vintage airplane - jun 1983

8/12/2019 Vintage Airplane - Jun 1983

1/28


2/28

STR IGHT ND LEVEL

The EAA Antique/Classic Division Board of Directorsheld its quarterly meeting on May 6, 1983 at the KermitWeeks Flight Research Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Weare pleased to report that of the twenty-two officers, directors and advisors, only two couldn't make it - one onflight duty and another in Japan on tour . Planning for theannual EAA International Convention dictated much ofthe meeting time .Probably the most tiring and time-consuming work byour volunteers occurs during that first Friday throughMonday of the Convention, when the tremendous influxof arrivals appear. We have noted in the past that manypilots who park in the Antique/Classic area do not registertheir aircraft during the Convention. There is no fee required to register an aircraft in the show plane area andthere are benefits to the pilot and the Convention itself.By registering the aircraft, a complimentary Conventioncoffee cup is given to the pilot, signifying attendance atthe world's largest aviation event. Further, our recordswill be more complete regarding information on both thepilot and plane .

This year , each arrival will be given a sheet explainingour registration procedure and the cooperation of all pilotsis requested . To register your aircraft, you complete asimple form that will enable our volunteers to note whetheryou want your aircraftjudged or not, where you are locatedon the field and other information valuable for our fly-inrecords. Your patience will be appreciated and the information is useful to us.

During the next few months "Straight and Level" willfeature guest editorials by various members of our Board.The subject matter of these articles will be of interest tothe reader in that you will learn of the volunteer workaccomplished by these fine people, both during the annualConvention and in the field of aviation. Director ClaudeGray will be featured in the July 1983 issue, so look foran interesting piece on aircraft judging.A goal of your President over the past few years hasbeen to establish participation of every Board member inthe agendas of the Board meetings, the Oshkosh Convention and in their own localities. The response has been

By Brad ThomasPresident

Antique/Classi Division

officers and directors to become familiar with the Divisionand its procedures and operating methods. Ballots havebeen included in this June issue and should be completedby every member in good standing . We ask you to supportyour Division by completing your ballot and mailing it toDivision headquarters at EAA for verification and counting; the results will be announced during the annual Division membership meeting at the Annual EAA Convention ,Saturday, August 6, 1983 at 10:30 a .m . Wittman Field inOshkosh. All members are invited to attend and the location again will be in the tent adjacent to the Antique/Classic Red Barn on the Convention site.

During our recent Board meeting, we were given a tourof the construction site of our new EAA Aviation Center.Many of us remember the ground-breaking ceremony in1981 and the huge hole in the ground and new lakes alongthe entrance during the 1982 Convention; but during ourrecent tour, we were amazed at the progress made in thelast year. An architectural sketch presents two-dimensional views and your imagination is expected to addfurther dimension. But nothing can replace the actualphysical view. Many of us were so impressed by the beautiful layout of the facility that our eyes were still wideopen with amazement following the tour .Each display area has its own theme and as you scanthe aircraft and exhibits the overall impression is overwhelming. Each level is divided to present the theme ofan era or represent an EAA Division. Many aircraft willbe suspended as if in flight while others will be static .Actual restoration work on aircraft can be viewed fromthe upper level and during the 1983 Convention, it is our


3/28

PUBLICATION STAFFPUBLISHERPaul H. Poberezny

EDITORGene R. ChaseMANAGING EDITORPat Etter

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTNorman PetersenFEATURE WRITERGeorge A. Hardie, Jr .

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION, INC.OFFICERS

President Vice PresidentW. Brad Thomas, Jr. Jack C. Winthrop301 Dodson Mill Road Route 1, Box 111Pilot Mountain, NC 27041 Allen, TX 75002919/368-2875 Home 2141727-5649919-368-2291 OfficeSecretary TreasurerM. C. "Kelly" Viets E. E. "Buck" HilbertRoute 2, Box 128 P.O. Box 145Lyndon, KS 66451 Union, IL 60180

913/828-3518 815/923-4591

DIRECTORSRonald Fritz Claude L. Gray, Jr .15401 Sparta Avenue 9635 Sylvia AvenueKent City, MI 49330 Northridge, CA 91324616/678-5012 213/349-1338

Dale A. Gustafson AI Kelch7724 Shady Hill Drive 66 W. 622 N. Madison Ave.Indianapolis, IN 46274 Cedarburg, WI 53012317/293-4430 414/377-5886Robert E. Kesel Morton W. Lester455 Oakridge Drive P.O. Box 3747Rochester, NY 14617 Martinsville, VA 24112716/342-3170 703/632-4839

Arthur R. Morgan John R. Turgyan3744 North 51st Blvd. 1530 Kuser RoadMilwaukee, WI 53216 Trenton, NJ 08619414/442-3631 6091585-2747S. J. Wittman George S. YorkBox 2672 181 Sloboda Ave.Oshkosh, WI54901 Mansfield, OH 44906414 /235-1265 419/529-4378

JUNE 1983 Vol. 11, No.6COPYRIGHT , 1983 EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC .ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ContentsStraight and Levelby Brad Thomas

4 Antique/Classic Newsby Gene Chase5 Memories of an Airport Kidby Earl Vieaux6 Woolaroc!by Ed Phillips2 AT-6on Auto Fuelby Gene Chase4 Notice of Annual Business Meetingand Election6 A.C."Charlie" Miller - Pilot and MasterCraftsman, Part 4

by Ted Businger2 Ted Koston's Picture Albumby Gene Chase22 Antique/Classic Chapter 11 Fly-Outby Norm Petersen23 Mystery Planeby George Hardie24 Book Reviewby Gene Chase24 Members' Projects24 Sun 'n Fun Permanent Quartersby Gene Chase25 Calendar of Events26 Letters To The Editor

Page 6

Page 16

Page 22

FRONT COVER Very nice restoration of an OX-5 powered 1928 TravelAir 2000, NC6117, SIN 615 owned and flown by Dean Tilton (EAA206128) of Lakeland , Flo (Photo by Ted Koston)BACK COVER Clyde Cessna built this Anzani-powered monoplaneoutside of Travel Air control in the spring of 1926. Gross weight was2200 pounds, and ship could carry 1000 pounds and land at 45 mph .Cabin had four wicker seats, could be converted to ambulance configuration in less than five minutes . See story on page 6.


4/28

WINGS ON DREAMS"Wings On Dreams" is the theme of the 31st edition ofthe world's largest a nd most exciting aviation event

the Annual EAA International Fly-In Convention andSport Aviation Exhibition.One of the highlights of this year's EAA Conventionat Wittman Field , Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the previewopening of the new EAA Aviation Center. This beautifulfacility, located adjacent to the Convention complex includes the new and magnificent museum, conference an daudio/visual centers, libraries and the EAA World Headquarters . t will be open each day of the Convention.Other featured attractions will be:Sa t. Ju ly30 OpeningAirshowSun .,July 31. . . Warbirds in ActionMon . Aug. 1 AirshowTues. Aug. 2 . . . The Oshkosh 500 Air RaceWed . Aug. 3 . . . . Antique/Classic Parade ofFlight;Canadian Snowbirds; ARV Fly-offThur . Aug. 4 . . . Homebuilt Revue; ARV Fly-off;

Canadian SnowbirdsFr i . Aug. 5 . . . . . ARV Fly-offSa t . Aug. 6 Wonderful World ofUltralights ; ARVFly-offNew daily airshow schedules have been announced asfollows:Sat., July 30 . . 4:00-6:30 p.m.Sun., Ju ly 31 . . 3:00-5:30 p.m.Mon. thru Fr i 4:00-6:30 p.m.Sat., Aug. 6 2:00-5:00 p.m.

CHAPTER SUPER SPECTACULARAT OSHKOSH '83EAA President Paul Poberezny's traditional Monday

morning meeting with Chapter Officers has become ahighlight of each Convention's activities. Oshkosh '83brings a greatly expanded gathering that can only bedescribed as a "Super Spectacular" for Chapter Officersand members as well as EAA members at large.Paul will open this concentrated information session

IC CHAPTER 11CHARTER NIGHTA very happy occasion was the Charter Night celebration of the new Antique/Classic Chapter 11 at Capitol

Airport on the northwest side of Milwaukee on Monday,March 7, 1983. Presentation of the Charter was made byChuck Larsen, EAA Chapter,Director, on behalf of EAA ,while acceptance on behalf of the new Chapter memberswas handled by John (Monocoupe ) Kalas, first president.Following a delicious dessert served to members andguests, a one-hour slide presentation of a Europeantravelogue and various small airports in Europe was presented by Norm Petersen of the EAA editorial staff. Thecongenial hosts for the new Chapter 11 are Wally andMargaret Mitchell , owners of Capitol Airport .In addition to almost weekly fly-outs, this active bunchof antiquers holds regular meetings on the first Mondayof each month at Capitol Airport and cordially extend aninvitation to all interested in antique airplanes .

(Photo by Gene Chase)Chuck Larsen, EAA Chapter Director on the left, presents theChapter Charter for the new Antique/Classic Chapter 11, to asmiling John Kalas, first president of the new Chapter.


5/28

By Earl Vieaux(EAA 51078)1516 Edgwood AvenueChicago, IL 60411In a recent issue of AOPA PILOT, Frank KingstonSmith wrote about Colonel Roscoe Turner and it broughtback memories of my days as an airport kid at the oldBrown County Airport at Green Bay, Wisconsin. In themid-thirties , Colonel Turner was flying a Lockheed AirExpress promoting the Gilmore Oil Company and on thisparticular afternoon he was coming to Green Bay fromMilwaukee and planning to break a speed record. He made

the flight in 23 minutes which was fast for the 127-miledistance. (330 mph? . Ed .I remember seeing the dashing figure of Colonel Turnergetting out of the plane dressed like I believed all greataviators should dress, with the riding britches, boots, shortdress jacket, Sam Brown belt, and that cap that neverlooked like the one I wore in the Army Air Corps in WWII.I was thrilled because being an airport kid (and a gofer)I was privileged to be inside the fence and could get a closelook at the Colonel and his beautiful plane. But more thanthat experience, the thrill of having Colonel Roscoe Turnerpick me up so I could see his pet lion in the passengercompartment of the plane. I never did forget that momentand I faithfully followed every event in the career ofColonel Turner in the air races and all his other exploits.

2Eo;-l lo'0.s::.

During the War when Max's hangar and all his p l a n ~ swere destroyed by a fire , I felt it almost as much as If Itwere my personal loss. When Max started breaking allthose flying records and establishing more it was like Iwas partofit because I knew Max before he became famous .Another thrill I received was meeting Wisconsin's ownfamous racing pilot, Steve Wittman. I remember the airport manager , Joe Dionne, taking me to Oshkosh to seeSteve's Bonzo. I t was a thrill for me, a lad of about ten , to

have this famous pilot pick me up and set me in the cockpitof the racing plane. Of course I wa s too small to see outbut it was a thrill none of the other boys in the neighborhood was given.Being an airport kid also gave me the opportunity tomeet many bandleaders who flew such as Jimmy Dorsey,Dick Jurgens, Jimmy Lunceford, and Wayne King. Imember Wayne King quite well because he landed hISStinson Reliant at the airport late one afternoon. Sincethere was an early sunset on that December day everyonehad gone home and the airport was locked up.But this airport kid ran to the field, which I shouldpoint out was only about 300 feet from my home, and Itold the pilot everyone was gone. He asked about a phoneand I told him to come to my house and use our phone. (I twas one of only three in the neighborhood at the time .)The pilot told my mother he was Wayne King and shewas really excited because she loved his music. He calleda cab and then sat down on the couch to wait. He must


6/28

The new Woolaroc as it appeared in November 1928, ready (Courtesy Beech Aircraft Corporation)to assault the transcontinental speed record. Cockpit was in Pratt & Whitney radial of 400 hp is installed, and fuel tankscenter fuselage, making forward visibility nearly impossible. totalling 600 gallons capacity inhabit forward fuselage.

y Ed PhillipsEAA 124038, Ale 7505)1125 So. 160 E. (Photos by the authorWichita, KS 67230 except as noted)$25,000 Walter Beech puffed on his pipe and thoughtabout all that money. Relaxing in his office at the Travel

really couldn't see how the company could afford to inter-rupt current production to construct special racing shipsfor the Dole contest. But it was very tempting, indeed.If a Travel Air won , there would be terrific publicity.


7/28

But if a Travel Air lost Beech decided to give it morethought.Hawaii was just a tiny speck amid the vast reaches ofthe Pacific Ocean. An error of a few degrees in navigationcould spell disaster , making the pilot miss the islandsaltogether.Meetings were held discussing the situation. TravelAir's board of directors authorized Beech to build twomachines for the Dole race, and keep the production linerolling at the same time. That was a most important point,because Travel Air was still located in their West Douglasfactory where there was very little space for constructionof two special ships.The solution was a new factory , and Travel Air wasslated to move into the facility in June 1927. The companyhad been busy producing the Model B, BW and BH along

with the Model 5000 monoplane for National Air Transportin the West Douglas plant, but the new factory wouldgreatly reduce problems associated with normal production.

Art Goebel (left) with Frank Phillips (center) and W D BillyParker pose with the Woolaroc after the Dole race. Nu-Avia-Fifty men labored long hours to build Travel Airairplanes, and Beech knew that few could be spared forany special projects. He consulted with factory managerBill Snook. From Snook's viewpoint, it would be possibleto build two ships for the race, but they would have to bebuilt in the new factory.By June everything was settled. The four NAT monop

January 7, 1927. Seats for four passengers in a heatedcabin with wicker chairs was not too bad for those daysEven the large cabin windows could be slid open and closedfor environmental comfort.But the cabin would not house seats and windows forthe Dole racers. Instead, large fuel tanks would inhabitthe area, with a navigator's station provided farther aft ifnecessary.Travel Air engineers handled the changes required tomake the Model 5000 into a long distance flyer . HoraceWeihmiller was chief engineer, assisted by Herb Rawdon,Walter Burnham and C. B. Bennett.Finally, on June 18, 1927 Travel Air contracted for thefirst of two Dole race airplanes. A tall , handsome youngman by the name of Art Goebel signed his name on theorder and discussed modifications with Beech and theengineers . Goebel had been flying mostly in Californiawhere he worked for National Pictures, Inc. He was wellliked and respected as both a pilot and businessman, andthese two points were well taken by the board of directors

(Courtesy Robert J . Pickett Collection)tion fuel logo can be seen on aft fuselage. Note that drift devicehas been removed from cockpit door.ofTravel Air. They interviewed and quest ioned Mr. Goebelfor five days before deciding to let him sign. Goebel hadflown other ships in California but came to Wichita becausehe wanted a Travel Air . A $5000 deposit was placed onthe airplane and work began immediately.Hot on Goebel's heels were Al Henley and Benny Griffinwho ordered their ship on June 28 after surviving the same


8/28

route.As Ju ly drenched Wichita in typical Kansas heat ,Frank Phillips of the Phillips Petroleum Company enteredthe Dole race picture . He decided to sponso r both Goebeland Henley in the race , partly because of promotion for agasoline named Nu-Aviation .

But Frank Phillips also cared about aviation. His cashenabled Art Goebel and Griffin to enter the race as theirfinancial backers did not have all the necessary funds.Because of Phillips' help, Goebel named his ship theWoolaroc , a word meaning woods l k s and rocks thetopographical features of the Phillips ranch in Bartlesville ,Oklahoma .The Woolaroc was ready for test flight by August 2.Clarence Clark, Travel Air's chief test pilot, made theuneventful hop. Weighing in at 2,200 pounds empty, theWoolaroc wa s well dressed for the race in her colors ofTravel Air blue fuselage and orange wings. Wingspan was52 feet and power came from a Wright Whirlwind of200hp. Wing and fuselage tanks carried 425 gallons of fuel ,the fuselage units being specially made for this purpose.Travel Air workers rushed to get the Woolaroc completed as th e date of the race, August 17, was not faraway. Goebel accepted the a irplane, paid the balance ofthe $18 ,000 price tag and took off for Bartlesville. Hevisited with Frank Phillips and then departed for California on August 6.

The flight to California was very important. Fuel consumption and engine break-in were paramount concernsfor Goebel. He double-checked everything. All went welland he arrived at Oakland on August 9, ready to go.Walter Beech departed Travel Air Field on August 7to fly out and supervise servicing and handling ofboth theWoolaroc and the Oklahoma, as Griffin and Henley'sship had been named . Phillips had a cache of Nu-Aviation fuel waiting at Oakland for both airplanes.

The Woolaroc was equipped with a Pioneer earthinductor compass, drift indicator and a radio taken fromEarnest Smith 's Travel Air. All Goebel lacked was anavigator. The race officials highly recommended anavigator, especially one qualified in celestial/marinenavigation. Few pilots in 1927 were experts at both so theidea was a wise one .D. W. Tomlinson, a lieutenant in the Navy, knew someone Goebel could depend on for his navigator: LieutenantWilliam V. Davis. Goebel and Davis already knew eachother so the team was formed and the race date closed in .Brice Goldsborough and J . D. Peace of the PioneerInstrument Company were on hand to check equipment.The Woolaroc compasses were calibrated and the earthinductor unit checked. Accuracy of these componentsacross 2500 miles of open ocean was well appreciated byall 15 -entrants, arid Goldsborough and Peace were busymen prior to takeoff day.On August 8, all pilots drew takeoff slots. Goebel ended

Wright J-5CA of 200 hp powered Woolaroc across theto Hawaii. Engine shown here is the original powerplant. Notethe pressure grease fittings on the rocker box assemblies. Thesewere special fittings that, once grease was injected into the boxcavity, would keep pressure feeding the lubricant to the valvemechanism . These un its were considered standard equ ipmentfor any long distance flight. Lindbergh also had them on hisWright radial. The sunken exhaust ring shown here was developed y Travel Air engineers and was used only on theWoolaroc. Magnetos are hidden behind bumps forward ofcylinders.

View of cockpit showing instrument panel, stick and throttlequadrant details. Mannequin of Art Goebel is sitting in the


9/28

ClOSe up view of throttle quadrant on left cockpit sidewall. Threelevers are throttle top), spark advance/retard center) and mix-ture bottom).

Courtesy Beech Aircraft Corporation)Art Goebel seated in the revised cockpit of the Woolaroctranscontinental speed ship. Full instrumentation, includingPioneer earth inductor compass, were installed on panel. Thetwo windows shown here were the only means of outside visionand were enlarged after first flight. Top speed of ship was 160

were transmitted between the two men via a pull stringpulley arrangement. The "Woolaroc" was level at 4000 feetfor the early portion of the flight, holding a heading of250degrees .As the blue/orange monoplane progressed westward itwas slowly engulfed by the Pacific darkness . They wereindeed alone.Davis now took sightings on Polar is, and transmittedMorse code position reports to passing ships. By midnightGoebel had climbed the "Woolaroc" to 6000 feet atop astratus layer of clouds . They he ld to course and waitedanxiously for the dawn to greet them. Only then couldthey check their drift from the night wind.When sufficient daylight existed, Davis and Goebeldropped smoke bombs to check drift. As an aid, Travel Air

workers had painted angular drift lines on the "Woolaroc's"horizontal stabilizer. Calculations showed a groundspeedof nearly 100 mph, with the predicted northeast windsa loft helping them out.A course change was made to 230 degrees for the finalhours into Wheeler Field. The wind was shifting to theeast and southeast, so Goebel held the new course despitehis disagreement with Davis over the heading change.Hours went by. The Wright droned on perfectly. Bothmen were getting tired but felt good. Then Goebel noticedwhat seemed to be a "cloud" on the distant horizon. Butit didn t move as they got closer. "Maui " thought Goebel.t was Maui .Soon the "Woolaroc" flew past Diamond Head, met

there by a Boeing PW-9 pu rsuit ship from Wheeler Field.As Goebel and Davis watched, the Boeing pilot nestled intight formation with the "Woolaroc". He held up one fingerand was grinning from ear to ear They were firstGoebel flew inland and landed at Wheeler Field 26hours , 17 minutes and 33 seconds after takeoff. t was avictory well earned and Goebel had much thanks for hisnavigator, Bill Davis. Both men were honored during theirshort stay in the islands. The "Woolaroc" was dis assembledand shipped to the states aboard the steam ship "Monoa .In October, Goebel and the "Woolaroc" flew intoWichita and received a hero's welcome. Walter Beechcommented that when Goebel ordered his ai rplane in June ,he didn't even specify any colors Goebel had put everything in the care of Travel Air.From August to October, the "Woolaroc" flew over10,000 miles attending tour stops in celebration of the Dolewin .When she returned to Travel Air in October, it wastime for a complete recover and overhaul. And it was timefor a second chance at glory. Art Goebel had a plan for theendurance record, using the "Woolaroc". He instructedTravel Air to install 525-gallon fuel tanks, strip all excessweight from the Dole race configuration, and beef up thelanding gear to handle the higher gross weight.But Goebel had company. Benny Griffin brought the


10/28

needed to be built. But there was no money, time or justification for them.About this time news was received that cities in Texasand Florida were offering much higher sums of money forpilots to make their endurance flights there, and thatended both Goebel and Griffin's interest in a Wichitaendurance flight.After consultation with Frank Phill ips, Goebel decidedto retire the "Woolaroc". Clarence Clark flew the shipdown to Arkansas City, Kansas for long-term storage inFebruary 1928.But Art Goebel returned to claim his airplane in August. He planned to fly the ship to Los Angeles where itwould be on display while Goebel would be winging hisway across the U.S. in a Lockheed Vega, attempting to seta cross-country speed record. t was a nice bit of publicitywork indeed.Pete Hill and Goebel flew to Arkansas City but couldn'tget the Wright started. The magnetos were dead. Anotherset were installed and the "Woolaroc" was soon off for LosAngeles.On August 20, Goebel set a record from Los Angelesto New York in 18 hours, 58 minutes. He averaged 150mph . Goebel began serious consideration of an east-westtrip in the upcoming months . But there was no Vega forsuch a flight the only ship readily available was the"Woolaroc .

Frank Phillips wanted more publicity out of the TravelAir, and he discussed the idea of using the "Woolaroc" forthe east-west speed dash. Goebel knew it wasn t designedfor pure speed but maybe Walter Beech and Travel Aircould do something about that.Beech listened along with Herb Rawdon, Walter Burnham and other workmen who would be involved in modifications to the airplane. They didn t like what they heard.Goebel proposed removing the cupola, gutting the frontcockpit and fairing it over for less drag. The pilot wouldsit in the aft compartment where side vision out of twowindows would suffice for flight visibility. The engineersimmediately discounted that idea . They told Goebel theairplane would be so "blind" with that 52-foot wingobstructing nearly all forward vision that it would beunsafe to fly. But Goebel insisted, after some heated discussion with Travel Air personnel, that he could handle theairplane just fine and he wanted the change made.Beech agreed to all the modifications and the"Woolaroc" disappeared inside the Travel Air factory .Deadline for all work was November 20, the night Goebelwanted to make the flight west, using the full moon as anaid to navigation.The front cockpit was dismantled and the area fairedover. Additional fuel tanks were installed there, bringingthe total fuel capacity to 600 gallons. A new instrumentpanel was installed in the aft compartment where Bill

Courtesy Beech Aircraft Corporation)The NAT airplanes were larger than Model 5000 prototype, andmost were powered with newer Wright J-5 series engines of 225to 230 hp Cabin was heated and featured sliding side windowsfor inflight ventilation. A vomit tube was standard equipment .

s visible under fuselage.into a slicked-up speedster, but how fast was it? t wastime to find out . Clarence Clark told Goebel that he hadbetter be careful on take-off it looked pretty nasty tosee out of the aft cockpit.But Goebel wasn t worried. He got in, fired up theradial and performed some pre-flight checks. The stacksof the Pratt & Whitney engine were barking loudly as itidled and then ran up, whipping the chill Kansas ai r.Ready for take-off, Goebel lined up, fed in the throttleand experienced a rapid acceleration as the "Woolaroc"gathered speed. But he couldn't see He was making thetake-off without raising the seat, relying only on the sidewindows for visibility. Goebel just looked outside as besthe could and kept on goingOnce airborne everything was normal. But visibilitywas very poor at best from his aft perch in the Travel Air.Walter Beech took off in a J-5 Model 4000 biplane andtried to catch up with the "Woolaroc". He just couldn'tkeep up with Goebel. A full throttle speed check disclosedan indicated airspeed of 160 mph Not bad, but not goodenough for a cross-country attempt, and Goebel was discouraged. He needed to ver ge over 160 mph to betterthe existing record, but the "Woolaroc" wouldn't be ableto make that kind of speed and he knew it.Throttling back to cruise rpm of 1900 yielded a paltry135 mph. There was no use continuing the flight . Performance was just not good enough. Art Goebel hadn t bargained for what happened next. As he approached forlanding, he could hardly see the runway area . Judging theflare was tough and the ship hit hard, bounced, and Goebelhad to feed in bursts of power to keep her flying . Then theship hit again, bounced, hit , bounced and finally came to


11/28

night would be a chore indeed.He finally found an airport. Letting down cautiously,he came in for landing without the benefit of landinglights. The "Woolaroc" touched down safely but then hitan unseen ditch that caused the ship to lurch to a stop,her main landing gear damaged, her pilot a little upset .Goebel decided to repair the airplane and return toWichita. Even he now agreed it was just too unsafe forflight . After a few days making the repairs, he took off forTravel Air. But the "Woolaroc" had one more scare in storefor her pilot.Flying in a foggy mist, seeing ahead was impossible.

Nearing the west side of St . Louis a tall water towerflashed by the side window, barely clearing the wing.Goebel just kept flying, thinking how close that one wasand wondering why he modified a docile machine into onethat almost killed himThe "Woolaroc" landed at Travel Air Field on December1 and Goebel told Walter Beech and Frank Phillips hecould not safely fly the ship and it should be retired permanently . Beechand Phillips agreed completely with Goebel.Recognizing the limitations of the Travel Air design,Goebel and Phillips released the "Woolaroc" from possibledestruction trying to set another record. The 11 th Model5000 to be built would soon fly no more, but rest foreverin a specially built museum .Located on the Phillips ranch, the museum would bea permanent legacy to Travel Air and the feats of the"Woolaroc," Art Goebel and William Davis, as well as themany men who designed and built the ship.

t was decided to return the "Woolaroc" to its originalconfiguration of the Dole race, and this work was carriedout under the able workmanship of Carl and Guy

Winstead, two of Wichita's early aviation personalities. Itwas repainted Travel Air blue and orange and flown on a15-day "farewell tour by Goebel. Phillips had receivedover 400 requests for such a tour, and Goebel consentedto make the flights.The "Woolaroc" was unlicensed for the tour, and was

placed in the museum in August 1929. The license forNX869 was permanently retired on November 16, 1929.Since that day, the "Woolaroc" has been admired bythousands of visitors to the Phillips ranch, but it hassuffered terribly at the hands of the juvenile set . Graffitihas been scrolled all over the fabric , and in 1979 the FrankPhillips Foundation decided to remove the ship from themain museum and display it inside a sealed-off hangar ofits own. No one can gain entry to the new building withoutthe curator's presence.Overall the "Woolaroc" is in a sad state of "preservation". Torn fabric, musty interior, limp control cables andgeneral depreciation are taking their toll on this importantairplane.

Curators at the site want very much to see the airplanerestored to its proper condition, but no action has beentaken. Frank Phillips said in July, 1929, " . the"Woolaroc" will be faithfully preserved and protected forthe benefit of future generations". Let's hope that the onlysurviving Model 5000 Travel Air will soon be restored toher former appearance as a famous part of American aviation history.Should any readers wish to inquire of the Frank Phillips Foundation and Museum for more information on the"Woolaroc" the following address is provided: Frank Phillips Foundation, Inc., Woolaroc, Route 3, Bartlesville, OK74003.


12/28

(Photo by Marian Cavadias)The first North American AT-6 certified to use auto fuel withGene Chase, pilot and Senior Editor for EAA publications, aftertheir successful flight back from Minden, NE.

AT-6ON AUTO FUELBy Gene Chase

Photos by uthor Except as Noted)Charles Petersen (EAA 204139) and his son Todd operlite a fleet of six Grummln Ag Cats in their aerial application business at Minden, Nebraska. Tired of feeding1.65 (their cost) per gallon of 80 octane avgas to thosethirsty Pratt and Whitney R-985 power plants, they decided to obtain their own STC to operate the 450 hp engineson auto fuel.Charlie had been following the articles in SPORT AIA TION describi ng the EAA Aviation Foundation s flighttest program which resulted in the issuance of an STC tooperate Cessna 150s powered with the Continental 0-200on un leaded auto fuel. He contacted the FAA who set up

The O.A.T probe attached to the LF radio antenna mast on theAT-6/SNJ.

a test program for him to follow and soon had one of hisAg Cats being flight tested by FAA test pilot RichardParduhn from the Wichita (Kansas) Aircraft CertificationOffice.This testing included comparative climbs using 100LLavgas versus both unleaded and regular auto fuel; operation on pre heated fuel; three in -flight engine shutdownswith subsequent air starts; and climbs to 10,000' at fullrated power.Next, the FAA conducted detonation tests with groundruns on 100LL avgas and both un leaded and regular autofuel. Detonation was clearly evident with the avgas whileno detonation occurred with either type ofautomotive fuel.The most arduous of the tests came next with a 150hour continuous run of the engine, with the only shutdowns


13/28

occurring so the oil could be changed. The first ground runwas with an R-985 and so the engine would not cool downduring oil changes, the fresh oil was preheated to aminimum of 800 put into the oil tank, and the enginerestarted immediately .One hundred and five cumulative hours of the 150 totalwere at full rated power, 36.5 m.p. and 2,300 r.p.m. Theperiods offull power applications lasted 1.5 hours, followedby 1.5 hours at 29 and 2,100 r.p.m., then back to fullpower for 1.5 hours, etc. Other runs were for shorter timeperiods, but with constant changing of power settings.Throughout the entire 150-hour test a log was maintainedin which clock times, power settings, oil temperatures andcylinder head temperatures (at each of the nine cylinders)were recorded.After the ground run was completed, all of the accumulated data was sent to Boston where it was analyzed andthe results sent to FAA's Regional Office at Kansas City.The test results were all positive and in a very short timethe Petersens had earned their STC.Realizing that the aerial spraying industry as a wholecould benefit from lower operating costs the Petersensdecided to go for approval for the 600 hp P&W R-1340engine as well as several aircraft using both models ofP&W engines. In addit ion to receiving an STC for opera ting the larger engine on unleaded auto fuel, they alsotested and received similar STCs for the Air Tractor AT-301l301A, Thrush and Weatherly 620.What does this have to do with a North American AT -6?Admittedly the plane is not known as an ag plane, butCharlie knew that a lot of Warbird members fly the venerable old Texan and thought they too could enjoy loweroperating expenses.A phone call to Paul Poberezny resulted in Paul s AT D (on loan to the EAA Aviation Foundation) winging itsway to Minden, a town of 3,000 population in south centralNebraska. Arriving at noon, 30 minutes ahead of a DeHavilland Beaver from Vermillion, South Dakota, bothplanes were shoved into a hangar just as a deluge of rainalong with some pea-sized hail covered the area .The Beaver was there for the same reason as the AT-6,and because conformity inspections had to be made beforeflight tests could be conducted, that afternoon and most ofthe following day was spent by an FAA inspector, Mr .Richard Brooks from Kansas City, accomplishing thosetasks. He determined that the fuel systems in the planeswere completely standard and both aircraft passed theirconformity checks.Next would come the flight testing, consisting of aclimb to 10,500' using heated auto fuel. Charlie and Todddevised an ingenious and safe sys tem for heating the fuel,utilizing a standard 40-gallon domestic hot water heater,some copper tubing and a 150-gallon insulated tank tohold the fuel.

Charles Petersen R) and his son Todd running auto fuel intothe 150-gallon insulated tank prior to heating it

Richard Parduhn, FAA Flight Test Pilot prepares to put a Weatherly 620 ag plane through its paces for auto fuel certification.At the completion of the r un-up Mr . Parduhn asked fora full rated power run on the engine. When the engineinstruments stabilized he gave the signal to take off, ask

ing that I hold full rated power for no more than fiveminutes during the climb. Accomplishing this, I reducedpower to normal climb settings and continued my ascentat best rate to 10,500 feet as requested by my back seat


14/28


15/28

DALE GUSTAFSONIndianapolis IndianaDale has been interested in airplanes since he was asmall child and took his first plane ride in 1939 at the ageof 10. He started taking flying lessons in 1945 and soloedat the age of 16. After high school, he worked at the airportin South Bend, servicing airliners handling cargo anddoing field maintenance.Dale attended Spartan School of Aeronautics in 1948and 1949 to obtain additional pilot ratings . After this hefreelanced as a flight instructor and ran a small FBO atSouth Bend until hired as a co-pilot on Turner Airlines inIndianapolis in 1950. He has been with the same airlinesince then. Through name changes and mergers, the airline is now USAir and Dale is flying as captain on DC-9s.Through the years, Dale has owned various aircraft a Stinson V-77, Piper Colt, Fairchild 24, C-195, C-150 andcurrently has a Piper J-4 and a Stearman for restorat ion.He is a member of several organizations interested in theantique, classic and homebuilt aircraft, a member of EAAsince 1960 and the Antique/Classic Division since it wasorganized. He has served as an advisor to the Division and

is currently serving as a Director. For several years, Dalehas judged antiques at Oshkosh and for two years heserved as Program Chairman for the Antique/Classic Division awards.

CLAUDE L GRAY JR.Northridge CaliforniaClaude had his first airplane ride at the age of ten in1928 at Kansas City, Missouri. His real interest in

airplanes started at Jefferson City, Missouri in 1932,where the next four years were spent as mechanics helperand line boy at the local airport . He was able to commenceflying more seriously in 1938, and at the start of WWIIwas instructing his first class of Army Air Corps Cadetsat Bevo Howard s Hawthorne School of Aeronautics,Orangeburg, South Carolina. He spent 11/2 years there andput eight classes through primary in Stearmans.In early 1943, Claude went to work for ConsolidatedVultee Aircraft as a production test pilot on B-24s. InOctober, 1944 he was hired as a co-pilot with Western AirLines. He spent the next 34 years with Western and retiredas DC-10 Captain in October, 1978. During his career withWestern he flew DC-3s, DC-4s, Convairs, DC-6s, LockheedElectras, Boeing 720s, 707s and the last several years onthe DC-10.He has been a member of EAA since 1960. At thattime, with a fellow Western pilot, he built the 7th SmithMiniplane to fly . This plane is still flying and his partnerhas full ownership now. Since then Claude has restoredtwo aircraft, one a 1927 OX-5-powered American Eagle,1976 Grand Champion Antique at Oshkosh. The other ishis 1946 Fairchild 24W. He still has both aircraft flyingregularly and gets one or both to most of the West Coastfly-ins. He is currently Chairman of the EAA NationalJudging Committee.

JOHN TURGYANTrenton New JerseyJohn has been actively involved in aviation since his


16/28

Photo of Douglas DC-4/C-54 dated 3/20/45. (Douglas Aircraft Co. photo from Roy Russell collection)

( . h 4 1 ; ~ Af;lltl"Pilot and Master Craftsman Part 4By Ted Businger(E 93833, NC 2333)Rt. 2, Box 280Willow Springs, MO 65793Editor's Note: This is the fourth and final installment ofauthor Ted Businger's Charlie Miller story . . . G.R.C.

(Photos from the author'scollection except s noted)DOUGLAS DC-4 "SACRED COW"

In 1943 we reworked a Douglas DC-4/C-54 into Presi

the bathroom. Directly in front of his chair was about a 2'x 2 lJz bulletproof window that was one inch thick. On onetest flight I was allowed to sit in that chair, and of coursethe view through that window was terrific The locationof the elevator prevented any possible exposure of his cabinfrom the ramp. When boarding, the President's limousinewould pull as close to the elevator as was practical, and ashield of secret service men would surround the operation.The President would then slide out of the car and into thewaiting wheel chair, which was then pushed onto theelevator. Once in his cabin, he would then smile and waveto the crowd.

The galley originally was located next to the elevatorarea . One day as the plane was being loaded it became


17/28

I(McDonnell Douglas photo)President Roosevelt's personal aircraft, the Sacred Cow, aconverted Douglas C-54.

could slide into that seat. Reports confirmed his regularuse of this seat.The hand-picked crew included Lt. Col. Henry Myerswho was in command. This gentleman was a fantasticpilot, proving his mettle and intelligence many times.He preferred to have us take complete responsibilityfor the Sacred Cow, including maintenance. To makethis possible, he would fly the ship cross-country, usuallyat night. He timed these flights to arrive in California asclosely as possible to our starting time at Douglas. As Iwas General Superintendent then, the specific workneeded on the plane was explained to me and I saw thatit was accomplished. Because their arrival time coincidedso closely to our scheduled starting time, it wasn't toodifficult to give them instant action on their requests.The flight crew usually vanished for a day on the town.We developed a wonderful rapport with this crew and theywere lavish in their praise of our efforts. The reports theymade went directly to the top , which certainly didn't dothe company, or us, any harm.The flight crew had developed an esprit de corps thatwas outstanding. They related an interesting incident tous one day. On a flight from Hawaii to Alaska a de-icerboot was found to be sloppy after it had come into contactwith fuel. Col Myers instructed the emptying of that wingtank, and complete filling of the tank in the opposite wing.

to the runway. He then made a 1800 turn to the left andlanded. To Col. Myers it was just a routine flight.The flight crew was nearly as effusive in praise of theirnavigator as they were their pilot. He was a major whosename I have forgotten. They claimed he never missed hisarrival times calculated at take-off. His maximum deviation was said to be three minutes on any trans-oceanictrip. For navigating a piston-engined aircraft, that wasextremely close.

Historical Note: The very first aircraft procured forpresidential transportation was the converted B-24 -87 A), dubbed Guess Where II by its pilot, (then) Maj.Henry T. Myers of Tifton, Georgia. For a variety of reasons,Mr. Roosevelt never used this aircraft.Prior to completion of the Sacred Cow, another C 54was used, which involved an extremely long ramp to convey the President into the cabin. Henry Myers was pilot-incommand of the Sacred Cow during its entire operatinglife. He next commanded the Independence for PresidentTruman. t would have been appropriate to list the entirecrew, but the author has not been able to obtain thisinformation. Any reader able to supply the names is urgedto submit them to the author.

OEING B-17In 1944 one of the men who had worked on the Douglasassembly line at Santa Monica, went on to become a testpilot at Long Beach. On one trip down there, I requesteda ride with him on a test flight of a B-17 built under


18/28

interesting story. There was a medical emergency whichrequired a substantial amount of ice in a hurry . Ice wasan unavailable item there s a B-17 crew volunteered toprovide all that was needed. They loaded on board somenew trash cans filled half full of water and climbed thebomber up to 30,000 feet . The cold temperature thereproduced ice in a very short time . The following quickdescent delivered the ice to the hospital. I wonder whatprompted them to come up with this ready solution?

THE EL SEGUNDO OPERATIONOne day in 1948 I was called to the manager's officeat the EI Segundo division and told to take over thatproduction control operation. t definitely needed atten-tion. With considerable table pounding, plus the "off andon" approach (off your duff and on your feet) the stock

rooms were put in order, lost parts were found, and generally the pace of this one-time lethargic operation quickened. Satisfaction is always derived from doing a job tothe best of one's ability, and I was pleased with the resultof my efforts here.Any administrative position entails the occupationalhazard of being taken for an s.o.b. Whenever this happened, it was usually accompanied with a respect for myintegrity. There always were those among the workerswho were as eager as I was to get the job done. Thesebecame my friends and were the "frosting on the cake" onthis type of assignment.

t was always my habit to use the direct approach inresolving a problem. This was not always the most pleasant way, but at least for me, it was the most effective. Onecomment that pretty well summed it up was, "I don 't likethat damned Charlie, but he's one hell of a good mechanic ."DOUGLAS A-4 MOSQUITO BOMBER

While I was in production control, an orphan department was acquired. t was the remnants of a super secretproject which had resulted in the first aerodynamic container for the maximum weapon". This concept allowed

U.S. Navy photoDouglas A-4E assigned to Attack Squadron 144 on the U.S. Navycarrier, Bon Homme Richard n 1969.

that weapon to be carried as an external store even on assmall a plane as the A-4 Mosquito bomber.The mechanical end of things always attracted mygreatest interest and this was no exception. We used theleft-over parts of the original project to develop the "buddystore" fuel system. This concept was the carrying of anexternal store, similar to an auxiliary fuel tank, but differing in that this system would not only extend the rangeof the aircraft but would allow fuel transfer to another jetaircraft. This operation was to save the Navy's multi-million dollar jets, which might be lost at times when a carrierdeck was not immediately available.The unit consisted of a 250-gallon fuel tank, a hydraulicpump coupled to the fuel delivery pump, and a hydraulicmotor-driven hose reel. A feathered prop was installed onthe nose which changed into "drive" once the solenoid wasactivated. This air-driven propeller then drove the pumps.The exterior shape ofthe tank necessitated the immersionof the pumps in the fuel.

The hose reel contained 50 feet of two-inch wire reinforced hose. At the end was a standard refueling couplingwith a drogue chute attached on the hose directly ahead .The tanker pilot needed only to push two buttons tomake the system operate. The plane to be refueled wouldpull behind the tanker . Pushing one buttom expelled thedrogue chute which pulled out the hose. After hook-up thetanker pilot would activate the fuel transfer. A smalldisplay board showed the number of gallons transferred.Also, fuel from the tanker's wing tanks could be gravityfed into this system if needed.When the fueling sequence was completed the tankerpilot pushed a button which caused the hose to be reeledin, compressing the drogue chute as it retracted into thetail. In case of emergency a shotgun shell actuated aguillotine knife to cut the hose.Originally the A-4 refueling probe was located on awing tip; however, during night operations this locationcreated a difficult alignment problem for the pilot so theprobe was repositioned to the nose . For night operationsthe drogues were fitted with "isolite" buttons (similar tothose used to outline carrier decks), but only 2" to 3" indiameter. With a half-life of 25 years, large inventories ofthese buttons were not needed


19/28

DOUGLAS 0558-1 and -2 SKYSTREAKDouglas built both the D558-1 and -2 in the experimen

tal shop at EI Segundo. These craft were built for the U.S.Navy and N.A.C.A They were the first aircraft built byDoulgas with extremely high wing loadings and we weresomewhat skeptical of their ability to fly . In the shop theywere referred to as the "flying prostitutes" as they had novisible means of supportThe function of these planes was to gradually nibbleat the sound barrier to determine what might be expectedat those high speeds. Some feared that the aircraft mightactually disintegrate.

Historical Note: Navy Commander Turner Caldwellbroke the world speed record on August 20, 1947 at 640.7mph in the D558-1. On August 25, 1947 Marine CorpsMajor Marion Carl broke the record again at 650.6 mph.

Personalities at the Douglas EI Segundo plant in 1947 L-R): GA Hatcher, Mr. Rogers, Eric Springer, Mr. Conant, Donald Douglas, Ed Heinemann and A E Raymond.

Three of these Douglas 0-558-1 Skystreaks were delivered in1947. On 82047 Navy Commander Caldwell set a world s record

Three examples of each model were built. Although notverified, one example is thought to be in the Navy museum.One D558-1 was butchered for water ski tests in 1952.DOUGLAS F4D SKYRAY

This delta wing Navy jet fighter was an excellent aircraft. To the best of my knowledge, it was the only jetfighter flown manually although a hydraulic assist wasprovided. The Navy desired this arrangement to precludea catastrophic hydraulic failure.

At this time we were beginning to learn about supersonic flight. Virtually every design was an attempt to copewith the known factors while at the same time there wasan intense search going on probing the unknown grayareas.

The flight controls on the F4D were elevons, locatedon the wing trailing edges. The elevons worked up anddown simultaneously for pitch control and differently forroll control. This controlling mechanism worked wonderfully. The pitch/trim actuator is another interesting story .We were learning about a pheonomonen called tuckunder which was an instantaneous, severe maneuver thatcould not be corrected by the elevons. The situation wasmost pronounced during after-burner cut-ins. The pitch/trim system was hydraulically operated and was designedto combat this action. Extremely high control surface loading was experienced while the pitch/trim system wasoperating.

The overall design concept of the Skyray was that of aflying wing, with the cockpit being an appendage at thenose. The engine was supported laterally by an 80,000pound crash strap. The opposite side was retained by asliding support which a llowed for heat expansion . The rearsupport was a hinged yoke providing for longitudinal expansion. The cowl was hinged from below to allow ease ofservice, as well as simplified engine change procedures.The cowl was, in fact , a structural section, tying the lowerwing surfaces together.One test flight ended with the plane being so severelydamaged in the air that it was a total write-off afterlanding. Either the pitch/trim system malfunctioned , orthe after-burner was suddenly cut-off. At any rate theplane made a 10.5 G loop, then immediately went into a9 G loop. The pilot blacked out on the firs t loop and greyedout on the second one, recovering sufficiently to land theplane.The engine had been torn loose and was lying insidethe cowling and large wrinkles covered most of the topwing surfaces. The design was engineered for 10.5 Gs andalthough the plane was a total loss, not a single majorcomponent had failed. Ed Heinemann was chief engineerthen , and as he and I viewed the remains in a hangar, Ed


20/28

The one-off X8-42 Mixmaster with two Allison engines built by Douglas X8-43 with two 4 000 lb. thrust GE engines. Two wereDouglas in 1945. built in 1946.

Result of a hard landing by an FAA flight test crew in this Douglas DC-S. The repair bill was 3 million.

Author s Note: Charlie and his v i v c i o u ~ wife Kitty livein the home they built for themselves in Santa Monica,CA, where their activities keep them well occupied.Charlie is still fond of things mechanical, and keepsbusy in his own shop. He also maintains a friends highpowered pleasure boat. The last plane he piloted was aCub in 1960.


21/28

FROM TED KOSTON'SPICTURE ALBUM

y Gene haseThese photos are from the collection of well knownaviation photographer, Ted J . Koston, EAA 44514, le131 ,38 Le Moyne Parkway, Oak Park, IL 60302.

An interesting comparison of two Meyers aircraft seen atOshkosh '76. The 1941 OTW, N34311, SIN 55 was the still isowned by Dick Martin (EAA 62813, AlC 3099) of Green Bay, WIThe Meyers 145, N551 , SIN 216 was flown to the Convention byowner Carl R Schwarz (EAA 753) of Kent, WA.

Bob and Pat Friedman, Highland Park, IL owned this 1940 RyanSTA Special, N8146, SIN 457 photographed at But ler Field, Oak-brook, IL in ugust 1976.

Phil Coulson (EAA 71350, AlC 572), Lawton, M poses with his1930 Waco INF, NC644Y, SIN 3382. The April 1980 issue of THEVINT GE IRPL NE features a cover story on this aircraft .


22/28

ANTIQUE/CLASSICCHAPTER FLY-OUTBy Norm PetersenEAA StaffEditorial Assistant

(Photos by Gene Chase)As the cold winter slowly gave way to spring, a new

Antique/Classic chapter gelled into being at Milwaukee'sCapitol Airport. Under the capable leadership of PresidentJohn (Monocoupe) Kalas, the newest lC chapter celebrated its Charter Night on March 7, 1983. The host airportfor this active group is owned by lC Division membersWally and Lois Mitchell , a wonderful pair of dedicated"antiquers"Not content to be a "sit and listen group, the membershave fly-outs every month, providing the weathermancooperates. Such a day was Saturday , February 5, 1983when the bunch of ambitious flyers spent all morningwarming up Dave Broadfoot's hangar and me lting a coating of ice from several of the planes.By 11 :30 a.m., all planes were ice-free and warmed upfor ta ke-off. One by one, they broke ground and pleasedtheir owners with rather spectacular climb rates in theco ld February air. Approximately forty minutes later, eachpilot of the group brought his airplane in for a landing on

Following an excellent meal at Delavan, Wisconsins Lake LawnLodge which is located about two blocks from the airport, theAlC Chapter group posed for their picture in front of theAirport Terminal just prior to takeoff.to absolutely smooth air, the airspeeds ran about 5-10 mphfaster than normal because of the dense air .The tailwind on the return trip to Capitol Airportbrought the group home in on ly thirty minutes - almosttoo short a time to view the pretty, white Wisconsin landscape. The sun was slowly sinking in the west as each pilotreturned his plane to its respective hangar. t was easy tosee that everyone had a good time. The smiles betweenthe rosy cheeks told the entire story.


23/28

Here's a guy who wou ld rather fly than eat 01 ' Bob Lumley getsready to fire up the Aeronca Chief for the trip to Lake Lawn.Note aux. gas tank by Bob's shoulder.

Dave Broadfoot and Norm Petersen get ready to board Dave'sCessna 170 for the return trip. When Dave rebuilt the 1948ragwing model, he painted the entire ai rp lane schoolbus yellowwith brown and orange trim. Visibility against the white snowis truly outstanding.

Ken Reese checks his Piper Pacer before heading back toCapitol Airport. He had wisely removed the wheel pants beforestarting out. (Note stub axle)

. . '. ....- .: '..,.

p'-,.. . ,_ . "' I ,.; - .9 f

t

i \.Taking off from Lake Lawn Lodge Airport, the group had abirdseye view of aU the ice fishermen doing their thing on aSaturday afternoon.

MYSTERY PLANEBy George Hardie

The April Mystery Plane photo wassubmitted by member Mike Rezich ofChicago, IL. This sleek OX-5 poweredbiplane was designed by the well At press time no correct answersknown pioneer, Guiseppe M. Bellanca. were received.According to Mike, this was the firstof two designs both were singleplace. Bellanca also built a six-placecabin monoplane powered with anOX-5.


24/28

OOKREVIEW

By Gene ChaseTRAVEL AIR - Wings Over the Prairie by Ed Phillips.Flying Books, 1982. 126 pages, 8W x 11 , hardcover withnumerous photos and excellent detailed drawings.The author s extensive research of the subject has resulted in a highly interesting account of the Travel AirManufacturing Company. From its humble beginning in1925 with only six men including Walter Beech, ClydeCessna and Lloyd Stearman, the company reached thepinnacle of success in the aviation world.Travel Air built good airplanes and a list of pilots whoflew them for business reasons, for setting records, or forjust plain fun, sounds like a who's who of not only aviation,but other fields of endeavor . to name a few: WallaceBeery, Louise Thaden, Ken Maynard, Charles and AnnLindbergh, twin brothers Newman and Truman Wadlow,Frank Hawks, Doug Davis, etc.The name Travel Air represented the finest airplanesmoney could buy, and as Walter Beech stated in 1929,The Standard of Aircraft Comparison . Today Travel Airsare still much sought after by antique buffs and theyremain a favorite of many. This book is highly recommended for its readability and historic content and shouldbe a part of every collector's library.Order from Historic Aviation, 3850 Coronation Road,Eagan, MN 55122 (phone 1-612/454-2493) , $21.95.

M E M E R S ~ P R O J I ~ C T SThis section of The VINT GE IRPL NE is dedicatedto members and their aircraft projects. We welcome photosalong with descriptions, and the projects can be eithercompleted or underway. Send material to the editor at the

address shown on page 3 of this issue.Dear Sirs:I am enclosing an airframe photo of my rebuild of a1942 Waco UPF-7, SN 5849, NC39716. This airplanewhich was based in Bloomer and Racine, Wisconsincrashed near Chicago in 1962.

Restoration work started in 1968. I am converting theWaco to a ZPF-7 using a 275 hp Jacobs R-755-B2 engineon an Ag-Cat ring mount made by Schweizer. (STC ispending. All new wings are about halfcomplete at present.John Eney(EAA 21712, lC 191)272 Sandy Ridge RoadDoylestown, PA 18901

Waco UPF-7 NC39716 (serial 5849) being converted to ZPF-7model. All new engine mount is for 275 hp Jacobs. Owner/restorer is John Eney, 272 Sandy Ridge Rd., Doylestown, PA18901.

PERM NENT QU RTERS


25/28

CALENDAR OF EVENTSWe would like to list your aviation event in our calendar. Please sendinformation to the Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, P.O. Box 229, HalesCorners, WI 53130. Information must be received at least two months inadvance of the issue in which it will appear.

JUNE 3-5 - BLAKESBURG, IOWA - 3rd National Bucker Fly-In and TigreDays. Vintage National Aerobatic Contest. Contact John Bergeson, 615W. May , Mt. Pleasant, MI 48858. 517/773-3436 .JUNE 3-5 - MERCED, CALIFORNIA - 26th Annual Merced West CoastAntique Fly-In at Merced Municipal Airport. For inlormation contact DeeHumann, Registration Chairman, Merced West Coast Antique Fly-In, P.O.Box 2312, Merced, CA 95344 . 209/358-3487 .JUNE 5 - CADIZ, OHIO - Third Annual Fly-In Pancake Breakfast at HarrisonCounty Airport . Sponsored by E. F. Aircraft Service and Cadiz VolunteerFire Department. Starts at 8:00 a.m. Rain date, June 12 . Prizes for antiqueand experimental aircraft. For information contact Lois A. Fida, 308 N.York St . Wheeling, WV 26003.JUNE 5 - DE KALB, ILLINOIS - EAA Chapter 241 Annual Fly-In, Drive-InBreakfast 7 a.m. 'til noon at DeKalb Municipal Airport . Contact MarlinCrown, 159 Thomas Street, Sycamore, IL 60178 . 815/895-6856.JUNE 5 - ARLINGTON, TEXAS - Benelit Air Show sponsored by EAAChapter 34 to raise funds for World Aerobatic Competition. At ArlingtonMunicipal Airport, 2 miles south of 120 on S. Collins. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.JUNE 10-12 - DENTON, TEXAS - Texas Chapter Antique Airplane Association Flyln. For information contact Bob Landrum, Rt. 4 Box 14Q,Roanoke, TX 76262, 817/430-3387 (after 6 p.m.) or Jack Winthrop, Rt. 1,Box 11 t , Allen , TX 75002. 2141727-5649 .JUNE 10-12 - MIDDLETOWN, OHIO - Aeronca Fly-In, including tours ofthe Aeronca lactory and U.S.A.F. Museum. Banquet on Saturday nightwith speaker and aircraft judging awards. For more information contactJim Thompson, Box 102, Roberts, IL 60962, 217/395-2522.JUNE 12 - REDDING, CALIFORNIA - 10th Annual Fly-In breakfst and airshow at Muni Airport. Trophies , door prizes. 916/222-5225.JUNE 17-19 - TRAIL, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Trail Flying Club's8th Annual Fly-In. Homebuilts, antiques, classics, ultralights. Camping onfield. Trophies, prizes. Hangar dance and barbeque.JUNE 18 - TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY - 7th Annual Antique & HomebuiltFly-In at R. J. Miller Airport, Berekely Twsp. Trophies, flour bombingcontest, plane rides, refreshments. Admission free. Rain date June 19 .Contact Tom or Vivian Tedrow, Box 451 Three Brooks Rd . Freehold, NJ07728. Phone 2011780-0765 .JUNE 18-19 - FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA - 16th Annual Antique Aircraft Fly-In and Two Day Airshow at Shannon Airport . Airshow featuringNorthern Knights, Republic Airlines Microjet and more. For details call703/373-4431 or write P.O. Box 509, Fredericksburg, VA 22404.JUNE 21 - J ULY 11 - HOBBS, NEW MEXICO - 18th World SoaringChampionships. For information contact Soaring Society 1 America, Box66071 , Los Angeles, CA 90066. 213/390-4447 .JUNE 24-26 - HAMILTON, OHIO - 24th Annual National Waco ReunionFlyln. Sponsored by the National Waco Club. For informat ion contact RayBrandly, 700 Hill Avenue, Hamilton, OH 45015.JUNE 24-26 - PAULS VALLEY, OKLAHOMA - Pauls Valley, OklahomaFly-In sponsored by Greater Oklahoma City Chapter AAA. Contact BobAkin , Flying A Ranch, Route 1, Box 133-0, Washington, OK 73093. 4051288-6161 .JUNE 25-26 - ORANGE, MASSACHUSETIS - 7th Annual New England

JULY 9 - GEORGINA TOWNSHIP, ONTARIO, CANADA - 3rd AnnualAntique, Sport and Specialty Aircraft Fly-In and Brunch at Georgina CivicCentre Air Park. Contact Dick Shelton, Box 385, Sutton West, Ontario,Canada LOE 1RO . 416/722-3295.JULY 10 - BROOKFIELD. WISCONSIN - Bob Huggins and F. S. ToneyDay at Capitol Drive Airport. Everyone welcome. For information contactChuck Faber, 4141786-3279 .JULY 15-17 - MINDEN, NEBRASKA - National Stinson lub 108 SectionFly-In. All Stinson Lovers - 108 and Round Engines welcome. Aircraftjudging , forums, banquet Saturday night. Camping on field or motel 3081832-2750) available. For further information contact George Ackerman,Alliance, NE 3081762-4770.JULY 16-17 - HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA - The Friendly Fly-In sponsoredby EAA Chapter 62. Contact Edward Shaules, 3910 Paladin Drive, SanJose, CA 95124. 408/264-5714 .JULY 16-17 - NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK. 2nd Annual Fly-In and International Airshow. Classics, warbirds and fly-bys. Two full days of avialion.Contact Joseph Koch. 188 Schoelles Road, No. Tonawanda, NY 14120.716/689-9392.JULY 29-31 - COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS - 6th Annual Funk Flyln. Antiques,classics, homebuilts invited.Contests, trophies , dinner. Contact Ray Pahls,454 Summitlawn, Wichita, KS 67209 316/943-6920.JULY 30 - AUGUST 6 - OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 31st Annual Fly-InConvention. Start making your plans now to attend the World's GreatestAviation Event. Contact EAA, P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130.AUGUST 5-7 - SHELTON, WASHINGTON - Third Annual Antique, Classicand Warbird Fly-In at Sanderson Field. Sponsored by Puget Sound AntiqueAirplane Club, EAA AlC Chapter 9. Public display, dinner Saturday evening.Fly-a-way Breakfast Sunday. Contact Pete Bowers, 10458 16th Ave. So. ,Seattle, WA 98168 , 206/242-2582.AUGUST 5-7 - THREE FORKS, MONTANA - 6th Annual Montana AntiqueAirplane Assoc. Fly-In. Contact Bud Hall at 406/586-3933 .AUGUST 8-1 2 - FOND DU LAC, WISCONSIN - EAA lAC InternationalAerobatic Championships. For information contact EAA, P.O. Box 229Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/4254860.AUGUST 21 - WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK - Antique, Classic and HomebuiltFly-In sponsored by EAA Chapter 486 at Whitfords Airport. Pancakebreakfast and air show. Contact Herb Livingston, 1257 Gallagher Rd . - B,Baldwinsville, NY 13027.AUGUST 26-28 - TULSA, OKLAHOMA - Annual EAA Chapter 10 Fly-In atTulsa Downtown Airpark. Contact LeRoy Opdyke, 13535 N. 155 E. Ave.,Collinsville, OK 74021 , 918/371-5770 .

SEPTEMBER 1-5 - TULLAHOMA, TENNESSEE - 3rd Annual Ole SouthFly-In at Parish Aerodrome, Soesbe-Martin Field. Sponsored by TennesseeValley Sport Aviation Association, Inc. For information contact JimmySnyder, 5315 Ringgold Road, Chattanooga, TN 37412, 615/894-7957.SEPTEMBER 16-18 - RENO, NEVADA - Reno National Championship AirRaces at Stead Airfield. Qualifying September 13-15. Airshow. ContactGreater Reno-Sparks Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 3499, Reno, NV89505. 702/786-3030.SEPTEMBER 17-18 - BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - 14th Annual EAA East


26/28

MEM ERSHIP INFORMATION Membership in the Experimental Aircraft Association. Inc . is $25.00 for one year. $48.00 for 2 yearsand $69.00 for 3 years. Allinclude 12 issues of Sport Aviationper year.Junior Membership (under 19fAA years of age) is available at $15.00 annually. Family Membership is availabfe for an additional $10.00annually . EAA Member - $18.00. Includes one year membership in EAA Antique-Classic Division. 12 monthly

AlC NEWS . . .(Continued from Page 4)TWO SMITHSONIANINSTITUTION PROGRAMSWorld War I Aviation: Knights of the Air, a unique

presentation scheduled for October 16-21, 1983 featurespre-eminent experts in their fields focusing on the enduring excitement and high adventures of the first air war .They also look beneath the romantic patina of those yearsto offer new perspectives on the tragic problems of thelimitations and use of aviation during those years .The well known speakers include Walter J . Boyne,Jack Bruce, Thomas G Foxworth, Peter Frosz, Von Herdesty, Donald S Lopez, Douglas H. Robinson, and otherN ASM staff experts. The lectures and tours take place inthe most popular museum in the world and its equallyexciting restoration shops at the Paul E. Garber facility(formerly Silver Hill).Aircraft Restoration: How To is scheduled for Oc-tober 23-27, 1983 and features hands-on workshops at thePaul E. Garber facility, the world-famous preservation,restoration and storage facility, with the highly skilledcraftsmen who have restored the masterpieces in the National Air and Space Museum's collection.Also included are specially arranged behind-the-scenetours with WalterJ. Boyne, Director ofNASM and DonaldS. Lopez, Deputy Director. Please note that enrollment inthis special program is limited.For information on course content, registration andaccommodations for both of the above programs, contact:SELECTED STUDIES, A&I 1190, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560. Phone 202 /357-2475.

GORDON ISRAELGordon L Israel who was first known for his racingplane designs in the thirties died recently at his PacificPalisades , CA home. He was a self-taught engineer andalso capable of flying the planes he designed. He wasinvolved with all of the Benny Howard racers, from Peteto Mr. Mulligan . He also designed, built and flew hisown speedster which he named Redhead.Israel later worked for the Stinson, Howard and Grumman aircraft firms, and more recently was hired by William P. Lear to design the Learjet. He succumbed to cancerat age 71.

LETTERS TO THE EDITORDear Gene:Hey, that s a pretty bird on the cover of the a ~ c hVINTAGE AIRPLANE Not only that, but a darn mcepainting as well. Do you happen to know where m i g ~ tbe possible to get any kind of plans of that one? I Just dIdsome cross-checking from the Antique Directory '66 andthe '72 ivil Register and find that five Lairds are still inexistence and registered as listed in the Directory exceptNC6906, SIN 165 is in Chicago Heights now.NC10538, SIN192 is not registered. 3923 as reproducedon the cover is a Grumman Registration Number. According to info I could find in Juptner, that was not a correctnumber for Lairds.Judging from a comparison with the photo in Juptner,the cover girl is an LC-B, ATC 86, one of two in existence.LC-B-200 is in Chicago, NC10402, SIN 188 is LC-lB-300,ATC 353. Interesting. I like the looks of the LC-Bbest. Ithought you might be interested in the above info.How did Emil Strasser get the Stinson J.D. in before Idid? I sent mine right away. Must be more Post Officedelay. I've been experiencing quite a bit of it with mymagazines the past year. Keep The VINTAGE AIRPLANEgoing the way it is. Good work.Regards,Dick Gleason

(EAA 3131, AlC1164)1704 29th Avenue S.E .Rt. 2, Box 125Austin, MN 55912

THE JOURN L OFTHE E RLY EROPL NE

S}MPLE I SSUE 415 CRESCENT RD. POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. 12601

CLASSIFIED ADS


27/28

Classic owners! Regular type, 45c per word; BoldF.ce, 50c per word; ALLCAPS,55c per word. Rate covers one insertion, one issue; minimumcharge,Int.rior looking ahabbyf $7.00. Classified ads payable in advance, cash withorder. Send adwithpayment to AdvertisingDepartment, The VINT GE iRPLANE, P.O. Box 229, Hales Corners, WI 53130.ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to follow plans,includes nearly 100 isometrical drawings, photos anaexploded views . Complete parts and materials list. Fullsize wing drawings. Plans plus 88 page Builder's Manual- $60.00. Info Pack - $4.00. Super Acro Sport WingFinish it right withan Drawing - 15.00. Send check or money order to: ACROairtex interior SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/

Complete interior assemblies for doit yourself installation . 425-4860 .ACRO II - The new 2-place aerobatic trainer and sportCustom Quality at economical prices. biplane . 20 pages of easy to follow , detailed plans. Complete with isometric drawings, photos, exploded views . Cushion upholstery sets Plans - $85 .00. Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money Wall panel sets order to: ACRO SPORT, INC., P.O. Box 462 , Hales Cor Headliners ners , WI 53130.414/425-4860. Carpet sets POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol - unlimited in Baggage compartment sets low.cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for the over Firewall covers six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to beat 3V2 gph at Seat Slings cru ise setting. 15 large instruction sh eets. Plans - $45.00. Recover envelopes and dopes Info Pack - $4.00. Send check or money order to: ACROSPORT, INC., Box 462 , Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/Free Catalogof complete product line FabricSelectionGuideshowing actual sample colors and stylesof materials: $3.00 . 425-4860 .Go antique on ground and in the ai r: 1926 Std. 6 Buick

Sedan fully restored. AACA Senior and Preservation Iet .,;;r VISA Awards. $15,000. M. J. Shelton , 1567 Bartram Way, EIQlr ex products, inc. t t Cajon, CA 92021. 619/444-2323259 lower Morrisville Rd., Dept. V WANTED: PARTS,TOOLS,MANUALS, TECH. ORDERS,Fallsington, PA 19054 (215) 295-4115 SERVICE BULLETINS FOR EARLY WRIGHT 1820 FSERIES, F-50 SERIES, MILITARY -04, -78, -17, -19, -20,-25, -30, -33, -37 & -75. ODER, 13102 DAYWOOD DRIVE,HOUSTON, TEXAS 77038. 713/445-3377.l ? ~ L I V ~ IRe3 f ) L ) ~ ~ ~ l ? A 1A V I A T I f ~

J.eket - unlined tan poplin with gold andwhite braid trim. Knit waist and cuffs, zipperfront and slash pockets . Antique / Classi clogo patch on chest.SizesXS through XL $28.95 ppdC.p - pale gold mesh with contrasting blu ebill , tr immed with gold braid . Antique/ Classiclogo patch on crownof cap.SizesM and L(adjustable rear band) $ 6.25 ppd

Antlque/C e Patche.

CJ


28/28

vintage airplane - jun 1983

Documents