match the readiness rates of the new Bonanzas and Barons. ATC has excellent rapport with the GADO they work with so all changes desired were readily signed off on one time STC and 337 forms. This included F-33A common equipment such as: Cleveland wheels & brakes, brake fluid reservoirs, IO-520-BA & -BB engines, Mc-Cauley 2 Blade props, four unit cluster engine instruments, flap transmitters and gauges, nose gears, wing tips, 28 volt electrical system, and all new wiring with circuit breakers and switches in a single row across the bottom of the instrument panel.

The panel is designed with VFR and local aerobatic instruction as the only mission. Gyros and navigation equipment are not required and have been eliminated. All flights are with instructors and almost all landings are made at the home base. Radios consist of King Coms and transponders with encoders.

In addition to the new hangar and maintenance shop the ATC facilities include student dormitories, swimming pool, classrooms, offices, and a company cafeteria which serves a German menu cooked by a German chef. Cars, motor-cycles, and bicycles are at the campus, with each depart-ing class turning them over to the new arrivals who take their places. The atmosphere is very campus like, with girlfriends and wives on hand giving it a co-ed appearance. The total complement of employees at Litchfield now comes to over 80 and about half of these are flight instruc-tors.

Continued on page 17

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Navy Recruiting Command: Walt Troyer was kind enough to submit the following article and photos for the newsletter. Walt, as you may know, is the Warbird Airshow Narrator and Coordinator at Oshkosh and Lakeland and a Warbird Director. Walt is one of our most avid supporters in the Warbird Organization.

Dear Jim,

Enclosed find a check for another year's dues to the T-34 Association. It is always a pleasure to receive the newslet-ter and find out the latest happenings within this fantastic group.

The enclosed pictures might make for an article along with the following information. Last September a life long dream came true....l was hired by Southern Air Transport as a first officer on the L-382 (Hercules). It seems that the Airline job that I wanted when I was 20 did not come along until the ripe old age of 40. Better late than never.

One of the contracts that Southern flies is a quick-trans route for the Navy. One of the stops is at Pensacola Naval Air Station, "the Cradle of Naval Aviation". The first two pictures are of the B-models that are rotated out of Pensacola with the Recruiting Command. The past several months have brought the "good news — bad news" stories to a final head. The T-34B program has been funded through 1989, and several of the B's at Davis Monthan will be taken out of storage and used by the recruiters — good news. The bad news is that this will increase the price of the T-34s already in civilian hands. This means that I will have to give up my daily snack of cookies & milk for a few more years so that I can afford to buy a T-34.

The third picture was taken on a Saturday, showing that these guys are really in love with the 34. The gentleman pictured is AMSC, Dave Baird, one of the gung-ho people with the quality assurance team. The R.C. model is a real jewel, right down to the augmentor tubes under the engine. I might add that Dave does a super job of flying the model. The fourth picture is of a "B" model that belongs to the flying club at Navy Jacksonville. It is in rather poor shape and needs some T.L.C..

In my travels outside of the U.S. I have also seen a lot of 34s throughout Central and South America and also in Europe. Two nice examples are A models in Ankara Turkey, still used by the Turkish Air Force. Also, there are several export models that I have seen "down south" that are in medium condition.

Hope to see you, and all the members at the "Big One" in Oshkosh.

Walt Troyer

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WE NEED YOUR VOTE!

Enclosed with this newsletter is a ballot post card which we would really like you to complete and return by mail. The ballot is broken down into three parts: 1) Board of Directors election; 2) Yes or No vote on a change to the Association's By-laws; and 3) a request for your thoughts and suggestions for our Board and the newsletter.

Board of D i rec tors : The T-34 Association's Board is currently composed of nine members who are serving staggered terms of 3 years each. Each year 3 Board positions come up for election. This year Lou Drendel, Travis Edwards, and Earle Parks are up for election. They are running unopposed but write in votes are welcome.

To help acquaint the membership with the Board mem-bers, I have been asking each candidate to send me a brief biography and photo for the newsletter. Lou and Travis both honored my request and their bio's are printed below. Despite 3 attempts, however, I have been unable to get anything from Earle - I guess he is too modest, too busy, or both.

By-Laws Change: In order to help guarantee better regional representation of the membership on the Board, the current Board is asking for approval of a change to the By-laws to allow for the ap-pointment of 2 members to the Board. This change must be made by a majority vote of the membership.

Cu rrent ly the By- laws read, under Article IV, Section 1: "The powers, business, and property of the Association shall be exercised, conducted, and controlled by a Board of Directors of nine (9). Those members shall include the four (4) Executive Officers. All members shall have full voting power on the Board."

Proposed Change: "The powers, business, and property of the Association shall be exercised, conducted, and controlled by a Board of Directors of nine (9), who are elected at large from the membership. The Board of Directors, at its option, may appoint an additional 2 mem-bers to the Board for a term to be determined by the Board at the time of the appointment. Those nine to eleven members of the Board shall include the four (4) Executive Officers. All members shall have full voting power on the Board."

We would really like to have your vote on this, please be sure to mail it in.

I am glad that our three candidates are willing to serve another term on the Board. Lou and Travis have each helped me enormously with the Newsletters. Travis who holds the position of Vice-President, has a technical background and experience with totally restoring two T-34s. He has contributed valuable technical and mainte-nance related articles for our newsletter, including one in this issue. He is active in all facets of our organization.

Lou Drendel, our Association's Secretary, possesses an enthusiasm for our airplanes and our Association that is hard to believe. He supplies me with more newsletter contributions for any given issue than most members have in total. Currently, he is helping us put together the T-34 book and buyer's guide mentioned elsewhere in this newsletter. Lou's artistic and writing skills are valuable assets to the Association.

Earle Parks' name is so well known in T-34 circles that I really don't need to say much about him, even though we don't have a biography or photo to print. He is responsible for some of the finest T-34 restorations flying and his operation in Amarillo, TX supports a good number of the T-34 fleet.

Lou Drendel: I have been flying T-34s since 1975 and have amassed 1,000 hours in the (Mentor. I have been a member of the Association since 1975. Most members know that I designed the Association patch as well as the Wingman and Leader patches. I also had a hand in putting together the formation manual as well as the procedures, and I have flown in every "big" Oshkosh formation. In addition to the Mentor mania, I manage to crank out a book every few months for Squadron/Signal Publications. I have written and illustrated 33 books for them on Modern Military Aircraft, dating back to 1972. That provides for the care and feeding of the T-34 habit. I manage to feed and clothe a wife (Carol) and three children (Reed 17, Brad 15, and Desiree 13) with my job as Vice President of Moser Lumber, Inc. here in Naperville, Illinois.

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Travis Edwards

Travis is 51 years old and served in the USAF in an Armament & Electronics Squadron attached to the Strate-gic Air Command's 340th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB in Missouri. He began flying in 1962 and has logged over 1,500 hours in T-34s to date. He has restored two A model T-34S and his current aircraft is painted in Navy yellow and sports a 285 hp engine. He is an active member of the P.A Diamond Formation Team and is active on the air show circuit in the northeast as well as with Warbirds of America and the Valiant Air Command. He holds Life Membership #5 with the T-34 Association. Travis states that he is very proud to have served on the Board of Directors for 3 years and would consider it a pleasure to serve again.

Letters to the Editor:

I received the following letter from Florence Barton, Lewiston, ID in response to an article in our last newslet-ter.

Dear Jim,

I have some comments on the article from Aviation Con-sumer enclosed with the last newsletter.

First, the author took his idea of the T-34 as a poor man's warbird right out of an article I wrote about the T-34 for AOPA Pilot. ("T-34: The Poor Man's Fighter", AOPA Pilot, Jan. 1975, Pg. 44.)

I hope my article was not one of the ones Charlie Nogle has on a couple of occasions deplored in his column in the newsletter. It was an article about the joy of flying, espe-cially of flying the T-34. Incidentally, I have an article about flying in England coming up in either Aero or Private Pilot Magazine - no T-34s though.

Second, the article and others all make derogatory com-ments about the 225 hp engine. I think these must be based upon either the desire to sell the 285 hp conversion, or the fact that many T-34s that still have the 225 hp engine have ones that are nearly run out and may also have been abused.

My T-34A has a 225 hp engine with under 600 hours on it, and the performance is excellent. In the summer (and we have hal summers out here), I get 1200 fpm climb, in the winters about 2000 fpm at gross weight on initial climb after takeoff from our 1500 ft. elevation airport. I typically climb at best ral£ of climb airspeed for at least 1000 ft., then flatten out the climb in hot weather to keep tempera-tures in the green.

I have climbed to 18000 ft. over the Owens Valley on a summer day, and have had plenty of climb performance left.

On the negative side, I don't agree with the article on the subject of insurance rates. If you know any place that will give me the same liability insurance rates as a Bonanza, please let me know! The best I could find was Avemco, but they won't give me single limit liability and put lots of restrictions on the operation of the airplane. All this was because of it being a military surplus airplane. As a pilot, I rate very high with insurance companies.

Back to the positive, fuel consumption is better than that mentioned in the article. I'm not a speed-burner, and I use economy power settings on cross-countries, giving me 10.5-11 gph. At speeds and power settings used for overwater SAR patrols with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, 1 have flown 4 hours on half my fuel load.

As much as I hate to do so, I am thinking of selling my plane. On my limited income, it is getting harder and harder to justify the expense. I know that if I do, I will never be satisfied flying anything I can afford, and will have to find some all new hobby to throw myself into completely. Therefore, I won't sell it cheap!

If you know someone with a bundle of money who doesn't care what he or she pays for a T-34, send them my way. Besides the much better than average engine, the airframe is in excellent condition with a beautiful blue and gold polyurethane paint job. I have owned it since 1971, have done preventative maintenance, do regular oil analysis, and have flown it with tender loving care. It is hangared Since I have owned it, it has never been abused, over-stressed or had a hard landing. I have extra parts, includ-ing 4 good cylinders and an extra prop. I also have a canopy cover for when 1 do have to park it outside, a hard helmet, and two parachutes. It could use some new instruments and radios, but has a military type oxygen system and even a marine radio antenna.

Sincerely, Florence Barton

page 10

Color Photos: Neil McNutt wrote in asking if we would start including color pictures with our newsletters, as we did a couple of years ago. As he pointed out, we have a lot of new members, new paint schemes, and new airplanes. Including 35mm color prints isn't very practical any more from a dollar and cents point of view (it never really was). If we run across an excep-tional photo, of some significance, we'll include prints with the newsletter. In the meantime, we are investigating four color printing for the newslet-ter. We would love to go this route, but so far it looks as though printing costs would at least triple and it would add another week to the printing process. Does anyone in the membership have firsthand experience with four color printing?

Weight & Balance: Milo de Grassi, Stockton, CA asked if our T-34 weight & balance pro-gram could be altered to accept scale readings with zero fuel in the tanks. The answer is: not very easily. Given the structure of the program code, such a change would require a major rewrite of the program and a lot of time. I am planning to make some modifications to the program, such as allowing for IO-550 300 HP engine installations and possibly tip tanks, but these changes are minor compared to weigh-ing the airplane dry.

For those who are new to our Association or haven't heard about our Weight & Balance printout, a quick description is in order. The Associa-tion will send you a two page weight & balance report on your airplane. The report is computer generated and is very accurate, as long as the weighing operation was done carefully and accurately. The aircraft must be weighed with full fuel and full oil, with all baggage, parachutes, helmets, etc. removed, and the canopies closed. Additionally, the aircraft must be leveled nose to tail by means of a plumb line and the two leveling screws just aft of the baggage compartment. Occasionally the nose tire may need to be flattened and in some cases some gas may need to be released from the nose strut. The airplane should also be leveled left to right by means of a carpenter's level across the canopy rails. Ideally, the airplane should be weighed in a closed hangar {in order to avoid any wind loads) with a set of three matched aircraft scales, which have been calibrated and certified within the last 12 months.

After the weighing is complete, just send the scale readings to me (Jim Nogle) along with the following details: Name, N #, Date of Weighing, Aircraft serial number, Model type (A or B), and engine horsepower. Label the scale readings as Left Main, Right Main, and Nose.

We need to make a minor program change to handle the new IO-550 300HP installa-tions but this change should not be a prob-lem. If your aircraft is equipped with tip tanks, the mains should be full but the tips should be empty at the time of weighing —

T-34 Garrett Conversion:

We asked Charlie Bilella to bring us up to date on his current project of converting a T-34 to Garrett turbine power. Here is his response:

Jim, just a short note to bring you up to date on the Garrett project:

Have just completed the following items: 1) Overhauled all engine instruments. 2) Completed new instrument panels. 3) Overhauled all engine accessories,

governor, etc. 4) Overhauled flap actuators, pedal assem-

bly, control assemblies. 5) Prop overhauled and modified by

Sensenich.

Aircraft scheduled for stripping in May. Awaiting engine mounts for modification and retro-fit.

We will be starting the sheet metal work after it comes back from the paint shop, stripped. We have decided to do the thing from the ground up, as was Jay's airplane. It should be another showpiece, but naturally this takes a little more time.

Charles W. Bilella

Florence Barton's T-34 A. Florence regret-fully reports that the airplane is for sale. You can contact her at 731 Preston Ave, Lewis-ton, Idaho 83501. See details in her letter to the editor on the facing page.

page. 11

Formation News and Report

Formation Report, byLouDrendel

The new Wingman and Leader patches are now available. Previously qualified Wingmen may purchase their patches for $6.00. Leader patches will be awarded by the formation committee on a regional basis. The leader patch is not neces-sarily an indication that the wearer is a superior pilot. It is an indication that he or she has accepted the responsibility incum-bent upon the leader of a formation of aircraft, and has demon-strated the ability to lead safely, efficiently, and with the confi-dence of his/her wingmen. This is especially important. If the wingmen do not have complete confidence in the leader if they feel they must keep track of where the flight is going, or if they question his decisions, he cannot be an effective leader.

Leaders also accept the responsibility for making sure that each wingman in his flight is qualified, and has the requisite recent experience to operate safely within that formation.

Also available are the new "OSHKOSH FORMATION PILOT" chevrons, which are shaped to fit under your WINGMAN or LEADER patch. These may be purchased from Merchandiser Ken Williamson for $4.00 each. Following is a list of wingmen who are qualified to wear the Oshkosh chevron;

Ed Lovejoy, Gene Martin, Charlie Nogle, Ted Adams, Lou

Drendel, Jim Nogle, Jud Nogle, Kris Cox, Julie Clark, Gary Loundagin, Dean Spencer, Dan Blackwell, Travis Edwards, Charlie Bilella, Bob Livingston Jr., Chris Rounds, Bob Morse, Bill Cherwin, Gordy Drysdale, Ron Lee, Gene Popma, Steve Smith, Bob Farrell, Forrest Molberg, Ken Williamson, Dennis Dodd, Don McNall, Bob Livingston Sr., Rod Daulton, Bob Russell, Rick Gretz, George Kubal, Dave Miller, Dave Marco.

This list was compiled from previous Newsletter accounts of Oshkosh flying, if we left anyone out, please forgive us and refresh our memory.)

That makes 34 pilots with previous Oshkosh experi-ence, and there are many more qualified wingmen out there who could also do the job at Oshkosh. We have the possibility of putting up the biggest mass formation of airplanes seen in years possibly since WWII! It is an exciting prospect, and the formation committee, along with the hardcore groups at Naperville and Pennsylvania will be doing some pre-Oshkosh planning to try to smooth out the process once we arrive at Fon du Lac. In addition to the above, the following are also qualified Wingmen:

Greg Fieber, Rick Hagenberger, Joe Howell, Dave Klym, Walter Mayer, Emile Mouhot, Wayne Sutton, Dick Tews, Tom McDade, Jack Holden, Gene Cernan, and George Westmoreland.

In going through the membership directory of the As-sociation, I see several members who have had the experience and possess the ability to ace the wing-man check ride, if they will request it. This may only be a formality in the case of some pilots, especially those with military experience, but it is necessary to ensure the standardization (a military term which should be familiar to them), and to cover all con-cerned in the case of an accident. We believe accident prevention is the best reason for check rides for all, including experienced pilots, and we will be asking for recent formation experience when we put together the biggie at Oshkosh. We urge all qualified wingmen to get a few hours of practice under your belt before showing up at Oshkosh. And, once again, we will give check rides at Fon du Lac, but we will not have time to give instruction. If you intend to get your patch there, come prepared for the ride....and that includes knowing the signals and procedures!

The following are authorized leaders:

Midwest: Lou Drendel, Rick Gretz, Gene Martin, Ted Adams, Bob Morse, Rod Daulton, Charlie Nogle

pc^e 12

East Coast: Ed Lovejoy, Ken Williamson, Dan Biackwell Southeast: Bob Russell Southwest: Forrest Molberg West Coast: Bob Farrell

As you can see, there is a predominance of Midwest Leaders. The same is true of check pilots. We would like to fill in our coverage, so if there are aspiring leaders or check pilots in other areas, please give us a report on your activities.

Forrest Molberg reports the qualification of three new Houston area wingmen. According to Forrest; "Tom McDade, Jack Holden, and Gene Cernan are all highly experienced former military pilots, with a lot of formation experience. They fly formation in their T-34s regularly, including formation aerobatics.

I am sure most of you will recognize Gene Cernan as the former Gemini and Apollo astronaut, who went to the moon on Apollo X and XVll. He was commander of Apollo XVII, which was the most ambitious of the moon missions, covering more ground (they used the lunar rover), and collecting more geological samples than any previous mission. Gene retired from the Astronaut Corps in 1976. He also holds the rank of Captain, USN (ret.). Gene has more time in space (566 hours) than many of you have in your T-34s! The fact that Gene Cernan is willing to accept an Association check ride means a great deal to our formation program. Formation flying requires a commit-ment to the discipline which is required to fly the formation safely. That means conforming, which also means sacri-ficing individualism within the formation. Experienced military pilots recognize this requirement. "Air Show" pilots may have a more difficult time accepting this concept, but it is the bedrock upon which we have built the formation program, and it is what enables us to turn a gaggle into a formation.

Recently, while practicing at the New Philly fly-in we were able to define some of our formation terms more closely. They are as follows:

1) Ground maneuvers: Where all airplanes are taxiing in trail and will be turning 90° into a parking place (or taxiing out of a parking place, for that matter) the leader will call the turn, and all airplanes will turn simultaneously. This is called "Flanking maneuver" and will be executed on the command: "Right (or left) flank execute." The turn to a 45° heading off the taxiway for runup will be executed on the command: "Right (or left) oblique execute." These are the little touches that add a sense of professionalism to a show.

2) Echelon turn: this is a run while in echelon, with the leader turning away from the echelon, and should be accomplished with all members remaining at the same altitude. (The wingmen keep the leader on the horizon, rather than maintaining the same sight picture on his airplane.)

3) Formation turn: This is a turn from any formation in which all airplanes retain the same relative sight picture on the lead airplane, or the airplane they are flying on.

4) Engine shutdown: The leader will call for simultaneous shutdown. Everyone should be at 1,000 rpm and shut-down by pulling the mixture to idle cutoff. This should avoid the embarrassment of a dieseling engine when all the other blades have stopped.

Lou Drendei

Formation Flight Manual, available through Ken Williamson, T-34 Merchandise Sales, $4,00 each + postage.

FORMATION FLIGHT

page. 13

Lake Chelan, Washington Fly-in—September 11,12,13

I've received a really nice letter from Fred and Julie Jones of Seattle, Washington. They are hosting a fly-in at Lake Chelan, Washington in September and have asked that we print an invitation to all Association members. Although I have never been there, I have heard for years that this is a really beautiful spot and is idea! for fly-ins. We are unable to print copies of the brochures and motel registration forms that Fred & Julie sent, but I would recommend that you make plans and phone in your reservations as early as you can.

Dear T-34 Enthusiasts:

You are cordially invited to our third T-34 Fly-In in Chelan, Washington to be held September 11,12,13,1987.

As we have said before, Lake Chelan is blessed with ideal weather in September and is a perfect time for a fly-in. Lake Chelan is 55 miles long so there is a lot of room for formation flying and aerobatics.

Chelan Airport is small and has no tower. They have just recently resurfaced the runway so it is in excellent condi-tion.

We again plan to have a "salmon barbecue" on Friday evening, a fly-away for lunch on Saturday and a no-host dinner on Saturday evening, Sunday is open.

We have made arrangements with the "Ivlidtowner" I^otel and have several rooms reserved. They have quoted us a special rate of $30 and $35. The complex is only a few years old and everything is new. The accomodations are very nice. The rooms are air conditioned, have queen size beds, and also small refrigerators in them. If anyone wants to come earlier or stay longer, the same rates apply and they will be happy to extend your stay. We will be happy to have you stay longer, also.

The fi/lotel's phone number is (509) 682-4051. Be sure to tell them you are with the T-34 Fly-in so that you get the special rates. The address is 721 E. Woodin Avenue, Box 1722, Chelan, WA 98816. Call your reservations in as soon as you can to be sure to get a room.

We are planning a fun time and hope you can join us. There are no rental cars in Chelan but we will have transportation available for your use.

If you have any questions, give us a call or drop us a note. Our Seattle phone number is: (206) 932-5122 (recorder on, leave message and we will return call if we are not there) and our Chelan number is (509) 682-5916. Hope-fully we will be spending most of the summer in Chelan if everything works out.

Looking tonward to seeing you in September, Sincerely, Fred & Julie Jones 3904 S.W. Frontenac Seattle, WA 98136

N Number Regulation Correction.. We erred in our report on the N number regulations in our last newsletter. Forrest Molberg brought this to our attention and an excerpt of his letter follows:

"After reading the current newsletter, I think that the article of aircraft registration marking needs some clarification so that members know exactly what is required. Antique aircraft are exempt from the 12 inch number requirement and may display numbers that are at least 2 inches high. An antique aircraft is defined by regulation as a small (less than 12,500 lb. gross weight) U.S. registered aircraft built at least 30 years ago. The date of the airworthiness certificate is not a consideration."

ways; first we stated that the small numbers were 3" instead of the correct 2" (a 'lypo"), and second that the date of qualification was the date the type certificate was issued. In fact, according to the Springfield, IL GADO, this was the case several years ago, and under this rule many V tail Bonanzas rolled out of the factory paint shop displaying the 2" numbers. As of 1983, however, the rule was changed so that only "small U.S. registered aircraft built at least 30 years ago" qualified. Aircraft re-painted under the old rules prior to November 2,1981 are grandfa-thered and can keep the small numbers until the next repaint, as can aircraft factory painted prior to January 1, 1983.

Forrest also enclosed a copy of the FARs involved, which back up his information. Our article was wrong in two

We apologize for the error, and our thanks to Forrest Molberg for straightening this out.

page. 14

Forming with an F/A-18Hornet: by: Lou Drendel

Jim, as you know 1 was lucky enough to get a chance to fly the F/A-18 Hornet. I got an hour in the simulator, in the front seat, and a little over an hour in the backseat of the TF. We did a low-level to the range, dropped bombs, then rendezvoused with Roy Stafford in his T-34B, N8CN.

Roy and I were sort of figuring that the Hornet would have trouble slowing down to stay with the 34, and so we started the formation at 6,000 and worked our way down to 3,500 at 170 knots. We discovered that they had no problem holding position at 150 knots! In fact, 1 took pictures from the TF of their formation while we canopy roiled over them!

The Hornet is one fantastic airplane. In addition to the expected mind-boggling acceleration and turning ability, its cockpit is truly 21st century stuff. The only analog instru-ments are backups. The "real" flight instruments are projected on the heads-up display (HUD), which is on the gunsight glass. That way, you never have to look into the cockpit for heading, altitude, airspeed, VSI, G, Mack, or attitude information.

There are two other CRTs in the cockpit, one for radar and another for the horizontal situation. The HSI CRT, which is between your knees is also capable of projecting a moving map display, which can be zoomed in and out at 10 and 40 mile scales. This cockpit is about as good as cockpits are going to get for several years.

Lou Drendel

[ • _

Lt. John O'Donnell formating on Roy Stafford in 8CN. Stafford, an ex-Navy jet fighter pilot, O'Donnell, andLt. Bill Hedstrom thoroughly briefed prior to the flight. (Lou Drendel)

Would you believe? a formation loop! (LouDrendel)

T-34sattheFloridaInternationalAir Show atPuntaGorda,Florida. by: Gene Martin

On March 21, six members of the T-34 Association participated in the air show at Punta Gorda.

The weather was perfect: wind less than 10 knots, with visibility of twenty miles plus. There were 18,000 specta-tors to show off for and show off we did. We put up two Vs consisting of #2 Emile Mohout, #3 Bob Mahanor, #4 Jud Deakins, #5 Connie Weiffenback, #6 Gene Martin, with #1 Bob Russell as lead. As we approached the airfield at 1200 ft., leader spotted a Japanese attach of 5 zeros (Fujis) pounding the airfield (simulating Pearl Harbor). He immediately put us into a right echelon and we peeled off to save the day.

We each fell in behind a zero and after several passes over the field, defeated them all. The five zeros went down smoking while not a single T-34 was damaged or destroyed.

This entire battle was repeated on Sunday, March 22 with the same victory for the T-34s. Each show ended with a missing man formation consisting of four T-34s.

A very exciting and enjoyable weekend was had by the T-34 pilots and they wish to thank the Fuji flyers and the Valiant Air Command for inviting us to join in.

Gene Martin

page IS

Maintenance Thoughts on Magnesium Stripping & Painting, by Travis Edwards

This issue of the Newsletter has a two part maintenance section. The first part consists of an article submitted by Travis Edwards regarding restoration of magnesium surfaces. This article is printed both in the newsletter and in the separate maintenance section for easy collection. The second part is our regular installment of Beechcraft Service Bulletins. They will be found in the collection section only.

The two Beech Service Bulletins enclosed are No. 16 which deals with the rerouting of the power plant electrical harness to prevent it from being exposed to excessive heat, and No. 18 which concerns the rework and installa-tion of the 278-205 prop spinner.

Our goal is for all of our members to have a complete collection of all maintenance material printed in our Newsletters and a complete set of Beechcraft Service Letters, Bulletins, and Instructions on the T-34. As these Beechcraft publications are not available in large quanti-ties, we have elected to print them with our newsletters in installments, so we really hope that you are collecting yours.

About the reprinted Beech publications: As we have been mentioning in previous newsletlers,we printed and distrib-uted, first, those bulletins, instructions, and letters that dealt with topics of ongoing concern to T-34 operators. As of four or five issues ago, we completed this first group of the Beechcraft publications, and we are now distributing those bulletins that concern recommended changes or alterations that should have, and probably have been, al-ready made to your T-34. We are reprinting them because they still offer insight and history on the T-34; and, the only sure way to know if your airplane has had these recom-mended changes made is to specifically inspect it. We will continue to print these bulletins, letters, and instructions until the set is complete. So be sure to keep on saving yours in a protective binder. We have over 30 more to go!

I purchased my first T-34 in February 1971. This aircraft was 17 years old with 6,0004- hours and still had the original magnesium surfaces. After stripping off many layers of paint, I found that moisture and possibly the use of caustic strippers had left the surfaces in rather poor shape. They had a dull grey appearance inside & out, and were quite pitted. After a thorough inspection, I felt that all surfaces were sound despite the outward appearance, and proceeded to have the aircraft painted. I had it painted by Earl Mclntyre at Smith Field in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Earl came highly recommended, having painted Gunther Baltz's Bear Cat (now owned by Kalamazoo Air Zoo) and Cliff Robertson's Spitfire, just to name a few. When Earl painted my aircraft, he filled the deep pits and the results were great! About six months later, much to my surprise, the horizontal stabilizers started blistering. Apparently the protective coating (Dow Chemical Dichromate Conversion Coating) applied to the skins prior to building the surfaces, had either deteriorated or been accidentally etched by caustic strippers over the years. It seemed reasonably easy for Earl to recoat the outside with a Dow Chemical process for the first step prior to priming, however, the inside was difficult if not impossible to reach.

In case you are not aware, moisture is magnesium's worst enemy. Given a raw, unprotected piece of magnesium, and the constant condensation in most hangars (heaven forbid you have a heated hangar), and when the outside surfaces are prepared properly and painted with polyure-thane base paint, the moisture from condensation trapped inside the surface has no escape except to go through the skin and pop the paint, thus causing the blisters.

Having lived with this condition for approximately 7 years before selling my first aircraft, I vowed to do my best to keep this from happening on my next aircraft.

I purchased my next T-34 in September 1981. This aircraft already had signs of blistering when I purchased it, so I knew I had some problems to overcome. With the 500 hour stabilizer spar inspection due, I removed all of the tail surfaces and sent them to my local paint shop to be stripped, prepared, and repainted. It was there that I explained the blistering on my old aircraft and asked what he could do to prevent this. His answer, without hesitation, was to strip, prepare, and paint the surfaces, and then to pour hot linseed oil into the inside of all surfaces, slosh around while hot, and then suspend them, to drain all of

pc^e 16

the excess linseed oil. The linseed oil dries to a protective film and prevents moisture from penetrating the skin. I had this done in May 1985 and have flown 344 + hours and I am very pleased to report no blistering.

Two things to keep in mind: 1) even though the paint shop should balance any control surface after painting, you should make sure this is done after the linseed oil has been drained and allowed to set up. 2) when stripping to repaint, caution should be used in your selection of the proper stripper. I spoke with Jack Fair of Custom Chemi-cals in Springfield, Illinois to get more information on strippers. It was their Phenol base AK-2 Stripper that my paint shop used. Jack said that there are two basic ingredients in any stripper: the "active" which is methyl chloride, and the "activator" which can be Phenol, Formic Acid, or Ammonia. The more acid the stripper, the more chance you have of removing the protect ive coat ing o n the magnesium and creating the problem of blistering.

This article in no way reflects the thoughts of the T-34 Association. It is strictly based on my experience. Should anyone have other views on this issue, 1 am sure Jim would be more than happy to receive the article. After all, that is why we have the Newsletter!

Regards, Travis Edwards

Editor's Note: Travis supplied us with a copy of a complete test report from Industrial Testing Laboratories, Inc. of St. Louis, Mo. They tested the affect of "Custom Chemical Engineering AK-2", a paint stripper, on a piece of magnesium from an aircraft surface. This paint stripper is what Travis recommends for T-34 magnesium surfaces and is what his paint shop used on his aircraft.

The report indicated that the bare magnesium test material was exposed to the AK-2 solution for a 48 hour period and that after this period there was no measureable change in the magnesium. Chemical analysis of the stripping solution showed that only a very small and insignificant amount of magnesium was dissolved into the AK-2 solution.

If you would like to recommend this chemical to your paint shop, refer to Paint Stripper AK-2, from Custom Chemical Engineer-ing, 4535 Industrial Drive, Springfield, IL 62703.

(Working Mentors, continuedfrom page 7)

Will likes to remind the Germans upon arrival that we (the U.S.) won the war—just to keep things in their proper perspective. But the irrepressible Germans are prompt to counter with "Zee Kustomer is alvays right".

ATC has its own fuel farm, purchasing fuel direct from a refinery owned by PSA. They average a fuel useage of about 20,000 gallons per month. Maintenance is accom-plished by a crew of 24 men, only six of whom work a day Shift and performing mostly line work and fixing simple squawks. The scheduled and heavy maintenance is handled by 18 men who work the night shift. They handle 100 hour inspections, repairs, and complete aircraft overhauls every 5000 hours.

All aircraft get washed each week, whether they need it or not and an elaborate system of treating and heating the water is used. All aircraft parked outside the maintenance hangar are tied down under a roofed structure that is open on all sides. The Arizona sun in the only element for which protection is needed.

ATC has a great safety record, especially when compared to hours flown. They have lost two aircraft over the years. One a G-33 Bonanza that threw a prop blade and landed gear up in the desert with the engine torn loose. The plane was sold by the insurance company and it was later rebuilt. The other was a B-55 Baron, flown solo by a student who got it into a single engine stall/flat spin that is always fatal. The instructors there are true professionals, not young time builders hoping for airline positions.

All students must be able to speak and understand Eng-lish. All flight regulations and certificates are based on U.S. - FAA requirements and all aircraft are licensed and maintained to U.S. - FAA standards. No deviations are tolerated.

The first of the two T-34As is just now going into service having all modifications and painting completed. The second ship is undergoing modifications now and will be on line this fall. We will give an update to this report a year from now, and tell you how these 30 year old birds are holding up against the 1980s offerings from Beechcraft.

If you are in the Phoenix area, and flying in a T-34,1 think you would be welcome at the ATC campus. And, if Will or Bud are not real busy, you might get treated to a tour of the best private flight training facility in the world; one of a very few training fleets that uses only Beechcrafts (25 of them). Believe me, these two Mentors have found an excellent home.

page. 17

TWO AND SUN 'N FUN REPORT, from Lou Drendel

Rick Gretz and I had planned to leave Naper Aero early Friday morning, hoping to join up with Charlie Nogle by 0800, and get to Florida by mid-afternoon. Those of you who are old Association members will recognize the flaw in that plan Immediately. Charlie is a night person, and having just returned from California the previous day, there was no way we were going to see him much before late morning. And beside that, it was Friday the 13th.

The weather for the preceding two weeks had been downright benign in Northern Illinois, reaching high in the mid-70s the previous weekend. You might know that winter would show up on Friday the 13th, though, and our planned 0700 departure was scrubbed when the first take-off resulted in a quick build-up of clear ice which necessi-tated a quick return to base, where we sat and looked out the window for three hours, while we decided whether to build a snowman or head for Tuscola. When it got to 800 and 2, we blasted off, and within 20 miles the ceiling and visibility both began to improve. By the time we got to Tuscola, the sun was out, and Charlie was wailing for us! (We knew right then that the rest of the trip was going to be a success.)....And it was. We picked up a 25 knot tailwind which got us into Tico with one fuel stop.

Tico (Titusville Executive Airport) hosts what is arguably one of the biggest gatherings of warbirds in the country. The Valiant Air Command puts on a show which lasts from noon until 5pm. They are famous for the variety of types which fly, and the spectacular pyrotechnics which accom-pany the bombing passes. They should be famous for marathon briefings and announcer/narrators who could earn a living doing professional wrestling. There were lots of neat warbirds to admire, including a Spitfire, Hurricane, and Anson, which was enough of a British contingent to inspire a Battle of Britain theme for the whole show. The Valiant Air Command is big on re-enactment of World War Two, (including the propaganda aspects, which were provided by the announcer/narrator) and there are a lot of highspeed - low level passes by everybody, from T-34s to C-47s.

Bob Russell led the T-34 contingent at Tico, which con-sisted of three diamonds of four, a single, and the Lima Lima six plane wedge, lead by Rick Gretz, with Gene Martin, Lou Drendel, Ted Adams, and Bob Morse on wing and Roy Stafford in the slot. The reason the Valiant Air Command show takes so long is that they try to avoid mixing several different types of airplanes in the same time slot. As a consequence, the T-34s were in the air with one other group of trainers, but no fighters, bombers, or L-types. That means that you can count on seeing most of the airshow from the ground even if you fly in the show!

We moved our act to Lakeland for Sun 'n Fun on Sunday. By airshow briefing time on Monday, there were 96 warbirds on the flightline at Lakeland. This was the biggest warbird turnout for Sun 'n Fun yet. We flew an abbreviated show on Sunday, consisting of five T-34s, four T-6s, a WAR P-47, and Corsair replica, and one P-51 and one P-38. (Most of the Warbirds did not leave TICO until after the Sunday show.) The Monday show at Lakeland was much bigger, though T-34 participation was limited to the Lima Lima flight of Ted Adams, Gene Martin, Rick Gretz, Bob Morse, and Charlie Nogle, led by yours truly. The entire Lakeland airshow runs 2 1/2 to 3 hours, includ-ing all of the solo aerobats. The warbird show is choreo-graphed by Dave Schlingman, and consists of a rapid blend of all of the warbirds, from L-2s to P-51s. It lasts no more than an hour, but just about anybody who wants to fly his warbird in the show can do so, providing he attends the briefing and meets the insurance requirements.

Charlie Nogle, Ken Williamson, Jim Nogle, Travis Edwards and 1 met with John Harrison, Bill Dodds, Pete Vander-sluis, and Link Dexter to discuss formation procedures. The T-28 and T-6 guys are forming the "North American Trainer Association". They have said that they would like to do what we have done, especially in organizing and standardizing their formation work. They said, over and over, that what we have done is obviously great...that the 34s have become the premier formation group among the warbirds, and that they will be trying to match or better us. I came away from the meeting feeling good that they approve of us....especially since it was only a dozen years ago that they wouldn't even let us park with the warbirds at Oshkosh. On the other hand, they have become real serious about this formation business. The message that they are not going to allow us to rest on our laurels also came through loud and clear. We will have to continue to practice and to try to improve our formations if we want to remain number one in formation flying among the war-birds.

"These airshow briefings are really tough on the gray matter!" (Gene Martin gets fitted for a custom helmet at the Aerospace Life Support Systems booth at Sun 'n Fun.) Photo and caption by Lou Drendel.

page. 18

Rick and I had planned to return to Naper Aero on Wednesday. Rick, Ted Adams, and Bob Morse were staying with Gene IVIartin in Venice, which is 50 miles south ot Lakeland. 1 had RONed at Lakeland for the late, late Board meeting, and the meeting with the North American Trainer Association founders, who asked if we would like to send along an observer for one of their formation briefings and flights on Tuesday morning. I volunteered, and attended an hour long briefing before strapping into the back seat of Dave Schlingman's T-28, which was piloted by Line Dexter. We were going out as a flight of three T-28s, and we were number three. After the usual long wait while myriad other airplanes arrived and departed, we took the runway and roared/rattled (I can never quite decide what noise the T-28 really does make) off into the sunny Florida sky.

We hadn't been airborne for more than a few minutes when Rick started calling 400LL. Just by chance I had given the T-28 guys our frequency to use for their flight that morning, and I heard the call. After we established contact, Morse, who was leading their flight, said he and Rick were on the way home. They had checked the weather that morning, and the Gorilla of a storm which had dumped several feet of snow on the Rockies, and battered Louisiana and Arkansas with baseball-size hailstones, was on its way southeast. Morse was of the opinion that if we didn't go home right then, we would be stuck in Florida until baseball season (or at least until the weekend). Wow! What could be worse than being stuck in Florida for an extra few days? They had packed up and left Venice in a hurry. They agreed to meet me at Orlando County Airport, and Line Dexter headed our T-28 back to Lakeland. I figured I was going to miss all the excitement of the T-28 formation flight. I was wrong.

We had just established ourselves on a right downwind for 9 right at 2500 feet when the engine quit! It gets VERY quiet in a T-28 when that rattling roar disappears. Line called the tower and told them he had just lost his engine. They came back with: "All right sir, what do you want to do?" I am sure that what he would liked to have done was get in a wrestling match with Kathleen Turner but what he HAD to do was land the airplane, and he told them so emphatically. And he did a masterful job of putting it down on the numbers. Naturally, when we got on the runway, the engine started running again, and ran just fine during a subsequent run-up.

1 jumped down, sprinted to my airplane, and got in line with ail the airplanes heading for the Warbird fly-out to Jimmy Leeward's Air Ranch at Ocala. Within 20 minutes 1 was on the ground at Orlando County, and within 30 minutes of that our flight of three was back in the air and headed north. With the aid of 30 knot tailwinds, we made it back to Naper Aero (858 NM) with one fuel stop, arriving at 1700 local time. It had been an action packed five days and 20.4 hours of T-34 flying. They sure named it aptly we had nothing but SUN and FUN!

Dean Spencer in his immaculate 225 HP A model at 7,500feet over central Florida.

Wayne Sutton, of Brooks, Georgia in hisNSTD.

Bob Morse in flight 18" over central Florida. Lou Drendel: "Even the Bird of Paradise stalls at six knots."

page. 19

At "NewPhilly", left to right: George Westmoreland,Lee Mouhot, Emile Mouhot, & Ken Williamson in front of Emile's T-34A.

Left to Right: Ray Marin, Lou Drendel, and Jim Porter in front of their new T-34B N18CN (soon to be N300SH). This is the sixth airplane to join the Lima Lima Squadron.

Report From New Philadephia, Ohio Fly -in* byLouDrendel

"New Philly", as the natives call it, rolled out the red carpet f o r n ine T -34S o n the w e e k e n d of J u n e 1 1 , 1 2 , 1 3 , 1 4 . I have been going to T-34 fly-ins for 12 years and have never been to an area that was more hospitable, both in terms of how the residents reacted to our flying, and in reasonable rates for food and lodging.

The weather continued its hex on our fly-ins, preventing all but the most indomitable from getting there from the East Coast, and from the deep south. Ken Williamson slugged his way through the clag to arrive on Saturday and Emile Mouhot got there on Thursday. George Westmoreland came up from Fayetteville, Arkansas, and host Ed Lovejoy was there on Thursday.

We took a flight of five over on Friday afternoon from Illinois and we were lucky to have Loran, since 1 don't think we could have found the place without it! The last 50 miles were in verrry marginal ceilings and visibilities over terrain that is not sprinkled with easily recognizable landmarks. Ted Adams led Jim Smith and Rick Gretz, Ray Morin, and Bill Cherwin, George Kubal, and Jim Porter and I over from Naper Aero. We made our traditional overhead break with a five plane echelon, landed, and were immedi-ately greeted with an invitation to a fish fry. One of the locals was having a big (real big) birthday party in his hangar and he was so impressed with the show that he asked us to share his fish and beer.

In spite of our best efforts, we could not get a flight up before 10 a.m. the next day. We split into two 4 element ship flights for basic formation practice and some new ma-neuvers, conceived by the head of our creative depart-ment, Bill Cherwin. When you see Bill, ask him to explain the shuffle over barrel roll, and the Cuban break. (I can't explain it without using my hands and neither can he!)

We flew at least four formation flights that day, with many rides for the locals thrown in. A significant thunderstorm came by at about 2 p.m., preceded by President Charlie Nogle with Jim Nogle in their PC-7...which drew (as always) rave reviews from all in attendance.

Ken Williamson gave George Westmoreland his wingman qualification check ride and he passed with flying colors. Congratulations George....we are looking forward to seeing you at Oshkosh!

Sunday dawned (and we were there to see it) foggy, but the first airplanes were off the ground before the last vestiges of the fog had disappeared and more rides were given to local folks who lined the fences and enjoyed the flying almost as much as we did. New Philly was an unqualified success lots of flying, and a very cooperative population. One of these years the weather is going to cooperate and we will return to the big fly-ins of the 70s, where as many as 30 T-34s were in attendance. After all, the Mentor population has more than doubled since the formation of the T-34 Association.

page. 20

T-34Buyer's Guide:

For some time we have discussed the idea of publishing a T-34 buyer's guide. We are receiving calls and letters all the time requesting information regarding the evaluation of T-34S. There is a lot that one really needs to know to make an accurate objective evaluation and it is nearly impossible to guide a person over the phone in such a task. A written manual complete with a check list is really what is needed.

The subject of an Association buyer's guide came up again at our board meeting in March and the Board agreed to sponsor the project financially. Board members Charlie Nogle, Lou Drendel, and Jim Nogle volunteered to do the writing, editing, and formatting.

As the project has progressed it has grown and it will now be much more than just a buyer's guide; it will be the com-plete book on the T-34. A thorough buyer's guide will be a major section within the book. Already we have nearly 75 pages typed into the word processor.

Currently, we are searching for interesting pictures and stories about the T-34. If you are a recent purchaser, let us know what surprises you discovered and what you wished you had known while you were shopping. We also need pictures and information of and about the T-34A models when they were in actual military training service.

if you have something that might be of interest, whether it is historical, technical, or anecdotal, please contact one of us. We may not have an opportunity to make a revised printing, so we want to do it right the first time.

"New Philly" Note:

This fly-in may come as a surprise to many as it was not published in any of our previous newsletters. This newsletter, however, was to have been in your hands prior to the event. Knowing our tracl< record with deadlines, we did send a direct mailing to about 65 members who were thought to be good pros-pects for attending. We sure hope we didn't miss anybody!

BELOW: T-34A,N4CN, undergoing conversion to an Allison 420 HP turbine engine. The small but powerful engine weighs only 195 lbs.! The standard T-34A wings are replaced with new ones which hold 40 gallons of fuel in the leading edge. The landing gear will be of the late model Bonanza style allowing for a gross weight increase to 3,400 lbs.

page. 21

T-34 ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MARCH 16,1987 PLANT CITY, FLORIDA

MINUTES:

Present: Charlie Nogle, Jim Nogle, Travis Edwards, Ken Williamson, Lou Drendel, guests: Ed Gomez, Bob Maha-nor

Financial reports were submitted by Treasurer Jim Nogle.

President Charlie opened the meeting with the notification that several of the south Texas members of the Associa-tion had indicated that they were interested in representa-tion on the Board of Directors. Charlie stated that this group is very active and recommended that the Board or General Membership consider ways to accomodate their request. Association By-Laws call for a nine member board, elected at large from the general membership. The top three vote-getters serve a three year term, the next three a two year term, and the bottom three a one year term. The present Board has two members from Califor-nia, one from Texas, three from Illinois, two from Pennsyl-vania, and one from Virginia. Jim suggested that the present board be empowered, by an amendment to the by-laws, to appoint two new board members to serve on the board. This would accomplish the goal of providing regional representation to areas that have a large popula-tion of T-34S, and allow for needed flexibility as the mem-bership demographics change. It also recognizes the fact that the Association membership has expanded by over 25% since the first board meeting two years ago.

In order to accomplish the change in By-Laws, a proposal will be made to the general membership in the form of a ballot. The ballot will state the Board's recommended change and will ask for a yes or no vote from each mem-ber. The ballot will also carry the names of the current board members who are up for re-election and will allow space for write-ins. Board members who are up for re-election this year include Earle Parks, Travis Edwards, and Lou Drendel.

As the most populous states (both in terms of general and T-34 population) are California, Texas, Illinois, New York, and Florida, Charlie thought we should consider appointing another director from Texas and a director from Florida, conditional upon the general memberships' approval of the by-laws change. The Board agreed and suggested that Charlie contact an active member from both stales who has demonstrated a continuing interest in the T-34 and who wants to serve on the Board. Bob Mahanor was nominated and appointed as the Florida Board member, and he accepted the position.

It was also noted that we need a formation check pilot in Florida. Bob Russell was nominated as a formation check pilot. Bob is a long-time T-34 owner and has flown in several Oshkosh formations. He is also a senior TWA Captain.

Jim Nogle asked the board if they thought the printing and/ or layout quality of the newsletter should be improved, noting the professional type setting and layout services are available at extra cost. After discussion, the consensus was that the editorial layout was good, but that a finer screen should be used to enhance photo reproduction. Jim agreed to pursue this, and if the cost is not prohibitive, a quantum improvement in the newsletter photographs should take place. Jim once again stated that the fre-quency of the newsletter is somewhat dependent upon contributions from the members. He urged board mem-bers to contribute and to solicit contributions from all other members. Most popular articles seem to revolve around practical "how-to" tips and restoration techniques.

The possibility of publishing a "T-34 Buyer's Guide" was brought up again. It was agreed that this should contain historical data on the T-34 as well as what to look for when buying a T-34. It was also suggested that a copy of the Association By-laws be included in the buyer's guide. Lou Drendel volunteered to work on the publication, and immediately solicited access to a wealth of Mentor infor-mation resident in President Charlie's head.

The Board voted unanimously to present commendation to Association Membership Chairman Julie Clark, who has increased Association membership by over 100 in her term.

The Board also acknowledged Ed Lovejoy's dedication and work as leader of the big Oshkosh formation in 1984, '85, and '86. The Board took notice of the high pressure atmosphere that exists at Oshkosh, and expressed unanimous approval of the manner in which Ed has handled this job. Oshkosh is what has earned us the respect and admiration of all other Warbird groups. We have become acknowledged formation leaders in the Warbirds, and Oshkosh is the show that reinforces this status. It was also noted that this responsibility should be shared and the Board voted to appoint Forrest Molberg and Lou Drendel deputy leaders of the Oshkosh formation.

Lou Drendel, Secretary

pa£t22

YF-16 PROTOTYPE

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INTERIOR PLACARD SETS FOR A OR B MODELS. These placards are photo-anodized on aluminum stock and are borderless . Each set includes clear mylar ad-hesive decals with graduated markings for trim indicators. The photo above is of an older complete set with borders - the new sets do not have borders and look a little more military. Price is $220 per set plus $5.00 UPS and handling. Travis Edwards, 102 N. Leadbetter Rd., Ashland, VA 23005 804-798-8226 (work).

FOR SALE --T-34A FOR SALE 225 HP Engine:

Paul Bennett reports that his T-34A is for sale. The 225 HP airplane, a Dan Towery rebuild with 2700 hrs. total time and 180 SMOH, is in prime condition. Paul indicates that he will accept the best otfer over $80,000. Contact Paul Bennett, 215 Edgewater Dr. Biloxi, MS 39531, 601-388-2623.

0-470-13 Engine. 210 SMOH including carburetor, mags, and harnesses. $4,500.00

Also have complete disassembled engine, except cylin-ders. Will sell parts cheap.

Contact Charles Bilella, Aviation Insurance Unlimited, Inc., 1166 Dekalb Pike, Center Square, PA 19422 215-275-3900.

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Oshkosh W I t t m a n Al r f la ld -

Fond Du Lac -j-̂ Airport

Hwy 4 1

Fonddu.Lac lo Island 250 knots or slowcf A n y a l t i t u d e

WARBIRD ARRIVAL PROCEDURE - OSHKOSH '87

Fon du Lac will be the initial reporting point for all Warbird arrivals. Aircraft should report over Fond du Lac to Oshkosh Tower on 118.5. Report should state warbird arrival, color & type of aircraft, and position: example, "Warbird arrival — blue & yellow Wildcat — Fond du Lac."

Aircraft should then proceed directly to the island (6 miles S.E. of Wittman Field, west shore of Lake Winnebago). Plan to arrive at the island at 2300' MSL at 150 kts. Upon arrival over the island, report to Oshkosh Tower aircraft type & position; example: "Blue & yellow Wildcat — island."

If Runway 27 is the active runway, Oshkosh Tower will direct aircraft to: Proceed to approach end of Runway 27, maintain 2300', not more than 150 knots, & orbit right awaiting traffic sequence to land.

If Runway 09 is the active, Osh. Tower will direct aircraft to: Depart the island on a NW heading, maintaining 2300' and not more than 150 kts. to a point 2 miles SW of Runway 09, and orbit left awaiting landing sequence. If traffic requires, Osh. Twr may direct aircraft to hold (right turns) at the island. (South) MAINTAIN 2300' MSL & DO NOT EXCEED 150 KTS BETWEEN THE ISLAND AND ORBIT POINT.

Upon arrival at the orbit point and in the approach, speed should be reduced in accordance with safe operating pro-cedures. If landing clearance appears unsafe because of spacing, speed of preceding aircraft, or any other reason.

pilot should advise controller, and a new sequence will be issued.

If traffic is light, controller may clear aircraft direct from the island for the approach. In such case, orbit over the approach end of the active runway will be omitted. Under all circumstances, avoid the VFR arrivals from the SW of Wittman Field and the NORDO arrival from the SE.

(From Warbirds magazine July '87)

DUES Have you paid your '87 - '88 dues yet? If you are not sure, all you need to do is check the address label on the envelope this newsletter was mailed in. If an "88" follows your name you are paid up until next June. If the number is an "87" then you need to send us $25 for 1987 - 1988 dues. A "99" indicates that you are a LIFE member. Dues are currently $25 per year. Please mail them to T-34 Association, Inc., c/o Jim Nogle, 1009 Wilshire Crt., Champaign, IL 61821.

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