vintage airplane - oct 2010

8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Oct 2010

1/44

OCTOBER 2010


2/44

Where did the summer go? It

seems as though I just got

done with B-17 training a

few weeks ago, and that

happened in late March! Thirty-plus

days on the B-17 tour (so far) took

me to tour stops from Washington

state to New Jersey. Then I attended

multiple work weekends in Oshkosh,

the spring board meetings, and mul-tiple Young Eagles events; provided

transportation to the Air Academy for

some of our chapter-sponsored youth;

and spent two weeks in Oshkosh for

EAA AirVenture. What a whirlwind of

activity in a short few months.

It has also been a really interest-

ing year for the Vintage Aircraft As-sociation (VAA). The term intense

is appropriate, as well as the terms

fun, exciting, rewarding, and amaz-

ing. We are now into the fall of the

year, and with that comes the plan-

ning and execution of the VAA fall

board meetings.

Later this month we will meet anddiscuss many aspects of the business

of the association, as well as the per-

formance results of the 2010 AirVen-

ture event. It is typical for the VAA

board to review and discuss newly

proposed capital projects for the fu-

ments to this area that would further

enhance this popular member benefit.

We had good reviews from the

Type Club representatives on the up-

graded lighting and the wireless In-

ternet service in the Vintage Hangar.

We are also working hard on a reso-

lution to the noise levels in the han-

gar that are being generated from the

workshop area.Many thanks to Paul Poberezny

for assisting our volunteers with the

gathering of some of his personal ar-

tifacts to create an old-time workshop

area in the Vintage Hangar. It looks

great, Paul.

As many of you know, the VAA

took on the responsibility of produc-ing our own Awards Program last

year. With the new Vintage Hangar

being large enough to host the event

in the Vintage area, we saw a posi-

tive reaction from the membership

with a good number of AirVenture

attendees and award winners in at-

tendance. Apparently the word gotout this year because we experienced

a large increase in attendance at this

special event. Almost 75 percent of

those members whose airplanes won

were personally able to accept their

reward, a wonderful increase over

Fame, Convention, and Editorial. I

will be sure to report any significant

results of these many meetings to you

in a later edition of Straight & Level.

I am particularly excited about

these upcoming meetings because

it will be the first series of meetings

that the VAA board will experience

under the leadership of our new EAA

president and CEO, Rod Hightower.I had the opportunity to meet Rod

just prior to the formal announce-

ment of his selection as the first

non-Poberezny to lead this great or-

ganization. My immediate impres-

sion of Rod was very much positive.

He is one of those people who pos-

sesses a unique and engaging person-ality, and he is a genuinely nice guy.

One of the unique qualities the EAA

board was looking for in a candidate

was someone who has the culture of

EAA in his blood, and Rod certainly

possesses that qualification. Rod also

has a background in vintage aircraft

restoration (he restored a StearmanPT-17), which will likely make him

particularly popular with the mem-

bership of the VAA. Welcome aboard,

Rod! Be sure to check out the EAA

video of Rod’s early days at the helm

of the EAA: www.EAAvideo.org/video.

GEOFF ROBISON

PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION

STRAIGHT & LEVEL

Intense, fun, exciting, rewarding, and amazing


3/44

IFC Straight & Level Intense, fun, exciting, rewarding, and amazing

by Geoff Robison

2 News

4 Sparky’s AirVenture Notebook Conjuring camaraderie while preserving aviation history

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

12 One Classy Rearwin Cloudster Carefully restored with character

by Sparky Barnes Sargent

16 Light Plane Heritage The Sperry Messenger by Jack McRae

20 Batman: The Prequel French aviation pioneer Clément Ader’s Avion III by Gilles Auliard

26 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part I Growing up ‘aviation’

by Robert G. Lock

30 The Vintage Mechanic Elementary weight and balance by Robert G. Lock

34 The Vintage Instructor A tale of three ‘first’ flights by Steve Krog, CFI

36 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy

38 Friends of the Red Barn

39 Classified Ads

A I R P L A N E O C T O B E RC O N T E N T S

S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod Hightower

Director of EAA Publications Mary JonesExecutive Director/Editor H.G. FrautschyProduction/Special Project Kathleen Witman

Photography Jim KoepnickCopy Editor Colleen Walsh

EAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny

Publication Advertising:M /D ti S A d

Vol. 38, No. 10 2010

20

12

4


4/44

VAA NEWS

EAA Bleriot ProjectNears First Flight

September 23 marked the 99th

anniversary of the first official air-

mail flight in the United States, andin preparation for the 100th anni-

versary celebrations next year, the

1911 paint scheme used by Earle L.

Ovington has recently been added

to EAA’s Type XI Bleriot reproduc-

tion. EAA’s chief mechanic John

Hopkins reports that the aircraft

should fly within the next month.The EAA Bleriot project has been

underway for the past four years

and includes an original three-

cylinder Anzani engine acquired

from a French museum, dated to

1910. Volunteers are making final

mechanical and paperwork prepa-

rations for the first flight.

This included the recent appli-

cation of a paint scheme derived

from Earle Ovington’s famous

Queen’s Bleriot of 1911. Ovington

was sworn in as a postal carrier by

the postmaster general just before

No. 1 - Garden City Estates, N.Y.”postmark. The mail route was tem-

porary, part of an air show going

on in Garden City Estates. Oving-

ton spent the rest of the week de-

livering at total 37,470 pieces of

mail from the show to post office

in Mineola.

Hopkins said the conditions

have to be perfect for the first

flight, “We’ll wait for a really, re-

ally, really nice day to fly it—proba-

bly from Pioneer Airport.” Hopkins

said. “In the meantime we hope to

have it on display in the AirVenture

EAA Announces All-Star Fall Webinar LineupEAA webinars are back for a se-

ries of fall seminars. EAA webi-

nars are offered free of charge to

EAA members, but space is lim-

ited to the first 1,000 registrants

for each session. To view the we-

binars, your computer (Mac or

PC) must have audio speakers or

headphones, and a broadband

connection is recommended. Up-

coming webinars, scheduled for 7

p.m., include the following topics

and presenters:

October 5—Is Your Two-Stroke

Engine About to Fai l?; Brian

CarpenterOctober 14—The Zodiac CH 650;

Sebastien and Mathieu Heintz

October 19—Flying Marine One;

Lindy Kirkland

November 3—Q&A With Kermit

Weeks; Kermit Weeks

November 9—Just Say No to Use-

less Maintenance; Mike BuschNovember 16—AeroVee Engine

and AeroInjector; Jeremy Monnett

December 2—Owning and Fly-

ing a Homebuilt; Joe Norris

December 16—Flight Before the

Wright Brothers; Adam Smith

January 5, 2011—Building a Ble-

riot XI; Fred Stadler

For more information about

EAA’s webinars, visit www.EAA.org/

webinars.

Get Your Complimentary AirVenture 2010 Souvenir

H . G .

F R A U T S C H Y

H . G .

F R A U T S C H Y


5/44

COPPERSTATE Fly-In

Casa Grande Municipal Airport (CGZ),Casa Grande, ArizonaOctober 21-23, 2010www.COPPERSTATE.org

Southeast Regional Fly-InMiddleton Field Airport (GZH),Evergreen, AlabamaOctober 22-24, 2010www.SERFI.org

U.S. Sport Aviation Expo

Sebring Regional Airport (SEF),Sebring, FloridaJanuary 20-23, 2011www.Sport-Aviation-Expo.com

Sun ’n Fun Fly-InLakeland Linder Regional Airport(LAL), Lakeland, FloridaMarch 29-April 3, 2011www.Sun-N-Fun.org

AERO FriedrichshafenMesse Friedrichshafen,Friedrichshafen, Germany April 13-16, 2011www.AERO-Friedrichshafen.com/html/ en

Virginia Regional Festival of FlightSuffolk Executive Airport (SFQ),Suffolk, VirginiaApril 30-May 1, 2011 www.VirginiaFlyIn.org

Golden West Regional Fly-In and AirShowYuba County Airport (MYV),Marysville, CaliforniaJune 10-12, 2011www.GoldenWestFlyIn.org

Arlington Fly-In

Upcoming Major Fly- Ins

EAA Calendar of Aviation

Events Is Now OnlineEAA’s online Calendar of Events is the “go-to”

spot on the Web to list and find aviation events

in your area. The user-friendly, searchable formatmakes it the perfect web-based tool for planning

your local trips to a fly-in. We invite you to access

the EAA online Calendar of Events at http://www.

eaa.org/ calendar/

Accreditation Puts EAA

AirVenture Museum in Top Tier

EAA’s AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, one of the na-tion’s premier aviation museums, again earned accreditation from

the American Association of Museums (AAM), recognizing its com-

mitment to excellence and high professional standards. The latest ap-

proval marks the third consecutive time the AirVenture Museum has

earned the AAM’s seal of approval.

The EAA facility was the first aviation museum in the United States

to earn accreditation in 1988, and one of fewer than 10 aviation muse-

ums in the nation to hold the rating. The museum was accredited for

15 years, increased from the 10-year terms approved twice previously.

The AAM accreditation process took more than a year to complete.

It includes substantial documentation of a museum’s current programs

and operations, as well as a site visit by a national panel of museum

professionals. Among other characteristics reviewed by AAM are gov-

ernance, collection stewardship, institutional planning, code of ethics,

mission, and risk management.Among the publicly visible upgrades made by the AirVenture Mu-

seum over the past decade was the effort to make exhibits more in-

teractive and family-friendly. In addition, exciting new exhibits have

been introduced in recent years, including such one-of-a-kind displays

as SpaceShipOne, the world’s first successful civilian spaceship.


6/44

Sparky’s AirVenture NotebookConjuring camaraderie while preserving aviation history

ARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT

As you walk toward the entranceway to the Vintage area and glance up toward the sky, you’ll seethe Vintage Aircraft Association’s warm welcome, embracing all who venture into the Red Barn and

the grassy fields beyond. Pause for a moment to contemplate the message: “Preserving Aviation His-

tory for Future Generations.” It’s a mission in which we all play a part—whether pilot, airplane owner

and/or restorer, or armchair enthusiast.

Without the devotion, talents, and energy of thousands of individuals who passionately treasure

vintage airplanes current and future generations wouldn’t be able to personally appreciate our col


7/44

Pilot Tim Cannady has been flying on and off for about 30 years and has been coming to Oshkosh since

1979. He was industriously cleaning N31346’s wood prop as the sun’s beaming rays seemingly spotlighted his

already-glowing 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champ. Tim, who hails from Propwash Airport near Justin, Texas, described

his flight to Oshkosh: “I made it as far as Watertown, Wisconsin, on Friday night, and nobody knew what was go-

ing on in Oshkosh with all the rain, so I spent Saturday at Watertown. I figured if I got out early Sunday morning,some water would have dried up overnight. Even then, we were parked on the taxiway, and I just now [midday

Tuesday] moved it into the field—so I want to clean

it up before I put a ‘judge me’ sign on it. I’ve only

had this airplane about four months; the previous

owner, Tom Hartman, passed away, and we wanted

Jim Clark of Chapman, Kansas, flew his 1939 Waco EGC-8 to Oshkosh, accompanied by his grandson,

Brody. N61KS is powered by a supercharged 350-hp Wright R-760E-2 and cruises at about 130 mph. When

originally owned by the Civil Aeronautics Author-

ity (CAA), the airplane was based in Garden City,

New York. “Three or four years ago, I started

looking for a cabin Waco,” said Jim with a smile,

“because I wanted a big flying SUV that could

carr y all my stuff! So I star ted going all over

the country looking and could not find one that

I wanted to buy or restore. This airplane was lo-

cated only 15 miles from my home, and I knew

the owner, EAA member Chuck Hall. It hadn’t

flown for about 18 years, but it had been stored

properly. I bought it, and Raven Aero Service in

Junction City, Kansas, did the restoration.”

- - .


8/44

John Maxfield of Northville, Michigan, was at Air-

Venture with a longstanding member of his family.

In fact, the 1948 Funk B85C was already part of his

family before he was a year old. “This airplane be-

longed to Joe and Howard Funk for 10 years, and it’s

arguably the last serial number that they built. Dad

bought it from them when I was 10 months old in

1958. It’s what I grew up around and learned to fly,

and I had my first solo in it,” shared John, chuckling

and adding, “My diapers were actually changed on a

table under the wing in the hangar!” NC1654N was

restored in 1994 and was awarded Reserve Grand

Champion at Oshkosh in 1995. John joined the An-

tique/Classic Division of EAA back when Buck Hilbertwas president. This year, the judges presented John

with the Preservation-Small Plaque award in the Classic (September 1945 through 1955) category.

Bob and Barb Perkins flew N20908, their recently

purchased Jacobs-powered 1939 Waco AGC-8, from

their home at Long Island Airpark (NC26), North

Carolina, to Oshkosh this summer. Bob is an EAA

volunteer, and he and Barb were busy polishing theprop as rays from the morning sun continued dry-

ing the once-soggy field. Smiling happily, Barb com-

mented, “We got up early this morning to come out

and clean her—it was all nice before the rain.” Bob

chimed in, “We came to Oshkosh a long time ago,

but our friends Margy and Ron Natalie encouraged

us to start coming back. This Waco is a 20-year-

old restoration, and it was repainted about 10years ago. It was about a year ago when I decided

I wanted a round-engine airplane, and Larry Harma-

cinski, who owns a Waco UEC, said, ‘You have to

have a Waco!’ He found this for me on the Internet,

and I went out and checked on it and bought it. Larry taught me how to fly it.”

Terry Bolger of Schaumburg, Illinois,

was all smiles as he shared a little bit

about NC788V, his Fleet Model 7. He

bases the airplane at the Walworth, Wis-

consin, airport, and has owned it about

10 years. “The restoration is 5 years old,

and after it was completed in 2004, it

was on the back cover of Vintage . Budd


9/44

EAA Vintage members Phil and DeAnn Riter of Stryker,

Ohio, are regular attendees at AirVenture. They’ve been

coming since the early 1980s and have only missed a few

years. Phil explained why they came despite the weather,

“This year was challenging! But if you restore airplanes

you’ve got to be here and see what the competition’s do-

ing—and you always pick up tips on how to do better.”

He bought his 1948 Cessna 170 (N4182V) in Novem-

ber 1987, and DeAnn accompanies him on most of their

cross-countries in the Cessna. “We travel a lot—I’ve

logged about 2,800 hours in that airplane; she’s probably

been in it at least 2,500 hours. We’ve had it to Alaska

twice and to the Canadian Maritimes a couple of times.

In fact, this past February we went to the Turks and Ca-icos Islands with this airplane and two other 170s, which was kind of neat. I’ve also got a Champ, and we do short

trips in it, and I’ve got a Waco straight wing that we do really short trips in!” They both enjoy flying to AirVenture and

camping with their airplane and reuniting with many friends whom they see only once a year.

Seventeen-year-old Zac Weidner grew up with airplanes,

and he’s been going to Oshkosh with his family since

2007. He was often seen relaxing by his family’s spiffy

cream and red Piper Tri-Pacer during AirVenture and washappy to share a little bit about its restoration. His father,

Kevin, purchased the 1958 PA-22-160 as a basket case

three and a half years ago. It hadn’t flown since 1968 and

had been sitting in a garage for more than 20 years. Fa-

ther and son hauled it home to Bunker Hill, Illinois, from

Carbondale on a hog trailer, and together they restored it

to award-winning condition. Members of the Short Wing

Piper Club proved most helpful as they answered many of

the Weidners’ restoration questions via the club’s website.

“Restoration takes a lot of determination—and sometimes frustration—but it’s worth it. We used the Poly-

Fiber process, with Poly-Tone on the fabric and Aerothane on the aluminum,” explained Zac, adding matter-of-

factly, “I soloed this airplane about two weeks ago, and I’m going to finish my lessons in it. I’ve got about 20

hours now. We fly out of a farm strip at home, and it’s just neat to be able to go up whenever you feel like it and

look around and have a view of everything.”

As for the future, Zac said he sees aviation as a hobby. “I’m going to farm and fly out of our strip. This is a great

airplane for looking at crops and a pretty decent cross-country airplane as long as the sun’s out and it’s not IFR. The

first flight after restoration was June 10. It’s a lot of fun to fly!” And fly it they do. Before the restoration the aircrafthad only 354 hours; now it has more than 400. The Tri-Pacer is also fun to behold—the judges awarded it the Class

I Single Engine (0-160 hp)-Large Plaque in the Contemporary (1956-1970) category.

l


10/44

A pilot since 1976, Jim Graham of Hilliard, Ohio,

was happily camping with his Ercoupe 415-C in the

“south 40.” A semi-retired U.S. District judge, he’s

been going to AirVenture on and off for a long time.

Now that he has a bit more time on his hands and is

flying as a sport pilot, he’s attended the show for five

years in a row. “This is the second time I’ve flown into

Oshkosh, and it was a great flight! It was a real thrill

flying through the VFR corridor around the lakefront at

Chicago—just a spectacular view. I made good time,

cruising about 105 mph and burning about 5 gph. Air-

Venture is the only reason I’d ever camp,” remarked

Jim, laughing heartily and adding, “but I somehow got

myself in that little tent, and I also somehow went tosleep! I like the camaraderie with the other airplane

people here—in fact, I had breakfast this morning with a whole group of folks that just invited me in; I’d never met

them before! Of course, we all have something in common that we can talk about, and that’s fun, too. There are

also marvelous airplanes you see here, and the air show’s great. I guess the thing that I get really excited about,

in addition to all these other things, is all of the vendors who are here. They choose AirVenture for announcing new

products, so I’m always spending time in those big hangars looking at all the fabulous stuff.”

Left: This 220-hp Continental-powered 1929 Cur-

tiss Robin is owned and flown by David Mars of Jack-

son, Mississippi. N3277G was the “leading aircraft”

in the recently released and award-winning movie

Pearl . The movie was produced by the Chickasaw Na-

tion and Media 13. Pearl Carter Scott, “a daredevil

who dared to dream,” grew up in the 1920s in Mar-

low, Oklahoma. As a young Chickasaw, she started

learning to fly in a Robin when she was just 12 years

old, and the next year, she became the youngest li-censed pilot in the United States. A free screening of

Pearl was held on Friday night during AirVenture.

Left: NC15244 is an eye-catching, Jacobs-powered 1935cabin Waco YOC, emblazoned with the Phillips 66 logo. It’s

owned by Jeff Skiles of Oregon, Wisconsin—the first offi-

cer during the Miracle on the Hudson US Airways flight and

EAA’s current co-chair of the Young Eagles program.


11/44

NC16522 is a 1939 cabin Waco YKS-6. Bearing

the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company logo on its fuse-

lage, the Waco is registered to John Thomason of

Sonoma, California.

Left: NC84149, a handsome

1946 Aeronca 7BCM, was selected

as Best Custom Runner-Up–Large

Plaque. It’s owned by Kevin Bower

of Oldenburg, Indiana.

Talk about standing out in a crowd—this 1947 Consoli-

dated Vultee L-13, N2538B, stimulated many conversa-

tions. Powered by a 300-hp Lycoming R680, its nose art

depicts a redheaded nurse and the words Intensive Care

Unit. Owned by Clu Colvin of Big Cabin, Oklahoma, it re-

ceived the Outstanding Limited Production–Small Plaque.

NX15429 is owned by H. “Cam” Blazer of Leawood, Kansas. Powered by a 165-hp Warner

(hence the “X” in the registration number), this 1936 Monocoupe 90A received the Silver Age

(1928-1936) Champion–Bronze Lindy in the Antique (1903 through August 1945) category.

C16522 is a 1939 cabin Waco YKS-6. Bearin alk about standin out in a crowd—this 1947 Consoli-

NX15429 s owned b H. “Cam” Blazer of Leawood, Kansas. Powered b a 165-h arner


12/44

Brett Lovett of Liberty, Missouri, had his 1948 Piper

PA-17 Vagabond, N4821H, looking pretty. Powered by

65 horses, this Vagabond cruises at 87 mph. It received

the Custom Class A (0 - 80 hp)–Small Plaque in the

Classic (September 1945 through 1955) category.

Here’s the Mister Mulligan replica built by Jim Younkin

of Springdale, Arkansas. NR273Y is powered by a Pratt &

Whitney R-1340.

NC9277K is a good-looking 1947 Stinson 108-2, regis-tered to Lee Lane of Valparaiso, Indiana. According to EAA

volunteer Tim Fox, 54 Stinsons were originally signed up

for the camping area, but only 28 arrived on the grounds

due to the challenging weather-related conditions.

Leon Whelchel of Vinton, Iowa, brought his 1942

de Havilland Tiger Moth DH.82A to the convention.

rett Lovett of Liber t , Missouri, had his 1948 Pi er ere’s the Mister Mulli an re lica built b Jim Younkin

NC9277K is a ood-lookin 1947 Stinson 108-2, re is-


13/44

Past award winner N2988T, a 1966 Meyers 200D,

was looking sharp despite a few raindrops. The airplane

is owned by Ross Warner of Benton Harbor, Michigan.

This outstanding Lycoming R680-powered Stinson

Model O replica (NC12817) of the only open-cockpit air-

craft built by Stinson is based largely upon photographs

N6874W is one highly polished 1965 Cherokee PA-

28-140. Its shiny status attracted many a passerby.

Powered by a Lycoming O-320, the airplane is regis-

tered to Claene Corp. of Chicago, Illinois.

N7557B is a perky 1957 Champion 7FC Tri-Traveler,

registered to Joe Wiegand of San Francisco, California.

The Candler Field Express from Georgia and the Flabob Express from California were on hand to help cele-brate the 75th anniversary of the DC-3 this year.

Past award winner N2988T, a 1966 Meyers 200D,

his outstandin L comin R680- owered Stinson

N6874W is one hi hl olished 1965 Cherokee PA-

N7557B is a erk 1957 Cham ion 7FC Tri-Traveler

The Candler Field Express from Georgia and the Flabob Express from California were on hand to help cele-


14/44

In the early summer of 1940, Rearwin test pilot Billy

Miller gave NC25552 (s/n 828) a thorough preflight,

as sunlight glinted from its lustrous, hand-rubbedvermilion and indigo-trimmed finish. Climbing

into the elegantly appointed cabin, the clean scent

of new wool upholstery enveloped him, and the gracefully

curved, chrome-plated control stick felt cool to his touch.

He engaged the electric starter, and the seven-cylinder,

120-hp Ken-Royce radial rumbled to life. Then he taxied

the three-place airplane out for takeoff, and the Cloudster

quickly climbed away from the runway. Miller gained suf-

ficient altitude above the Fairfax Airport in Kansas City,

Kansas, to put the airplane through the prescribed series of

test maneuvers and recorded the data from his findings in

a detailed report.

A copy of that report, along with the build sheet from

the factory, filtered down through seven decades and now

the first issue of Trade-A-Plane Service in 1937. Rearwin

manufactured around 125 Cloudsters under Approved

Type Certificate No. 711, and today, serial number 828is one of only 24 Rearwin Model 8135s listed on the FAA

Registry. By 1942, the company was sold to Empire Or-

dinance, which continued manufacturing operations as

Commonwealth Aircraft.

‘Cloudster Is Tops!’The Cloudster has sometimes been affectionately

dubbed a “baby Howard,” since its round engine and tall

vertical stabilizer are similar to the larger Howard DGA of

the same era. Rearwin had its own creative promotional

slogans, and one was “by any yardstick you choose, the

Cloudster ‘measures up.’” One such “yardstick” was that

of performance: “The Cloudster is powered with the time-

tested, dependable Ken-Royce motor, which assures plenty

One Classy Rearwin CloudsterCarefully restored with characterarticle and photos by Sparky Barnes Sargent


15/44

to spare and power to burn… Cloudsters Go to Iran—. . .

the Iranian Government picked Rearwin 120 hp Cloud-

sters – twenty-five of them – for its Aero Club. . . . These air-

planes are being used half way around the world on fields a

mile or more above sea level and over high, mountainous

country. They have to be good . . . Service With a Smile—

. . . The Cloudster’s newly designed two-piece engine cowl-ing … can be raised in three minutes for quick and easy

engine servicing. There’s a special opening which saves

additional time in checking the oil level. . . . Appointment

with Beauty— . . . Placement of sticks well forward enables

women fliers to wear conventional dresses with perfect

freedom . . . Inside and out, the Cloudster is tops!”

Construction and SpecsThe Model 8135 measured 21 feet 6 inches from nose totail, and its fuselage was composed of welded steel tubing

with spruce fairing strips. Its wings had a span of 34 feet

1-3/4 inches and were built of spruce spars and truss-type

ribs with plywood gussets, with duralumin leading and

trailing edges. The ailerons were of metal construction,

and the tail group was composed of welded tubular steel

spars with steel channel ribs. Ball bearing control pulleys

were used throughout the flight control system, which

provided the pilot with smooth, fluid control. Its main

gear incorporated hydraulic shocks, and its tail wheel was

a combination full swivel/steerable with a hydraulic pneu-

matic shock absorber.

A 17-gallon fuel tank in each wing provided a 600-mile

Washington, D.C., in March 1943. The Defense Plant Cor-

poration was created by the Reconstruction Finance Cor-

poration pursuant to Section 5(d) of the Reconstruction

Finance Corporation Act, as amended, to aid the govern-

ment of the United States in its National Defense Program.

During the brief period of time it owned the Rearwin, it

was badly damaged during a forced landing.The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) Inspec-

tor’s Report stated that the accident occurred at South

Coffeyville, Oklahoma, on July 6, 1943, at 4:45 p.m. The

pilot, Jack Howard Graham of Sioux City, Iowa, was an

instructor who was associated with the Coffeyville Airway

Owner Ed McKeown and

Roger Shadick of Noble Aviation.The 1940 Rearwin Model 8135 Cloudster taxies out for takeoff.

AERO CLASSIC“COLLECTOR SERIES”Vintage Tires New USA Production

Show off your pride and joy with afresh set of Vintage Rubber. Thesenewly minted tires are FAA-TSO’dand speed rated to 120 MPH. Some

things are better left the way theywere, and in the 40’s and 50’s, these tires were perfectly intune to the exciting times in aviation.

Not only do these tires set your vintage plane apart fromthe rest, but also look exceptional on all General Aviationaircraft. Deep 8/32nd tread depth offers above averagetread life and UV treated rubber resists aging.


16/44

company. “The engine quit on the takeoff, necessitat-

ing a forced landing. Damage to aircraft: propeller bro-

ken; motor mount bent; right side landing gear buckled;

right lift struts bent; vertical fin and rudder demolished.”

The inspector further reported: “After intensive investiga-

tion, it was determined that a cotter key was missing from

the throttle arm on the carburetor and the retaining nutwas loose. This would allow the butterfly to operate in-

dependent of the throttle if the nut were loose enough.

The spring on the butterfly would then shut the butterfly

valve, causing the engine to drop back to idling speed and

be thought to be ‘windmilling.’ The reason the butterfly

would close is because the spring is hooked up to work

in this manner. The spring should be arranged in such a

way as to open the butterfly instead of closing it. Sincethe manufacturer overhauled the complete engine and it’s

[sic] accessories the last time, it is assumed that they at-

tached the spring in this manner.”

The Cloudster was repaired, and the Defense Plant Cor-

poration sold NC25552 to James Emmett Combs of Kansas

City, Missouri, in April 1944. Omar Midyett of East St. Louis,

Illinois, purchased the Rearwin in June 1949 and sold it in

September 1950. Interestingly, Midyett was well-known for

operating a flight-training school and establishing Lakeside

Airport near Granite City in southwestern Illinois.

Those in the antique community may well remember

NC25552 (now N4404W) as Noel and Mary Gouldsmith’s

airplane. Noel, of Independence, Missouri, owned the

airplane in the early 1960s and restored it. He also re-

Frank Hay. He had it stored in a garage on his property,

and all the parts scattered around there, along with the

engine,” said Ed. “He was just plain tired of the project,

and it needed a lot of work. He also had another Cloud-

ster, N25451, minus its prop and engine. I purchased both

airplanes from him in May 2002.”

Restoration

Serial number 828’s restoration began in earnest when

Ed and Roger moved both Rearwins to Eagle River, Wis-

consin, in September 2002. Roger acquired NC2551 from

Ed, and Ed and Roger started a slow-but-sure restoration

on N4404W.

As sometimes happens with dormant airplanes, Ed dis-

covered that his Cloudster’s original CAA identificationmark, NC25552, had been forfeited when the registration

wasn’t kept current. Frank Hay registered the airplane after

he bought it in 1992, and thus it received N4404W as its

new registration number. When Ed acquired the project,

he recalled with a chuckle, “I found the original number

on a Piper Cherokee in Michigan, so I called the owner,

and he was willing to give me the N number—if I bought

the airplane for $35,000!”

Roger fabricated all new sheet metal, which was a bit of

a challenge. “The skins look relatively simple, but in fact

they’re really not, because one skin tucks into another one

to hold it together,” he described, “and the parts that Ed

had were wrinkled-up masses of junk. I rolled them out

flat to see if I could determine where the bend started and

Serial number 828 came from the factory with a

wind generator.

The original glove box neatly conceals a modern

transponder, radio, and engine analyzer.


17/44

wheel system I’ve ever seen in my life. There are cables go-

ing everywhere, an oil spring, and steel tubing.”

Roger progressed steadily on the project for a while…

or so they thought. “Frank had covered the fuselage and

the wings while he owned it, and they looked okay, sowe assumed they were. We did all the finish coats and

sanding, wired in the lights, and were all set to go,”

Roger explained, adding, “and then we opened up the

inspection holes on the wing and started seeing some

really scary stuff in there. So then the wings had to be

redone, and my shop didn’t allow the time for us to re-

ally tear into it.”

That’s when they enlisted the services of Kent McMakin

of Rockton, Illinois, who repaired both wings by fabricat-ing new components. He replaced a total of 11 cracked

ribs, as well as the left and right rear spars.

Roger re-covered the fuselage with Poly-Fiber and used

a high-volume, low-pressure system to apply the finish

coat of Poly-Tone to the entire airframe. One of his em-

ployees, Randy Block, completed the new wool headliner

and upholstery, and the control sticks, rudder pedals, door

handles, and other cabin hardware were freshly chromed.Roger made a new instrument panel by forming metal

around a block of wood and welding it as needed; then it

was sent to a company in California to receive its walnut

veneer. The panel neatly conceals a transponder, radio,

and engine analyzer inside the original glove box. The

electric fuel gauges, Ford ashtray, and Carwil T61 wet com-

pass also help retain the originality of the panel.

Ken-RoyceThe Ken-Royce radial was overhauled by Dick Weeden

of Brodhead, Wisconsin. It has a few modifications, ac-

cording to Roger, including an oil recapture system in

the lower rockers, which was added by a previous owner.

“That works really well, and we also installed an Airwolf

filter. Plus we did the conversion to use Continental valve

springs, because there was a real issue with breaking valve

springs,” explained Roger. “This engine has an ignition

booster, which is operable, but really not necessary be-

cause the engine starts really nice without it.”Another mod was the installation of a J.P. Instruments

EDM-700 EGT-701 engine monitor

scanner, to simultaneously display ex-

used a quart of oil—so it does really well.”

Flying the Cloudster The Cloudster’s initial test flight was flown by Joe Nor-

ris of Oshkosh, and it was quickly evident that the airplanewasn’t rigged correctly. Then Ed and Roger received check-

outs from Mike Weinfurter of Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Ed,

a Stearman pilot who is no stranger to tailwheel flying,

recalled his turn in the left seat: “I would say for me, dur-

ing the first hour of flight, I found it to be the most squir-

relly airplane I have flown. The takeoffs were every bit as

exciting as the landings, without a doubt! It has minimal

rudder authority at low speeds,” he shared, adding with a

chuckle, “so it was certainly fun to acquire the necessaryskills to get more confident. Now we know that some of it

was that its rigging just wasn’t tweaked yet.”

Roger explained, “We got a hold of Gary Van Farowe,

who was the Cloudster guru, and I asked him if he had

any kind of setting [for the angle of incidence] on these

wings, because the build manual that I have says nothing

on that. We had set it up fairly neutral, and then started

adjusting the wings a little bit, trying to make the airplaneclimb better. Gary couldn’t find any information either,

but he measured a whole bunch of rear struts, and they

ranged in length from 100-3/4 inches to 101 inches. At

that point we felt we had a good number to go by, and we

were at the high end of that length, so I adjusted it by 1/4

inch less in the back of the strut—and the airplane really

flies nicely now!”

Ed said, “I fly 80 mph on downwind and 70 mph onfinal and across the threshold to a full three-point land-

ing. It’s really behaving beautifully now that ‘all the bugs’

have been worked out. At first, it was a learning experi-

ence, and right now I think we’re both very comfortable

with where we are and the performance of the airplane.

The control pressure is as smooth as you could hope for,

and you get almost 1 mile for horsepower out of this en-

gine. I think those are two of the more impressive things

for me.”

Congratulations to Ed and Roger for a job well done in

preserving a bit of Rearwin history for others, as well as

themselves, to enjoy.


18/44

Light Plane Heritage

published in EAA Experimenter May 1990

THE SPERRY MESSENGERBY JACK MCRAE

The Sperry Messenger was the

best known of a number of

Billy Mitchel to substitute small air-

planes for motorcycles for messen-

1908-1946, states that six of the M-1

model were purchased, 20 of the

JIM MORROW/AMERICAN MODELER, JUNE 1962


19/44

The fuselage had four longerons

and was covered with mahogany

plywood. The wings, which were

the same upper and lower, were

braced by two lift struts of round

steel tubing on each side with

wood fairings and N-type inter-

plane struts of wood. The USA 5

by the Army for a load factor of

7.0 positive and 4.0 negative.

Lt. J.A. Macready at McCook

Field did the test flying with the

following observations:

“The flying qualities of the Mes-

senger airplane are very good. It is

an exceptionally smooth and eas-

sponsive and normal in action. Lit-

tle effort is required to maneuver

quickly, smoothly and effectively.

The airplane is well balanced. It

side slips and stalls normally bothwith and without power. The pilot

sits very comfortably with excellent

visibility. Instruments and engine

controls are within easy reach.

“A number of maintenance trou-

bles were encountered on both the

engine and the airplane, the ex-

perimental three-cylinder Lawrance

engine causing the majority of thedifficulties. The bolt in the master

bearing, weakened by drilling out

to lessen weight, broke, with a re-

sultant breaking of the master bear-

ing and all connecting rods.

“V i b ra t i on o f the e ng i ne

cracked the engine mounting

bracket. A stronger mounting ofnew design effectively replaced

the one, which failed.

“The Philbrin ignition system

did not function satisfactorily, caus-

ing constant trouble throughout

the test. With the exception of the

present ignition system, all parts

of the airplane are accessible andeasily repaired. The maintenance

is simple on both engine and air-

plane. The engine mounting gives

easy access to plugs, carburetor, etc.

“Some trouble was experienced

with cracked fittings. A tendency

for the center section and landing

gear to weave because of looseness

of the strut sockets could be cor-

rected by cross brace wires in the

center section and landing gear,

instead of the present diagonal

tubes, or by some other means

that would compress the struts

The two-seat Sperry Messenger.

Sperry Messenger P-152 on which performance tests were conducted.


20/44

plugs. Moseley said he flew at ap-

proximately 500 feet altitude, made

several other landings in good

fields, and examined the fishing

boats in the Potomac at close range.The return flight took one hour and

45 minutes, using 7 gallons of gas

and 1 quart of oil.

Bert Acosta, winner of the 1921

Pulitzer Trophy Race, survived a

spectacular crash in a Messenger

on June 28, 1922. He made a dive

on Mitchel Field followed by a

roll at an altitude of about 50 feet.The engine and its gravity-fed fuel

supply stopped in the inverted

position. Acosta, barely able to

complete the roll, hit the ground

hard enough to completely wreck

the airplane. He spent the next

several weeks in the hospital.

In April 1923, a fatal accident oc-curred in a Messenger at Langley

Field, which was officially attrib-

uted to a failure of the control stick

support, which made it impossible

to pull the airplane out of a dive.

The pilot’s seat, which acted as a

support for the control system, was

redesigned for greater strength.Flight tests were made on a Mes-

senger with several different wing

sections, and also with various high

lift devices.

Lawrence Sperry—an experi-

enced pilot—saw the possibilities

of promoting the Messenger as a

sport airplane. He obtained per-

mission from the Air Service to use

the basic design for a commercial

airplane, and took every oppor-

tunity to publicize its use. One of

his exploits was to use the Mes-

senger as transportation from his

describing a “Remarkable demon-

stration of the maneuverability of

the Messenger,” in which Sperry

flew the airplane from New York to

Washington, D.C. He “performed

short distance takeoffs and land-

ings near the Munitions and NavyBuildings, landing with only a 50-

or 60-foot run, and taking off again

after a run of about 75 feet with

a climbing turn.” He then landed

in the long basin of the Reflect-

ing Pool of the Lincoln Memorial,

which was dry at the time. After

disconnecting the ignition wireson one of the three cylinders, he

took off to demonstrate that the

engine would run satisfactorily on

two cylinders. The following day

he landed on the Capitol Plaza and

paid a visit to Congress, taxiing the

Messenger part way up the steps of

the Capitol to show that it was ca-

pable of overcoming rough roads,

curbs, stones, etc.

Sperry flew a Messenger to the

St. Louis Air Races in October 1923,

placing fourth in the “On to St.Louis Race,” and flying 900 miles

from Garden City, New York. He

evidently did considerable demon-

stration at the races as he was cred-

ited a total mileage of 2,500 miles,

the greatest of any of the 102 civil-

ian contestants listed.

In November 1923, Sperry took aMessenger to England for the pur-

pose of promoting the airplane as a

sport plane in Europe. On Decem-

ber 23, 1923, he took off from Croy-

don Airport for a flight across the

English Channel. A few miles off

Specifications

Engine 3-cylinder Lawrance, 64 hp at 1880 rpm

Empty weight 623 pounds

Gross weight 862 pounds

Wingspan 20 feet

Ch d 4 f t

Reproduction Sperry Messenger at the Cradle of Aviation Museum, Mitchel Field,

Long Island, New York.


21/44

the English coast, a successful wa-

ter landing was made after engine

failure. Although the landing was

visible from shore and a rescue was

being organized, Sperry attemptedto swim to shore and drowned as

a result. The airplane suffered only

slight damage, was salvaged, and

was used by Clarence Chamberlin

for a lecture tour in 1928 after be-

ing sent back to the United States.

As early as 1921, Sperry had sug-

gested to the Air Service the idea of

hooking a Messenger on to an air-ship for the purpose of using the

airplane for scouting. It was not

until October 1924, after his death,

that a Messenger was carried aloft

and released from a blimp. In De-

cember 1924, a Messenger was

hooked on to the TC-3 blimp in

flight. In order to accomplish this,a special hook and support struc-

ture was added to the forward fu-

selage, which engaged a trapeze

extending below the blimp.

At the present time there is only

one known original Messenger. It

was previously on display at the

Museum of the United States AirForce in Dayton, Ohio, and is now

back with the Smithsonian. The

Museum of the United States Air

Force completed a restoration/con-

version of the aircraft to the single-

seat M-1 version with a skyhook

after it was donated to the Smith-

sonian by WWI ace Eddie Ricken-

backer. It is now on display in the

Pre-1920 Aviation exhibition sta-

tion at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy

Center of the Smithsonian National

Air and Space Museum.

During recent years, there was

Another homebuilt example is

that of Graham Hansen of Alberta,

Canada, whose 65-hp Continen-

tal-powered Messenger was com-

pleted and flown in 1985. Thisairplane was built from drawings

published in American Modeler mag-

azine in June 1962. [We’ve included

that drawing by Jim Morrow in this

article.—HGF]

Credit for making available com-

plete construction information on

the Messenger must go to Lloyd S.

Gates of Norway, Maine. He wrotea page on the Messenger fairly regu-

larly in WW I Aero magazine from

1984 to 1988. Gates received two

rolls of microfilm of the original

Air Service Engineering Division

detail drawings of the Messenger

from Harry Owen of Omaha. And

after a huge amount of work, he re-constructed the 340 drawings into

readable shape and a usable size,

and made them available to Sperry

Messenger enthusiasts. He is in the

process of building a Messenger

himself from the drawings.

The Messenger built by Paul

Kotze and helpers at the Cradle of

Aviation Museum at Mitchel Field,

Long Island, New York, is most

likely the first reproduction to becompleted from these drawings.

This example is equipped with a

Lenape Papoose engine and would

be flyable except for the restric-

tions imposed by the museum. The

photo shows it on exhibition re-

cently before the engine cowling

was installed. The Museum has a

Lawrance L-4 engine that, unfortu-nately, is not complete.

OK, we’re not saying that reallyhappened or that it would havechanged history... but it makesyou wonder. On the other hand,you never have to wonderwhether you’ll get a beautifullong-lasting covering job usingP l Fib W ’ d h

References:Air Service Information Circular,

Performance Test Report No.

61, (1921).

Fahey , U . S . A rm y A i r c r a f t ,

1908-1946 Aircraft Yearbook 1923, 1924

Avia ti on , November 15, 1920,

April 20, 1922

World War I Aero , Issues No.

96-117.


22/44

The Prequel

French aviationpioneer ClémentAder’s Avion IIIARTICLE AND PHOTOS BY

GILLES AULLARD


23/44

Th e C o n s e r v a t o i r eNational des Arts etMétiers (CNAM)—Na-tional Conservatoryfor Arts and Trades—

is an establishment ofhigher learning and offundamental and ap-plied research. Located

in the heart of Paris, the CNAM andthe “École Polytechnique” are twocreations of the French Revolutiondesigned to teach and promote en-

gineering sciences.Standing on the grounds of thePriory of Saint-Martin-des-Champs,a religious school built in 1060 bydecree of Henri the First, it is thelongest continually operating edu-cational institution in Paris.

First proposed in 1794 by Abbot

Henri Gregoire as a “depositary formachines, models, tools, drawings,descriptions and books in all the ar-eas of Arts and Trades,” the Muséedes Arts et Métiers (museum of artsand trades) displays the collectionsof the CNAM. Since it opened in1802, it has housed the collectionin the deserted priory.

The museum underwent a ma-jor renovation starting in 1990 andreopened in April 2000, adding anew building adjacent to the abbey,while the larger artifacts stayed inthe former church itself.

mph under the power generated byits own steam engine.

Amongst the marvels exposed,four unique machines are of the ut-most interest to the aviation enthu-

siast. Covering the pioneer era ofaviation, each one is authentic andpaints a much different picture ofthis period than generally depicted.

The most intriguing exhibit isClément Ader’s bat-like “Avion III,”displayed atop of the main staircaseof the museum.

Born in Muret, in the south ofFrance in 1841, Clément Ader was the

son of a carpenter and showed great

technical abilities at a young age. Fas-


24/44

cinated with flight, he spent count-

less hours observing insects, birds,and bats. Bats made the deepest im-

pact, as he designed a flying machine

he named “Eole”—from Eolus, the

Greek god of winds—using the struc-

ture and shape of the bat wing.

On October 9 , 1890 , Ader

achieved a flying hop at Gretz-

Armainvilliers. The machine, pow-ered by a surprisingly light steam

engine of Ader’s design, lifted off the

ground over a distance of 165 feet.

Apparently the Eole never flew

again, but this early success was

enough for Ader to land govern-

ment funding for a military air-

plane. As the project was classified,little fact is known, and most of the

information circulating on the Eole

II is, at best, contradictory. However,

one thing is certain: the design was

abandoned in favor of the Avion III,

a twin-engine version of the Eole.

The Avion III had a rudimentary

rudder system that could be con-

trolled by pedals attached on both

sides of the flying machine. Each of

the four-bladed feather propellers was

powered by one steam engine weigh-

ing 37 pounds and generating 20 hp.

The visibility was absolutely horrible,

drew its support for Ader’s research.

Clemént Ader never asserted that

he actually flew. The polemic sur-

rounding his experiments started

when the Wright Brothers’ flight

was announced. A small group ofoverpatriotic French individuals

made the claim that Ader flew some

13 years before the Wright brothers.

Their position was later discred-

ited, as it was obvious that Ader’s

machine was a dead end, and his

initial success most likely a fluke. In

any case, it could not fit the notion

of sustained, controlled flight.

Nonetheless, Ader’s achievements

cannot be ignored, as even his worse

detractor, an Englishman named

Charles H. Gibbs Smith, conceded

in his 1968 book Clément Ader: His

the term “avion” became the offi-

cial French word for airplane, re-

placing the earlier aeroplane form

dating back to the 1850s.

Ader died in 1925 at the age of

84. Dubbed “the father of Frenchaviation,” another honor was post-

humously bestowed upon him

when the gigantic assembly hall of

Airbus Industrie, in Toulouse, was

named after him.

Another amazing flying machine

can be found in the nave of the

church: the 1906 REP.1 (or R.E.P.1),

an experimental airplane designedby Robert Esnault-Pelterie, another

fascinating pioneer.

Built during the winter of 1906-

1907, the REP.1 was ahead of its

time, as, in a biplane—or worse—

The Breguet RU.1,

is a military versionof the CU.1. This is

serial number 40,

built in 1911, and

was donated to the

CNAM Museum in

1912. It is believed

to be the oldest

military aircraft on

display in the world.


25/44

of Saint-Martin-des-Champs is the

1911 Breguet RU.1 (c/n 40).

Breguet Aviation was created

in 1911 by aviation Pioneer Louis

Charles Breguet. In 1971, it merged

with Dassault Aviation to become

the Avions Marcel Dassault-Breguet

Aviation (AMD-BA) group, which

still produces airplanes.

The first biplane designed and

built by Louis Breguet was fea-

tured at the 1909 Reims Interna-

tional Air Meet. Originally named

model III, the biplane became theCU.1 when equipped with a 120-

hp 9-cylinder Canton-Unné en-

gine. As such, Louis Breguet used

it in a 1910 daring nonstop flight

from Casablanca to Fès, Morocco,

crossing the Atlas Mountains.

The Breguet RU.1, a “military” ver-

sion of the CU.1, was produced insmall numbers starting in 1911 and

delivered to several air arms before the

outbreak of World War I (WWI). Num-

ber 40, built in 1911, was donated to

the CNAM Museum in 1912, and is,

to our knowledge, the oldest military

airplane on display in the world.

Most amazing of all is the actualBlériot XI flown by Louis Blériot dur-

ing his July 25, 1909, English Chan-

nel crossing that forever changed

the face of history. Blériot left Les

Barraques, on the French coastline,

in the early morning in his Anzani-

powered model XI, and he landed

in Dover, England, 36 minutes later.

Following this record-breakingflight, the model XI became the first

commercial success in aviation, as

101 orders were passed in 1909 alone.

Well into WWI, Blériot XIs were pro-

duced in France and under license

cation of the museum, visit its web-

site at www.arts-et-metiers.net .

The website does have an Eng-

lish language button on the upper-

right corner of the home page. We

found it to be a bit variable in its

effectiveness, and it never did suc-

cessfully navigate to images of the

aircraft in the museum.

At http://www.bleriot.arts-et-me-

tiers.net/ , a block of photos of the

original Blériot can be viewed.

Click on the En coulisses link on

the left side of the home page for

access to photos and a French-lan-

guage video.


26/44

My dad taught me how to fly in a Luscombe. From that date, I haveowned three airplanes; two Champs and a Stinson 108-2. All threewere basket cases when I got them and I completely restored them toflying condition.

I have talked to Pam at AUA many times and she, as always, ishelpful and not just trying to sell me something. When our grand kids

tell us they are ready to take the controls, I will call on AUA to getcoverage for the new aviators in our family. AUA will get my businessfor years to come.

— Billy Thompson

Billy ThompsonHeath, Texas

2,100 hours of flight time75% in tail wheel aircraft


27/44


28/44

In early 1980 I was collecting

needed parts for the restora-

tion of my 1929 Command-

Aire 5C3 biplane. I purchased

a Wright R-760-8 engine for $50

that included all accessories ex-

cept the starter, generator, and fuelpump. My search was on for a Ro-

mec engine-driven fuel pump, and

I was having no success. A local FAA

representative gave me the phone

number of a fellow in nearby San

That was the first meeting with

my now longtime pal Frank Rezich.

As of this writing, Frank is recuper-

ating from a lung illness in Tem-

pleton, a small city near where he

lives, just inland from the central

California coast. I flew west to visitFrank and spent 13 days in the

area. I have always been fascinated

with Frank’s background and had

gleaned a few stories from him that

were both interesting and funny.

who has achieved greatness in a

long career—someone who is head

and shoulders above the rest of the

crowd. And that certainly describes

Frank Rezich.

Frank was born the youngest of

three sons to Rocco and AmeliaRezich, immigrants from Croatia

who originally settled in the state

of Washington. Rocco was a sta-

tionary engineer working in steam-

powered saw mills. One night, he

My Friend Frank Rezich, Part IGrowing up “aviation”

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

PHOTOS COURTESY FRANK REZICH


29/44

Guessing the lumberjacks would

not let him walk out with their

money, he snuck out the bathroom

window. He ran home, collected

his wife and newborn son, Mike,

and jumped on a freight train that

eventually took them to Chicago.

Rocco had relatives in the Chicago

area, and they settled on South Laf-lin Street, east of the Chicago Mu-

nicipal Airport.

Frank’s older brother Mike was

born in 1915. Nick came along in

1919, and little brother Frank was

airport, a mere two blocks away.So, after the basement was dug,

the boys would make nightly trips

with wheelbarrows to the airport

and bring back the bricks from the

burned hangar, sorting and clean-

ing them in the basement. Once

they had enough bricks, a flat ce-

ment pad was laid and a brickhouse erected on it. The basement

would eventually be turned into

the boys’ airplane workshop.

Walking home from a nearby

high school, Frank would detour

slightly to walk through the airport.

As the boys grew up, big brother

Nick was working at Bluebird Fly-

ing Service, flight instructing anddoing some charter work. The year

was 1936 and the airplanes and aer-

ial activities at the field fascinated

Frank. Instead of going directly

home, he would linger in the han-

Above, (right to left), Mike, age 15;

Nick, age 10 (standing center); andFrank, age 7 (standing left), with a

model of The Spirit of St. Louis at their

feet. This photo was taken in 1930 at

the family home on Laflin Street, just

three years after Lindbergh landed

in Paris. Obviously this flight made a

huge impression on the boys.

Travel Air 2000, NC661H, in the Chicago area. With 17-year-old Nick as his

flight instructor, Frank soloed in this ship in 1938 at the age of 14. Frank re-

members that Nick was very demanding concerning Frank’s airmanship.

When asked why there

were two landing gears,

since the drawing only

showed one, which was

a right-hand gear,

Frank replied, “Because

you need a right- and

left-hand landing gear.

You simply read the

drawing 180 degrees to

build the other side.”


30/44

fice and get the paperwork for me to

sign. You’re hired!” Frank was only 17

years old, but the boss was probably

never told. That was the end of high

school for Frank—he did not com-

plete his senior year. Airplanes and

work were more important to him.

Mike Rezich was the boys’ finan-

cier when it came to purchasing air-

planes. The first was a Taylor E-2 Cub,

purchased in 1934 and based at the

nearby Ashburn Airport. The second

airplane was a Travel Air 2000, pur-

chased by Mike Rezich from a man inFredericksburg, Maryland.

The owner agreed to deliver the

ship to Chicago. Upon reaching

southwestern Pennsylvania, how-

ever, the airplane suffered an engine

failure and crashed into a mountain

just east of Pittsburgh, causing some

structural damage. The owner offeredto refund the $400 purchase price,

but Mike said to fix it and let him

know when it was done.

Frank remembered, “Nick went to

Maryland about a year later, the ship

was rebuilt, even with an overhauled

engine, and flew the repaired Travel

Air back to Chicago. It was paintedsilver with red trim.” Nick was just

17 years old at that time. With Nick

as his flight instructor, at the age of

14, Frank soloed the Travel Air in

1938. When asked how he felt, he

said, “Elated! And I got the airplane

back on the ground without damag-

ing anything.”

Frank recalled, “Harlem Airporthad about a half-mile dirt square so

you could land in any direction, de-

pending on the wind direction. The

airplane had a tailskid and no brakes.

After the solo Nick gave me more in-

A very young Frank Rezich has just soloed in 661H at the Harlem Airport, 5

miles southwest of Chicago Municipal. Frank does not recall how much in-

struction Nick gave him, but thinks it was five or six hours. And, fuel was just

25 cents per gallon!

The old Harlem Airport, where the Rezich boys kept their E-2 Cub and Travel

Air 2000 airplanes, on a cold snowy winter day. The Rezich fleet of airplanes,

now totaling two, was stored in the large hangar to the left in the photograph.


31/44

the ground immediately. I had many

forced landings flying to another air-

port. After the landing I had to go get

some water, pour it in the radiator,

start the engine, and continue. And

the magneto wasn’t very good.”

Frank describing his solo in the

Travel Air as being “exhilarating” is

the same feeling of solo flight that I

felt in 1959 in a Cessna 120. Frank

continued to gain experience as a

mechanic and eventually obtained

his aircraft mechanic’s license from

the CAA.Mike was working at the Ashburn

Airport for Matty Laird but moved

to the Harlem Airport, where there

were large storage hangar facilities

available. He continued to purchase

airplanes, adding a Pitcairn PA-7M,

NC876M, to the fleet.

Frank remembered, “The ship wasused by Eastern Air Lines as an in-

strument trainer. It was sold to Mon-

arch Air Service and Pierce “Scotty”

O’Carroll to be used for instrument

flight training. However, O’Carroll

quit the instrument training and sold

the airplane to Mike.

Mike flew the airplane to ChicagoMunicipal and moved it into the

family shop for overhaul.

Franks said, “We stripped the air-

plane, re-covered and painted it in

a bright scallop trim. We even over-

hauled the Wright R-760-E2. We took

it to Bluebird and assembled it in their

hangar and got it ready to go. The air-

port was being expanded to doubleits size, so all the city people were out

there to see the progress. Nick was

going to test fly it, and he asked me

if it was ready to go, and I said just

get in and go! So Nick cranked it up

thing was okay. Then I noticed that

we had changed the gas cap to a nicenew shiny chrome model that was

not vented. When the new cap was

removed, a large gush of air went into

the tank; that [a non-vented cap] had

caused fuel starvation to the engine.”

The boys flew the airplane around

the area—Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois.

Frank remembered, “When we putthe air wheels on the airplane, you

would just be in love with it. When

you pulled the power off, with those

air wheels, when the oleos touched

the ground that was it. Forget it. It’s

all done. We eventually had to put a

tail wheel on it; then we moved it out

to Willie Howell’s strip, where we had

the other two Travel Airs hangared.”The family home was just a block

away from a 50-foot gate that opened

onto 63rd Street, and there was a

shop building at the house. That is

where much of the restoration and

weather box in to analyze it. Well,

one night he fell asleep and spun in.He survived and later became assis-

tant chief pilot at Eastern Air Lines.”

Frank recalled details of the old

Chicago Municipal Airport; “In the

early days it had a little tower down

on the east side, and we used to talk

to them. Everybody knew the guys

in the tower. Like when we broughtour airplanes over to store ’em, we

saw them [the tower guys] in the sa-

loon and we told them, “Hey, we’re

coming over in the morning so they

could watch for us.”

Frank bought his first airplane at

age 19 from a guy on the north side

of Chicago. “I paid about $325 for the

ship, which included a spare engineand prop. It was a Wright J–5 powered

Travel Air 4000, NC9946. It flew very

nice, and it was used for smoke writ-

ing. It was an elephant-ear airplane.

The J-5 was a big improvement over

James O’Brien in the front cockpit and Frank sitting in the rear cockpit of

Travel Air D4000, NC8115, and the second Travel Air purchased by his

brother Mike in 1940. At age 17 the familiar cigar is in his mouth. This was a

Wright J–5 powered ship. Photo taken at Chicago Municipal Airport in 1940.


32/44

BY ROBERT G. LOCK

Elementary weight and balance

THE VintageMechanic

This edition will feature a discussion of an impor-

tant subject: weight and balance. It’s of particular

importance when it comes to aircraft stability and

safety. I’ll focus on those issues that will aid in un-derstanding the dynamics of the subject. We will not

discuss how to actually compute the empty weight

and center of gravity location at this time. That data

is readily available in many publications. The one I

like to use is FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 43.13-1B,

Chapter 10. In fact, I use the sample weight-and-

balance report, including the equipment list and

loading schedule as shown on pages 10-22 and 10-23of the AC.

First on the agenda is a brief discussion of lon-

gitudinal stability. This stability can be defined as

movement along the longitudinal axis and around

the lateral axis of the airplane, or stability in PITCH.

Posit ive stability is when an aircraft tends to return

to the state of initial equilibrium position (trimmed

level flight) following a disturbance. Neutral stabil-

ity is when an aircraft remains in equilibrium in a“new” position following a disturbance. Negative sta-

bility is when an aircraft tends to move farther in the

same direction as the disturbance that has moved it

from the initial position. A good reference for sta-

bility tests is FAA AC 90-89A, Chapter 5, Sections

tendencies following an initial disturbance from

level flight. Figure 2 shows positive longitudinal dy-namic stability.

FIGURE 1


33/44

Here the aircraft is displaced, and the oscillations tend

to move it away from its original flight path as the os-

cillations increase over time.

Good static and dynamic longitudinal stability de-

pends on the size and location of the horizontal stabi-lizer, its location (distance) from the lateral axis, and

a slight NOSE HEAVY condition of the aircraft. That

NOSE HEAVY tendency is a most important factor in

weight and balance.

Center of gravity location is given in inches within the

center of gravity envelope established by the manufac-

turer. The datum is an imaginary vertical plane selected

by the manufacturer from which all horizontal measure-

ments are taken with the aircraft in its level flight atti-

tude. An example of the datum of a biplane could be the

lower wing leading edge. Items of equipment forward of

the datum would be measured with a minus (-) number,

and aft of the datum would be measured with a plus (+)

number. A NOSE HEAVY airplane would be expressed as a

minus (-) moment, and a TAIL HEAVY airplane would be

expressed as a plus (+) moment.

The center of gravity forward and aft limits (CG en-velope) is referenced to the datum line, but is actually a

measurement on the mean aerodynamic chord (MAC).

On a biplane, the MAC is an imaginary airfoil located

between upper and lower wings that, if the airplane were

a monoplane, would exhibit the same pitching and roll-

longitudinally, the fuel should be drained, leaving only

the residual fuel, or that fuel in the system that will

not come out with the airplane in level flight. The oil

should be drained, leaving only residual oil. The scale

weights can then be recorded. Measurements takenshould be the distance of main wheel centerline to

datum, and main wheel centerline to tail wheel cen-

terline. The aircraft is then removed from the scales,

and the tare (any extraneous material such as chocks)

weighed and recorded. Then, using AC 43.13-1B pages

10-22 and 10-23, compute the EW and EWCG location.

Occasionally the manufacturer will provide an EWCG

range, and if the EWCG falls within this range, no further

forward and aft computations need be made. An example

is the Boeing Stearman Model 75 aircraft. The CG range

is (-1.5 inches) to (+7.1 inches). The empty weight CG

range is (-1.0 inch) to (+0.5 inch)—“when EWCG falls

within this range, computation of critical fore and aft CG

positions is unnecessary.” However, most older airplanes

do not have an EWCG range, so critical forward and aft

CG locations must be computed. Again AC 43.13-1B

page 10-23 shows how to compute critical forward andaft CG locations. At this point one can compute on paper

the entire weight-and-balance scenario for any loaded

condition. I computed every loaded condition for the

New Standard D-25 biplane I have been flying recently:

full fuel/solo, full fuel/two passengers, full fuel/four pas-

FIGURE 3

FIGURE 4


34/44

carrying 4 passengers, maximum fuel is limited to 31 U.S.

gallons and no baggage is allowed.”

A sample loading schedule is shown in AC 43.13-1B

page 10-23.

Once the EW and EWCG have been computed along

with the critical forward and aft loading, the equipment

list should be established. Again, AC 43-13-1B page 10-23

is a good source for information.

When I do a weight and balance, critical forward and

aft loading, loading schedule, and equipment list, I use

AC 43.13-1B as a guide for my paperwork.

If any of my computations don’t fall within the center

of gravity range established by the manufacturer, it may

be possible to ballast (if the aircraft is nose heavy). Here,AC 43.13-1B paragraph 10-22 and Figure 10-16 show

how to compute for installation of permanent ballast in

the aircraft. Here, ballasting a nose-heavy condition is

easier than a tail-heavy condition.

Weight and balance is of great importance for estab-

lishing good longitudinal stability for the aircraft. To

have good stall/spin recovery tendencies, the CG must

be located forward of the center of pressure (lift). Whenthis relationship is established, if the airplane is stalled,

the nose will fall below the horizon and recovery will be

normal. If the CG is aft of the center of pressure (CP), it

may not be possible to lower the nose to effect a positive

recovery from the stall/spin. The aft CG is the most dan-

gerous, because it is almost impossible for ballast to move

the CG forward because the minus (-) arm is so short.

The tail-heaviness tendency of an aircraft must be dealt

with during the restoration process. However, for slight

tail-heaviness tendency, one can adjust the stagger of the

wings aft (decrease stagger), in an attempt to move the

CP aft of the CG. But this is usually not effective because

of the limited movement of wing stagger.

In my days of antique airplane restoration, I’d say

that many of the airplanes produced in the early days by

the factory were tail heavy. It’s nice to know this when

the airplane is completely disassembled. Probably themost important factor in a good-flying airplane will be

the length of the engine mount, which will locate the

weight of the engine and prop far enough forward of the

datum line to set the EW where it should be located. This

is particularly true with the Travel Air 2000/3000/4000

aft of the pilot’s seat was restricted to only 5 pounds of

baggage. So I moved the engine mount forward 1 inch and

installed a Wright R-760-8 engine, which moved the CG

even farther forward. A preliminary weight-and-balance

check with the airplane (fuselage uncovered) on scales and

leveled showed the CG toward the forward limit.

The photograph below (Figure 5) shows the weighing

of the Command-Aire with the fuselage uncovered to

establish the preliminary EWCG location. So I placed the

battery aft of the baggage compartment, which acted as

ballast. Locating the battery box and battery aft helped

move the EWCG to a better position. Figure 5 shows the

location of the battery box in the aft fuselage.

When I was finished and test flew the airplane, the

CG was perfect. In level flight the trim handle was in

the center of its travel. The photo below shows one of

the first of many test flights of my Command-Aire over

central Florida’s green swamp. Note the position of the

horizontal stabilizer, with the elevators streamlined,

which indicated that the center of gravity location is

where it should be.

FIGURE 5


35/44

TERMINOLOGY:

Center of gravity (CG)—The point where the aircraft,

if suspended, would balance perfectly.Empty weight center of gravity (EWCG)—The point

where the aircraft, if suspended, would perfectly balance

minus its useful load.

Center of gravity range—The distance between

most forward and most aft center of gravity location es-

an item is aft of the datum, and a minus sign (-) is used

when an item is forward of datum line.

Moment—The product of the weight of an item multi-

plied by its arm.

Mean aerodynamic chord (MAC) – Established by the

manufacturer, a chord line of an imaginary air foil that

has a leading and trailing edge.

Weighing point—A vertical line passing through the

The center of gravity location is so important to me

that I do a check of the EWCG location before cover-

ing the fuselage if I have any doubts as to its position.

When I restore my Travel Air 4000 I’ll do the same

thing and get the CG located in the correct place on

the MAC.

Next, a rare view of an aircraft being hoisted for a

landing gear retraction check at Fantasy of Flight. The

landing gear is about 4 inches off the ground at this

point. Note how the ship is balanced.

Above, the Grumman Duck with its landing gear

retracted by means of a hand crank in the left side

of front cockpit. Note how the retraction of the gear

did not change the center of gravity. These photos are

courtesy of Andy Saulter. If anybody wondered how a

ship would appear if balanced like a model airplane,

these are the photographs that graphically demon-

strate weight and balance! Thanks, Andy. I guess one

could call this “Duck on a rope,” or “Dangling duck.”

I recall in my early days of building flying models, I

was taught to check the balance of a model by placing

my fingers at about one-third (about 30 percent) the

wing chord and raising the ship. If it was nose heavy

or tail heavy it was very apparent. You are doing some-

thing similar when computing weight and balance of

a real airplane.

In conclusion I would like to throw in a little theory

of flight. Longitudinal stability is stability in pitch.

The aircraft is designed to be slightly nose heavy in

level flight. This slight nose-heavy tendency is offset

by a lifting force down (download) on the horizontal

stabilizer. When the aircraft is in cruise and trimmed

for level flight, the amount of download exactly off-sets the nose-heaviness tendency. If the aircraft is

pitched up, airflow over the aircraft is reduced and

downward lifting force on the horizontal stabilizer is

also reduced. With a slight nose-heaviness tendency,

the nose will fall below the horizon, airspeed will

increase, and the downward lifting force on the hori-

zontal stabilizer will increase, raising the nose. When

these pitch oscillations decrease and the aircraft re-turns to level cruise flight without input from the

pilot, the aircraft displays positive static and dynamic

stability. That’s what we really want for the best flying

qualities. Extremes in forward or aft CG locations will

alter the stability tendency toward neutral or negative

stability, which is what we don’t want. For further in-

formation on weight and balance, consult the Aircraft

Weight and Balance Handbook, FAA-H-8083-1A. It’s

very good.

So, folks, we need to get the center of gravity loca-

tion on the money for good control. Pay attention to

the details during restoration for best results.

FIGURE 7


36/44

I’ve had the pleasure of serving as an EAA Flight

Advisor since the inception of the program nearly

a decade ago. During that time I’ve enjoyed work-

ing with a number of pilots who successfully com-

pleted their first flight in a newly built, newly restored,

or newly owned aircraft. I’d like to share with you acouple of experiences, but first I’ll give a bit of back-

ground on the Flight Advisor program.

Several years ago the EAA, in a proactive move,

launched the EAA Flight Advisor program. Statistics

at that time indicated an inordinate number of ac-

cident/incidents were occurring on the first flight of

newly built, newly restored, or newly owned aircraft.

The EAA, with the blessing of the FAA, launched the

Flight Advisor program. It is designed to review with

the pilot:

+ the pilot’s overall flight experience

+ the pilot’s recent flight experience

+ the pilot’s familiarity with the plane to be flown

+ the flight and handling characteristics of the plane

to be flown

+ the aircraft’s speeds and power settings

Should the pilot be found to lack experience in a sim-ilar aircraft, the Flight Advisor will usually recommend

receiving some dual instruction to prepare the pilot for

the first flight. As a long-time flight instructor, I then

take my Flight Advisor hat off and provide the necessary

dual instruction in preparation for that first flight.

wise to get a couple of hours of dual instruction in a

tailwheel airplane before attempting the first flight. At

first Tom balked at the suggestion, but then he gave in

to the idea and came to see me.

We reviewed the speeds of his airplane and found

them to be quite similar to that of my Piper J5 Cruiser,so off we went. After reviewing some slow flight and

stalls, we headed back to the airport to try some take-

offs and landings on a slightly frozen turf runway.

Tom’s first two landings were picture perfect—beauti-

ful approach, great speed control, and a nice touch-

down with good directional control. I began to think

that maybe Tom was as good of a pilot as he thought

he was. When it was time for takeoff and landing num-

ber three, I altered the pattern and asked that he fly

it at 800 feet rather than the normal 1,000 feet above

ground level (AGL).

Almost immediately Tom was behind the airplane,

struggling to catch up and fly it correctly. The turn

to final was sloppy and altitude control was the

same. He was behind it all the way, the J5 bounced

once, and Tom was at a loss for what to do. When it

touched down the second time, he didn’t have thenose aligned with the runway, and the plane began

sliding sideways on the turf. The J5 is a rugged air-

plane and our speed was now quite slow, so I let him

go to see what he would do. When we finally came

to a stop, we had completed a beautiful slow-motion

BY Steve Krog, CFI

A Tale of Three ‘First’ Flights

THE Vintage

Instructor


37/44

The second pilot tale involves Dick, a U.S. Air Force

–trained pilot who hadn’t flown in more than 10 years.

As Dick was nearing completion of his experimental kit-

built aircraft, he stopped by and wanted as much dual

as was necessary to be both a safe and competent pilot.

We flew a Piper J3 Cub and worked on all maneuvers,

including a lot of cross-wind land-

ings. After nearly 12 hours of dual

accompanied by a fair amount of

ground instruction, I pronounced

him safe and current and signed

him off for both a tailwheel check-

out as well as a flight review.

It took several extra weeks beforeDick’s airplane was finally signed

off by the FAA. During that time

Dick continued to fly the Cub to

remain competent. On Friday, after

flying the Cub, he stated that early

Sunday morning would be the des-

ignated first flight. Prior to that, he

planned to do some additional taxitests. I firmly reminded him NOT

TO FLY the airplane until I could

assist him with the first flight. He

wholeheartedly agreed.

On Saturday evening after I had left the airport,

Dick proceeded with the taxi tests. All went well, but

the “little devil” sitting on his shoulder kept saying,

“Go ahead and fly it.”

Dick gave in and decided to try flying his newly built

airplane. The takeoff was uneventful as were two or

three overhead circles around the airport. But when it

was time to land, the nerves took over and he stalled the

airplane about 20 feet above the runway. When the dust

settled Dick realized he wasn’t hurt, but his airplane suf-

fered major damage. It will take him another two years

to undo and repair his now not-so-new airplane.

There are two lessons to be learned from this mis-hap. First, never make a first flight without having

someone on the ground to observe what you’re doing,

and second, don’t let that little devil on your shoulder

convince you to do something for which you are not

prepared. Had Dick waited until Sunday and worked

The day of the first flight was beautiful; bright sunny

sky with light and variable surface winds. We talked

about the first flight at length and finally it was time

to fly. I equipped Harry with a handheld radio and

headset and did several radio checks with the airplane

engine running.

Harry taxied to the end of the

runway, completed his pretake-off

checklist, and did one high-speed

taxi run. Everything checked out.

I positioned myself about halfway

down the runway while he aligned

the airplane with the centerline of

the wide turf runway and movedthe throttle slowly to full power.

The takeoff was uneventful, and

he climbed to 500 feet AGL before

attempting a shallow turn back to

the airport. I then instructed him

to climb to 1,000 feet AGL and fly

three left-hand circuits around the

airport. While doing so he readback to me the power settings, air-

speeds, and temps. With everything

in the normal operating range, I

had him fly three more overhead

circuits, making right-hand turns to get the feel of the

airplane’s handling characteristics.

After completing the circuits, he

vintage airplane - oct 2010

Documents