The Magazine of the EAA Antique/Classic Division, February 1990
STRAIGHT AND LEVEL by Art Morgan, Vice-President
New regulations. An aggressive en­
forcement policy by one government
agency. Another agency saying our
older radios are now paperweights.
Communities wanting to bar certain
types of airplanes from their airports
because of an unfortunate incident. An
aircraft manufacturer claiming that, for
safety ' S sake , your little airplane
should be re-manufactured every 10
years , or be permanently grounded.
Sounds pretty bleak, doesn't it? Pretty
darn grim . What is the future of gen­
eral aviation? Where are we going
from here?
Several weeks ago my wife and I
attended an aviation social event. After
the dinner and the speeches, we were
all standing arround talking and sampl­
ing the local variety of snake-bite re­
medy, when I was asked that very
question. Without any warning , one of
our more prominent lady antiquers
looked me right in the eye and asked,
"Art , what is the future of the antique/
classic movement, and sport aviation?
Is there one ?"
Now think about that for a while.
"Is there one?" That question sounded
plaintive and it shook me to my roots.
How would you answer it?
[ took this charming lady by the
2 FEBRUARY 1990
elbow and sat her down at one of the
tables and said, yes, there is a future
for us in little-plane aviation. In what
I hoped was a very positive, up-beat
way , I told her of the growth of EAA
and the Antique/Classic Division in
just the past year. I told her how, be­
cause of the positive leadership of our
organization, the herculean efforts of
countless volunteers and the loyalty of
the members, the movement would
continue to grow into the future. With
tears in her eyes in the middle of a very
large group of aviation enthusiasts, she
thanked me for restoring her faith and
for reinforcing her beliefs in our avoca­
tion. But did I answer her question
completely? I don ' t think so. For that
matter, did I answer it honestly? It
bothered me for a while but I think I
have finally come to a conclusion.
[n 1989, many of us attended the
world's largest aviation event. The
Russians were there with a Whopper
of an airplane, and a couple of Whop­
perettes that, I swear, could go straight
up. The U.S., of course , brought in
several biggies of our own, including
the SR-71 Blackbird. What a sight!
Several other countries were rep­
resented by their people and planes.
Overall, airplanes and people atten­
dance was up over past years. In the
Antique/Classic area we saw more and
prettier show planes than ever before .
The same for all other show plane
areas.
People were everywhere and in
greater quantities than we ever im­
agined in 1970. We had more volun­
teers than ever before this year and
they came from all age groups. At the
end , when everyone had gone home
the grounds were cleaner than ever.
This past year I've listened to a pair
of 80-year-old twins talking about the
airplanes they have flown and the
airplanes they are building now and are
going to fly. I've listened to 15-year­
olds telling of their dreams of flight.
With both the young and the old, the
telling isn't so much with the words as
it is with the eyes. I could look into
those eyes and see the future . I can ' t
forget to tell you about their hands ­
. darting and weaving through the air,
painting a picture more accurate than
any camera could capture. Dreams of
the future.
People. People from all walks of life
donate, for unclaculable hours, their
varied skills, talents, energies and re­
sources to this giant melting pot we
call EAA. What results is a stew of
pride and accomplishment the whole
world looks at with awe. Not too bad
for a bunch of tire-kickers, eh?
Is there a future for aviation? As
long as we have people who can dream
and then turn those dreams into reality,
yes . As long as there is one young per­
son out there who turns his or her eyes
skyward at the sound of a passing
airplane, I believe there is a future. As
long as there are people who will ex­
tend heart and hand to help someone
else, you bet.
I believe that the future for aviation ,
and those of us involved in it, is bright­
er than it's ever been. What do you
think?
Stand tall , Y'all! •
PUBLICATION STAFF
PUBLISHER Tom Poberezny V1CE-PRESIDENT MARKETING & Co.MMUNICATlo.NS
Dick Matt EDITo.R Mark Phelps ART DIRECTo.R
Mike Drucks
ADVERTISING
Mary Jones
ASSo.CIATE EDITo.RS Norman Petersen
Dick Cavin FEATURE WRITERS George A Hardie, Jr.
Dennis Parks EDITo.RIAL ASSISTANT Isabelle Wiske STAFF PHOTo.GRAPHERS Jim Koepnick
Carl Schuppel Jeff Isom EM ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION, INC. OFFICERS President
Espie "Butch" Joyce
604 Highway St.
Madison, NC 27025
919/427-0216
Secretory
George S. York
181 Sloboda Ave.
Mansfield, o.H 44906
419/529-4378
Vice President
Arthur R. Morgan
3744 North 51st Blvd.
Milwaukee, WI 53216
414/442-3631
Treasurer
E.E. "Buck" Hilbert
P.o.. Box 424
Union, IL 60180
815/923-4591
DIRECTORS
Robert C. "Bob" Brauer
9345 S. Hoyne
Chicago, IL 60620
312/779-2105
Philip Coulson
28415 Springbrook Dr.
Law1on, MI 49065
616/624-6490
Charles Harris
3933 South Peoria
P.o. Box 904038
Tulsa,o.K74105 John S. Copeland
9 Joanne Drive
Westborough, MA 01581
508/366-7245
William A Eickhoff
41515th Ave .. N.E.
St. Petersburg, FL 33704
813/823-2339
Stan Gomoll
1042 90th Lone, NE
Minneapolis, MN 55434
6121784-1172
9181742-7311
Dale A Gustafson
7724 Shady Hill Drive
Indianapolis, IN 46278
317/293-4430
Gene Morris
115C Steve Court, R.R. 2
Roanoke, TX 76262
817/491-9110
Daniel Neuman
1521 Berne Circle W.
Minneapolis, MN 55421
612/571-0893
Robert D. "Bob" Lumley
1265 South 124th St.
Brookfield, WI 53005
FEBRUARY 1990 • Vol. 18, No.2
Copyright © 1990 by the EAA Antique/Classic Division , Inc. All rights reserved.
Contents
2
Straight and Levellby Art Morgan
4
A/e News/compiled by Mark Phelps
6
Aerograms
8
Helpful Productslby Mark Phelps
9
Vintage Seaplaneslby Norm Petersen
10
Vintage Literaturelby Dennis Parks
12
Interesting Memberslby Steve Nesse
13
Members' Projectslby Norm Petersen
16
"Six-Month" Sedanlby Dennis Kirkwood
20
John Lafferty/by Norm Petersen
26
Hurry! Hurry!lby Jim Haynes
30
Pass It To Buck/by E. E. "Buck" Hilbert
31
Aeron-Quixotelby Edlock Hart
32
Vintage Trader
35
Mystery Planelby George Hardie, Jr.
Page 16
Page 20
4141782-2633
Steven C. Nesse
2009 Highland Ave.
Albert Lea, MN 56007
507/373-1674
5.H. OWes" Schmid
2359 Lefeber Avenue
Wauwatosa, WI 53213
414m1-1545
Page 35
FRo.NT Co.VER ... A 1941 Taylorcraft BC12 "DeLuxe" N29654, piloted
by owner, Lowell Boker of Effingham, Illinois.
(Photo by Carl Schuppel, Photo plane flown by Carl Koeling)
DIRECTOR EMERITUS
5.J. Wittman 7200 S.E. 85th Lane o.cala, FL 32672 904/245-7768 REAR Co.VER . . . Another "airminded" magazine cover from the
Golden Age of aviation. Donated by Dick Hill.
ADVISORS
John Berendt
7645 Echo Point Rd.
Cannon Falls, MN 55009
507/263-2414
Gene Chase
2159 Carlton Rd.
o.shkosh, WI 54903
414/231-5002
George Daubner
2448 Lough Lane
Hartford, WI 53027
414/673-5885
John A Fogerty
RR2, Box 70
Roberts, WI 54023
715/425-2455 Jeannie Hill P.O.. Box 328 Harvard, IL 60033 815/943-7205 The words EM, ULTRALIGHT, FLY WITH THE FIRSTTEAM, SPORT AVIATION, and the logos 01 EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION INC., EAA INTERNA·
TIONAL CONVENTION, EM ANTIOUE/CLASSIC DIVISION INC., INTERNATIONAL AEROBATIC CLUB INC., WARBIRDS OF AMERICA INC., are registered
trademar1<s. THE EM SKY SHOPPE and logos 01 the EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION INC. and EAA ULTRALIGHT CONVENTION are trademari<s 01 the above
associalioos and their use by aIrf person other !han the above associaloos is strictly prohil>ted.
Editorial Policy: Readers are eocouraged 10 submt stories and photographs. Policy op;rOons expressed in articles are soIe~ !hose 01 the authors. ResponsiJility for
accuracy ~ reportilg rests entirely with the contrilutor. Material should be sent to: Editor, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE, WrttrTm RegiooaJ Airport, 300J Poberezny FId.,
OsN<osh, WI 54903-3086. Phone: 4t4l42&4800.
The VINTAGE AIRPLANE (ISSN 0091·6943) ~ published and owned ex.us"eIy by EM Antique/Classic Division, Inc. 01 the Experimental Aircraft AssociaOOn, Inc. and
~ published month~ at Wrttman RegKlnai Airport, 300J Poberezny FId., Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086. Seoood Class Postage paid at Oshkosh, WI 54901 and add"rtiooaI
mailing offices. Membership rates lor EM AntiqueJClassic Division, Inc. are $18.00 for o.JITent EM members for 12 month peOOd 01 wtlich $12.00 ~ for the publicaOOn
01 The VINTAGE AIRPLANE. Merrbership is open to all wtlo are ~terested in a~ation.
ADVERTISING - Ant~ue/Classic Division does not guarantee or endorse any product offered through our advertising. We inv"e constructive cri1icism and wetcome
any report of inferior mercha~e obtained through our advertising so that corrective measures can be taken.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to EAA Antique/Classic Division, Inc., P.O. Box 3086, Oshkosh, WI 54903-3086.
Compiled by Mark Phelps
L to R: Jack Cox, Steven Brown, Gail Lewis, Jerry Walbrun, Tom Poberezny, Dick Matt, John Baker, Martin Shuey, Patricia Weil, Paul
Poberezny and Robert Carter.
EAA, AOPA meet in Oshkosh
Top officials of the AOPA and EAA
met recently to discuss key issues con­
fronting the aviation community and
to set an agenda for action.
The two-day session, which took
place at EAA Headquarters in Osh­
kosh, January 3-4, brought together
two of the world's largest aviation or­
ganizations - the 300,000-member
AOPA and the I 25,000-member EAA.
"We were very pleased to meet with
AOPA President, John Baker and
members of his staff on issues that will
affect all of us in the weeks and months
ahead," said EAA President, Tom
Poberezny. "We exchanged informa­
tion and viewpoints and developed
4 FEBRUARY 1990
positions that are important to the
sport- and general-aviation com­
munities. EAA and AOPA are willing
to work with elected offiecials in
Washington and those who shape fed­
eral aviation policies in areas of mutual
concern so that individual citizens will
be assured reasonable and safe access
to our nation's airports and airways
system."
"1990 will be a critical year for de­
termining the future of U.S. aviation,"
said AOPA President, Baker. "It is im­
portant that AOPA and EAA, who rep­
resent the overwhelming majority of
aviation users, work together to ensure
that aviation system modernization is
handled in a manner that takes into
consideration the priority needs of the
nations' air travelers. Prioritization of
programs and responsible funding will
be key to a healthy future for all of
U.S. aviation ."
In addition to Tom Poberezny, who
served as host of the meeting, the EAA
contingent included Paul Poberezny,
EAA founder and Chairman; Jerry
Walbrun, Assistant the President; Dick
Matt, Vice President, Marketing and
Communications; and Jack Cox,
Editor-in-Chief of EAA Publications .
President John Baker led the AOPA
delegation. Participants also included
Robert Carter, Acting Vice President,
AOPA Air Safety Foundation; Patricia
Weil, Vice President, Communica­
tions; Steven Brown, Vice President,
Strategic Planning and Policy; and
Martin Shuey , Vice President, Office
of Technical Analysis and Support .
The group discussed the joint peti­
tion on Mode C transponders submit­
ted by AOPA, EAA, the Helicopter
Association International (HAl) and
the National Association of State A vi­
ation Officials (NASAO). Other topics
included airspace reclassification; the
Primary Aircraft proposal; the notice
of proposed rulemaking regarding Re­
creational Pilot licensing; drug-testing
and related rules and regulations; prod­
uct liability bills currently before Con­
gress (S.640 and H.1307); FCC radio
frequency rule; "zero error" enforce­
ment policies; weather station closings;
loran C; and other key aviation issues.
A similar meeting at AOPA Haed­
quarters in Frederick, Maryland will be
scheduled in the near future.
Meet the Crusader
Now available from Rare Birds Pub­
lishing is Sandy Roca's book,
Crusader. The product of five years'
research, much of it at EAA's Boeing
Aeronautical Library, Roca's book
chronicles the development in the
1930s of this unique aircraft and its
designer, Thomas Shelton. The book
spans 184 pages of history, specifica­
tions, index and bibliography with
scores of photos never before pub­
lished , including images of Amelia
Earhart. Shelton's aircraft was an early
flying wing design, ultimately flown
in prototype form with twin tailbooms .
The twin-engine aircraft was an early
effort at designing an efficient, safe
and modem aircraft for family use . In
1935, when the prototype flew despite
the ravages of the Depression, the
Crusader was far ahead of its time.
The oversize (II by 16 inches),
hardcover book is beautifully bound
and lithographed and the limited-edi­
tion press run will include 2,000 num­
bered copies, all to be signed by the
author and Mr. Shelton. A limited
offer allows purchase for $68.50 plus
$5.00 for shipping and handling (Mas­
sachusetts residents add $3.43 state
sales tax). To order or to obtain more
information, contact Rare Birds Pub­
lishing, P.O. Box 67, South Berlin,
Massachusetts 01549 .
National Aeronca Association
The National Aeronca Association
was misidentified as a "club" in our
NATIONAL AERONCA ASSOCIATION Type Club listing included in the
November issue and the address was
not updated. The current address is :
806 Lockport Road , Box 2219, Terre
Haute, Indiana 47802. The association
also publishes a magazine rather than
a newsletter.
Right place, wrong name
Dick Stevens of Tucson, Arizona
April 8-14 - Lakeland , Florida . 16th
annual Sun 'n Fun '90 EAA Fly-in .
Lakeland Municipal Airport. Contact
Sun 'n Fun EAA Fly-in Inc., PO Box
6750, Lakeland, Florida. Tel. 813/
644-2431.
May 4-6
Burlington, North
Carolina. Burlington Airport. Spon­
sored by Antique/Classic Chapter 3.
Contact Ray Bottom , c/o Antique Air­
ways,
103 Powhatan Parkway,
Hampton, Virginia 23661. Tel. 804/
722-5056.
May 5-6 Winchester, Virginia.
Winchester Regional EAA Spring Fly­
in . Winchester Airport. Sponsored by
EAA Chapter 186. Contact George
Lutz, Tel. 703/256-7873.
May 6 - Rockford, Illinois. EAA
Chapter 22 Annual Fly-in Breakfast.
Mark Clark's Courtesy Aircraft,
Greater Rockford Airport. 7:00 am to
noon. ATIS 126.7. Contact Wallace
Hunt, 815/332-4708.
May 20 - Benton Harbor, Michigan .
Fourth Annual EAA Chapter 585
Dawn Patrol BreakfasULunch. In­
cludes boat and classic car show. Ross
Field, Benton Harbor, Michigan. Con­
tact AI Todd, PO Box 61 , Stevensville,
Michigan 49127. Tel. 616/429-2929.
pointed out that the correct name of
the airport in "Chapter Capsules" in the
December issue is Janes Field, not
James Field . Phil Janes, after whom the
airport is named was an FAA inspec­
tor in the Twin Cities Region and a
good friend of Mr. Stevens and many
other pilots in the area. Dick charac­
terizes Mr. Janes as, "fair and en­
couraging." •
june 1-2 - Bartlesville, Oklahoma .
Biplane Expo ' 90, the National Bi­
plane Association's Fourth Annual
Convention and Exposition. Frank
Phillips Field, Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
Free to members of NBA. For mem­
bership information, contact Charles
Harris, NBA, Hangar 5, 4-J Aviation,
Jones-Riverside Airport, Tulsa, Ok­
lahoma. Tel. 918/299-2532.
june 8-10 - Middletown , Ohio . Fifth
National
Aeronca
Convention.
Aeronca factory. Includes factory tour
and visit to USAF Museum. Contact
Augie Wegner, National Aeronca As­
sociation, PO Box 2219, Terre Haute,
Indiana 47802 . Tel. 812/232-1491.
june 22-24 Pauls Valley, Ok­
lahoma. Greater Oklahoma City AAA
Chapter Fly-in. Contact Dick Darnell,
100 Park Avenue Building, Suite 604,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102.
Tel. 405/236-5635.
july 27-August 2 - Oshkosh, Wis­
consin. 38th Annual EAA Fly-in Con­
vention,
"EAA
Oshkosh
'90."
Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh
Wisconsin. Contact EAA, EAA A via­
tion Center, Oshkosh, Wisconsin
54903-3086 . Tel. 414/426-4800.
September 8 - Chico , California .
Chico Antique Airshow. Chico Air­
port. Contact Chico Antique Airshow
Committee, 6 St. Helens Lane, Chico,
California 95926. Tel 916/342-3730 .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
of an Aeronca 7EC Champ. It's good
experience and a good investment in
time because my friend and another
fellow will help me rebuild my plane.
They are great and careful workmen ,
so we ought to be flying sooner than
if I had to do the restoration alone.
Thanks again for putting me on to A.C.
Hutson . .. he ' s really a great guy!
Come to Fernandina . ..
Hughes Mann Harper
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Show your colors
VI~T~t3~ AIl2VL~~~ A~l2() Dear Mark ,
During the 1930s I visited many air­
ports just to admire the colorful
airplanes and to get color schemes for
my models. I believe the color, trim
and finish used on an old airplane is a
major representation of the builder's
creati vity and artistry . Closely defined
color is often a unique part of the iden­
tity for a fabric-covered antique
airplane .
All
airplanes
in
VINTAGE
AIRPLANE should be in color. If color
photography is not availab le , the cap­
tion should give the colors and any
available details about the finish . I
have a tough time finding EAA matters
to criticize, but the color management
in VINTAGE AIRPLANE needs atten­
tion . Let ' s go FIRST CLASS!
Sincerely ,
Harold Field
Amarillo, Texas
Thanks
VVorks in progress
Dear Mark ,
Thank s to you and the editorial staff
for the extra copies of November 1989
VINTAGE AIRPLANE. My compli­
ments to you for the fine article you
wrote. I am extremely pleased and
proud to be the subject of your writing
talents and have heard many favorable
comments on the article. At the time
of your interview and photo mission I
was unaware that my aircraft would re­
ceive recognition as Grand Champion
Antique. I must admit I harbored hopes
that my Staggerwing wou ld be men­
tioned in your publication in some fu­
ture issue. In the end , reality outpaced my
expectations. What a thrill. I thank you.
Best wishes,
Bill Halverson
Bloomington, Minnesota
Dear Mark,
Work goes slowly on my (prewar)
Taylorcraft, but some good and some
not-so-good things have happened.
First...the people at FAA sent me a
new registration number, N 2260L.
This wouldn't look right on an antique
so I phoned them and found that for
another $10.00 they might give me N
22613. That would be satisfactory be­
cause I'm not superstitious. The good
news is that A.C. Hutson not only let
me copy his collection of eight years
of manuals, articles, etc. but he let me
fly hi s 1939 model (VINTAGE AIR­
PLANE, June 1988)! What a treat! I
have now returned all hi s origi nal ma­
terial and have found even more through
a few library trips. I am helping a
friend re-do a groundlooped right wing
6 FEBRUARY 1990
Bill Halverson an.
By now , Mr . Field will have received
his January issue with the new inside
color pages . This will be repeated
three more times this year in VIN­
TAGE AIRPLANE . We are glad to
have the opportunity to show more
color in the magazine. When this is not
possible, however, we will make every
effort to describe color schemes in the
text . - Ed.
The Rhinebeck beat
Dear Mark ,
It seems like I haven ' t done much
flying lately , but time has. I've gotten
lots of positive feedback on my articles
(March and July , 1989) and I'm think­
ing about getting more serious about
writing .
The Jenny from Rhinebeck didn't
make it to EAA Oshkosh '89 as you
know, and neither did the Pietenpol I
was helping with, but I was there along
with my brother and parents and we all
enjoyed the show. I'm not much of a
jet enthusiast but the collection that
was there was pretty impressive.
In my spare time this past year I've
been trying to write down all of my
experiences flying at Rhinebeck and
elsewhere with the hope of eventually
collecting them into a book. Now that
I'm out of work I'm going to hit that
a little harder for the next couple of
months. By then I ought to be broke
enough to start looking for something
interesting to do again.
The magazine seems to be doing
well and is always eagerly awaited.
his Stcggerwing.
"Sweet P"
Yours,
Andrew King
Valley Cottage , New York
Sweet Porterfield
Dear Mr. Phelps,
Enclosed is a photo of "Sweet P."
Our EAA Oshkosh '89 trip was a 10­
year anniversary as I had made the trip
in 1979 with my then 16-year-old son,
Tony. This year he made the trip as an
instructor in Mr. Bill Melamed's silver
T-6, flying formation with his Grand
Champion Harvard.
I owned Sweet P from 1955 until
1958 . I rebuilt it and flew it in 1957
for a little while when I got drafted and
sold it. I bought it back again in 1975
and spent four years rebuilding it for
the second time.
I taught my son, Tony to fly - he
is now a flight instructor. I also taught
daughter Number One, Coleen to fly
in it - she soloed once and evidently
that was enought satisfaction for her.
Number Two daughter, Jennifer re­
ceived instruction from both Tony and
me when she was 14 to 16. She took
a 30-day trip with her brother (28
states, coast -to-coast).
In 10 years Sweet P has performed
for 1,000 hours with only routine
maintenance to keep it in the air. In the
1940s to '50s era, Sweet P accumu­
lated 3,700 hours - most of that dur­
ing CPT days . I have only one logbook
now . All the CPT maintenance records
have gone by the wayside. I plan to
keep operating Sweet P as long as I
can . I guess you could say it's part of
the family .
LeRoy Blum
Glendora, California
Good magazine, but...
Dear Mark,
I have been a subscriber to VIN­
TAGE AIRPLANE since 1976. While
it is a sk inny little periodical, I enjoy
it and think it is certainly worth the
subscription price . I've never had any
suggestions to make before , but since
you had a mis-labelling in the De­
cember 1989 issue that I wanted to call
to your attention, I thought I would
give you a couple of comments at the
same time.
First, the mis-labelling. The pictures
at the top and bottom of page 29 appear
to have had their captions reversed. I
have been to both places and feel sure
that they are mis-labelled .
In general, the qual ity of pictures
and general format of the magazine has
improved a lot in the last three years.
However, the number of articles of his­
torical interest has fallen quite notici­
bly. In today' s magazine, the 'Time
Capsule" and "V intage Seaplane" fea­
tures are really good , and there is an
occasional article such as the Grum­
man Kitten piece (August, 1989) that
is well researched and of historical in­
terest. The overall tendency , though ,
seems more toward coverage of recent
fly-ins and rebuilding projects ­
today's history instead of yeaterday' s.
In summary, you are doing great ­
keep up the good work , but squeeze in
all the historical works you can.
Best regards ,
Amol Sellars
Tulsa , Oklahoma
P.S . The quality of the cover pictures
is really better in the last couple of
years! •
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
HELPFUL
PRODUCTS
ETCHED PlATES
Jerry Turner of Nostalgic Reflections, a long-time EAAer
and restorer of rare aircraft re-creates vintage name plates,
data plates and instrument faces for antique automobiles,
motorcycles, airplanes and anything else you may have in your
restoration shop . Some samples of his work are shown below.
For hard-to-find items of this type, contact J erry. No job is
too small.
1927
~
Serial P lates . Decals
. Instrument Faces·
ill Plates
.~
~
...
1
~ti son
1931 c\0nocoup~
8 FEBRUARY 1990
fLLe.l s~~
VINTAGE SEAPLANES by Norm Petersen
Here is a photo that will stump the float
experts! Irs a 1950 Piper Super Cub PA-18
"105" SpeCial, N7201K, SIN 18-92, mounted
on a set of Edo 46-1620 floats. The photo
was contributed by former owner Andy
Schuch of Menasha, Wisconsin, who took
the p icture on a fishing trip to Ontario. Al­
though never certified on these floats
(from back in the 1930's), the "105" was
granted a one-time FAA approval prior to
Andy purchasing the airplane from Art
Noteboom in St. Paul in the early 1960's.
The Super Cub was very quick off the water
due to the shape of the floats and the help
of flaps. After several years of service, the
PA-18 and floats were totalled in an acci­
dent.
This photo shows N7201K on Edo 1620 floats sliding on to Andy Schuch's ramp in Menasha, Wiscon­
sin. With 36 gal. gas capacity, the PA-18 had excellent range for an all-electric floatplane. Note
"axle" holes through step area which would accept a stub axle and wheel to roll the floatplane
on a hard surface. This photo shows a small spinner which was later replaced with a large spinner
in upper photo.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
~
I
n the late 1930s an article appeared
called "What Airplane Markings Mean ."
The article stated:
" Numbers and letters on airplanes ,
balloons and airships are significant
and interesting, for they reveal some­
thing of the status of the craft they
identify and, if correctly understood,
may be a source of guidance, protec­
tion and entertain­
ment.
"By an airplane's
number, for instance,
you can tell at a
glance whether or
not that particular
ship would be al­
lowed to fly interna­
tionally or is con­
fined within the bor­
ders of the United
States. The charac­
ters will show if the
plane is merely an
experimental one, not
licensed to carry pas­ sengers or goods for
hire , or if it is re­
stricted to special
use only.
"The identification
system, simple and
easily interpreted, has
been devised and
applied by the De­
partment of Com­
merce, and in one of
the busy Washington
offices, files are
kept, giving records
of all aircraft to
which numbers have
been assigned."
Aircraft registration
first came about by a
convention on air
navigation that was
signed as a part of
the Paris Peace Con­
ference at the end of
World War I. (See:
"Vintage Literature"
10 FEBRUARY 1990
-
Libr-ao,/4-.-chives
mr-ed()r­
June, 1988 .)
The first registration system was set
up in 1921 by the Underwriters Labo­
ratory . The system was not popular and
ended in 1926 . With the passage of the
Air Commerce Act of 1926 the Bureau
of Air Commerce took over the regis­
tration of aircraft.
The following is an excerpt from the
Bureau of Air Commerce CIVIL AIR
REGULATIONS as amended May 31 ,
1938 which gives the relevant rules for
registration markings.
Part 02. - AIRCRAFf IDENTIFI­
CATION MARK.
02 . 1 Character. An aircraft identifi­
cation mark will consist of one or more
Roman capital letters, or other symbol
or symbols herein- ·
after specified, and a
number.
02.10 Nationality
symbol. The Roman
capital letter N will
appear first in the
identification mark ,
except that the sym­
bol cross , +, will
appear first in the
identification mark of
aircraft owned by an
alien and not regis­
tered in some foreign
country . 02.11 Airworthiness
symbol. The interna­
tional symbol N, or
the symbol cross,
+ , will be followed
in the make by the
Roman capital letter
C, R, or X , or by a
bar, for the purpose
of classifying the air­
craft as to its airwor­
or
lack
thiness,
thereof, as follows :
02 . 110 (a) The
letter C will classify
an aircraft as com­
plying fully with the
airworthiness
re­
quirements of Parts
01 and 04 , 05 , 06,
or 07 , as the case
may be for the pur­
pose of carrying per­
sons or property, for
or without hire.
02.111 (b) The
letter R will classif
either thereof and issued as part
thereof.
02.200 Non-registered aircraft. The
aircraft identification mark of N, plus
a number, will be assigned to aircraft
other than aircraft of the United States
and other than aircraft registered in
some foreign country, and issued by
the Secretary, upon application of the
aircraft owner. Such identification
shall be valid only so long as the air­
craft is owned by the owner making
application for such identification . It
shall be displayed as provided for in
02.3.
02.3 Location for display .
02 .30 Conventional airplanes.
The mark on such aircraft shall be
an aircraft as complying in some lim­
ited respect with the airworthiness re­
quirements of Parts 01 and 04,05,06
or 07, as the case may be, "provided"
each deficiency is compensated for by
means of suitable operation limitations.
02.2 Issuance .
02.20 Assignment. The aircraft
identification mark of NC, NR or NX,
as the case may be, plus a number,
will be assigned to aircraft of the
United States at the time of issuance
of the registration and aircraft certifi­
cates, will be inserted in the body of
02.40 Type. The width of the letters,
symbols and figures (except the figure
1) shall be at least two-thirds of their
height. The width of each stroke shall
be at least one-sixth of the height of
the letters, symbols and figures, which
shall be of uniform size. The space be­
tween such letters, symbols and figures
shall be not less than one-sixth of the
height.
02.42 Legibility. Except with the
approval of the Secretary, no other de­
sign, mark, symbol or description shall
be placed upon an aircraft if such de­
sign, etc., modifies, adds to, detracts
from, or confuses the assigned mark or
destroys its legibility . The assigned
marks shall be kept clean and clearly
visible. •
02. 112 (c) The letter X will classify
an aircraft as one which has been is­
sued an experimental certificate in ac­
cordance with 01.3. An aircraft so
classified has been found by inspection
to possess no apparent unairworthy
features.
02.12 Number. The airworthiness
symbol will be followed in the mark
by a number issued for purposes of
further identification.
In the case of a monoplane, the mark
shall be displayed on the lower surface
of the left wing and the upper surface
of the right wing in the manner thus
described .
02.41 Color. The letters, symbols,
and numbers shall be painted on the
aicraft in one solid color on a back­
ground of any other solid color pro­
vided there is a strong contrast, as
deemed suitable by the Secretary.
The certificate of an aircraft in this
classification will specify the use, or
uses, for which such aircraft is deemed
airworthy, but such use, or uses, shall
exclude passenger carrying, and shall
be for industrial purposes only.
02.113 (d) The Bar symbol, - , will
classify the aircraft as one whose air­
worthiness rating has not been estab­
lished. An aircraft so classified is an
uncertificated aircraft and one not re­
gistered as an aircraft of the United
States.
lower right wing does not permit using
letters and figures of at least 30 inches
in height, with the proportions as set
out in 02. 40, these letters, symbols
and figures may be less than 30 inches
"provided" they retain the proportions
set out in 02.40 and, "provided,
further", that they occupy at least four­
fifths of the span.
located on the lower surface of the
lower left wing and on the upper sur­
face of the upper right wing. If, in a
biplane, the lower left wing space is
less than one-half that of the upper left
wing, the mark shall be located on the
lower surface of the upper left wing as
far to the left as possible.
The top of the letters, symbols, and
figures shall be toward the leading
edge. The height shall be at least four­
fifths of the mean chord; "provided,
however," that in the event four-fifths
of the mean chord is more than 30
inches, the height of the letters, sym­
bols and figures need not be more than
30 inches.
If the span of either the upper left or
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
INTERESTING MEMBERS JOHN BERENDT by Steve Nesse, Director
It was at our Fall Board meeting dur­
ing our discussion of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE magazine when I raised
the question - What became of the
monthly feature "Interesting Mem­
bers"? It was a feature that gave us
information on various AIC members.
It first appeared about mid-1987. For
me, and for many of our members I
felt, it was a favorite part of the
magazine. It answered many questions
about what makes a good AIC member.
After some discussion by the Board
it was decided to get the ball rolling
again. Volunteers to write these arti­
cles were needed. Guess who everyone
was looking at when the assignment
for the first month was made! So here
we go - one lover-of-old-airplanes'
feeble attempt at journalism.
Q.
Hey, who's the big guy with the
beard who speaks fluent Fairchild?
A. He is John Berendt who loves
vintage aircraft just like the rest of us .
John was born and raised in Little
Falls, Minnesota. He graduated from
high school there and attended the Uni­
versity of Minnesota. He started flying
in the late 1950s. After a few years
away from aviation, his interest was
renewed in 1967 when he joined EAA
Chapter 300. If not for this move, he
commented, his aviation interest most
probably would have remained dor­
mant.
In 1972 with a renewed interest in
aviation and now the owner of a 1946
Aeronca IIAC Chief, John was again
flying . The Chief was a gift to John
from his lovely wife Marge.
When asked how the Fairchild in­
terest came about, he said that it began
in 1974 with a Ranger engine.
With his partner Jim Hiner, John re­
built a PT-19 which reached flying
status in 1980. The next year they
picked up a Fairchild 24 and are still
working on this one. John added that
12 FEBRUARY 1990
their projects are not "basket cases."
They are "resurrections."
In 1985 he obtained his hangar. It
was a 32' x 172' structure which was
located at Southport, a few miles south
of Minneapolis, Minnesota. One catch
- the hangar had to be dismantled and
moved about 25 miles south . With this
task completed his hangar is now lo­
cated at the Faribault Municipal Air­
port.
A love of Fairchilds has John deeply
involved with this type club. In addi­
tion to being president since 1984, he
also publishes its newsletter, "The
Fairchild Flyer." Every year he attends
the Fairchild Reunion at Coldwater,
Michigan. Along with his many duties
at EAA Oshkosh each year, he also
spends a few hours a day at the Fair­
child corner of the type-club tent.
In addition to being a charter
member of AIC Chapter 13, he has also
been a volunteer at our Oshkosh Con­
ventions since 1975. The 28 AIC
forums are his main responsibility,
being co-chairman in 1987 and chair­
man in 1988 and '89. He also works
with Ed Wegner doing the Fairchild
forum each year.
At the May 1989 AIC Board meet­
ing, John was named to the position of
Advisor - a position for which he is
well qualified.
In closing I ask myself "What else
would they like to know about an "In­
teresting Member?" Two things come
to mind.
Q. What is his occupation?
A . John is a warehousing and distri­
bution supervisor for a large grocery
chain.
Q. Does he have a long string of
ratings on his pilot's license?
A . No, not really. It's like many of
the rest of us. He holds a private cer­
tificate - with the O .A.L. endorse­
ment.
Q. What is the O.A.L?
A. "Old Airplane Lover" of course .•
MEMBERS" PROJECfS by Nonn Petersen Rolled out in the Texas sunshine after installing a new set of tires is Aeronca Champ
N84715, SIN 7AC-3422, owned by long time EMer John Lahmon (EM 28748) of Cor­
sicanna, TX. The color scheme is tan with brown wings, struts, landing gear and stripe.
This pretty red & white Ercoupe, CF-LUN, is the proud possession of Debby Keeler (EM 345330) of Ontario, Canada.
On the advice of her father, Debby purchased the 85-hp all-metal Ercoupe from Ernie Colbert - sight unseen! A
previous owner had spent 10 years rebuilding the craft following windstorm damage. Once Debby overcame the
fear of no rudder pedals or flaps, she soon learned to fly the airplane and make crosswind landings going
sideways. Since July, 1989, she has flown it some 65 delightful hours and is looking forward to spring when the
(winter-stored) 'coupe will once again help her to get a nice tan. How about bringing the pretty Ercoupe to
Oshkosh '90?
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
MEMBERS' PROJECTS Here is the paint scheme that will be used
on the PA-7 Sport Mailwing, yellow wings
and tail group with black fuselage. This
PA-6 was used on the Washington to At­
lanta run which is signified by the CAM.
19 - Contract Air Mail, route number 19.
14 FEBRUARY 1990
Standing in front of his latest project, a 1930 Pitcairn PA-7
Sport Mailwing, NC95W, SIN 147, is Steve Pitcaim (EAA
109260, AlC 4080) of Bryn Athyn, PA This is Steve's third
Mailwing restoration and as can be seen in the photo, a
side-by-side front seat is installed as per the Sport version.
A front cockpit cover with a removable windshield will be
used with the yellow wing/black fuselage paint scheme of
a PA-6 Mailwing adorned with "U.S. Mail", CAM. 19.
Steve reports the PA-7 was sold new on June 7, 1930 to
Walter Hoffman of New Haven, CT. Later it moved to Califor­
nia until 1944, when it was converted to a crop duster and
put to work in Florida. In 1953, Paul Mantz Air Service ac­
quired the Mailwing and had it ferried back to California.
In 1961, the registration was transferred to Tallmantz Avia­
tion Inc. During the period between 1953 to probably 1955,
it was used in various movies, including "Blaze of Noon"
with William Bendix. William Holden and Anne Baxter. It
was last flown in 1955 by Gene Brown for an Eastern Airlines
promotion. A Wright J-6 7 cylinder engine will be installed
in the PA-7 during the restoration, exactly as it had when
leaving the Pitcairn factory. Steve reports the PA-7 had a
Wright J-5 9 cylinder engine when Gene Brown last flew
the airplane in 1955 and that engine was still on the
airplane when he purchased it. In an odd note, there is
nothing in the logs or other documents that show the J-5
being installed.
Pitcairn PA-7, NC95W, is shown about 1955
with Gene Brown at the controls. Note the
Lockheed Constellation landing in the
background. Gene was a Captain for East­
ern Air Lines and also had the distinction
of flying Pitcairn Mailwings in the early
mail service for Pitcairn Aviation, Eastern
Air Transport and Eastern Airlines during
the period 1928 to 1935.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
"SIX--MONTH" SEDAN I
was flying a I OO-hp Chief on floats
and thought I would like to upgrade to
something larger. In the fall of 1987 a
friend of mine found N 141 OH stored
in a barn just outside of Toledo, Ohio .
The previous owner had disassembled
the aircraft for reconditioning and
painting 17 years prior, and never com­
pleted the project.
The interior was a disaster, all eaten
and shredded by nesting mice; it didn't
smell too good either. The Sedan,
which had been out of service for the
past J7 years was structurally sound .
Tubing was great, fabric (Ceconite)
was in excellent condition except for
some ringworm and cracks in the dope
due to age. The wings were in near­
perfect condition except for some
heavy-duty hangar rash on the wing
tips and a cat that had taken up resi­
dence where the fuel cell normally
goes.
16 FEBRUARY 1990
by DENNIS
KIRKWOOD
The engine was anybody's guess.
The previous owner said he had turned
it over on a regular basis while it was
in storage. I didn't pull any jugs but
looked into the cylinders with a
flashlight and indications were favora­
ble. With the assumption I was looking
at a six-month winter project , I pur­
chased the plane and moved it back to
Michigan. We left the cat back in
Ohio.
Since my Sedan was destined to be
a f1oatplane, at this time I began what
turned out to be a relentless search for
a good tight set of used EDO 2000s
with Sedan fittings - more on the saga
of the floats later.
With the plane back in Michigan,
restoration began by stripping out what
was left of the interior and a cursory
inspection under the cowling . This was
done in order to get a good look at the
structural integrity of the fuselage and
to generate a list of what would be
needed over the next few months .
The list began to grow and my pock­
etbook began to shrink . Major items
needed were: new upholstry, head­
liner, carpeting and metal-to-metal seat
belts from Airtex; new tires, tubes,
brake parts, lord mounts , airbox kit ,
battery and windshields from Univair;
new mags and harness from Slick.
Along with these necessities I ordered
two STCs from Dick Welsh , one for
his seaplane door and the other for his
metal tanks.
At this point it was quite obvious I
was involved with much more than a
"six-month project" with total budget
already exceeded . Well, on with the
work.
The engine was removed so the
mount could be inspected and painted.
All exposed fuse­
spent.
lage tubing was
All sheet met­
reprimed with
a was removed
zinc chromate ,
from the fuse­
all cables were
lage, refinished
inspected and
and reinstalled
replaced if nec­
with new hard­
essary and the
ware. The proj­
seaplane door in­
ect was outside
stalled. The wings
now, susceptible
were cleaned and
to the weather
inspected for cor­
so the new wind­
rosion and the
shield halves were
metal tanks were
installed. This of
installed. Once
course was after
a minor setback;
the seat frames
one of the wind­
were painted and
reinstalled, the
shields was cracked
new interior went
when the crate
into place and
was opened. With
the Sedan started Hauling the "prize of the day" home to Michigan, we are greeted by the large sign. Note the a lot of scram­
to look like the dimples in the Aeronca nosebowl that had to be removed and the sorry looking headliner.
bling, a little
beginning of a
luck and a little
real plane .
more money, I had a new one in about
to save on freight charges. It wasn't a
At this point I was about 10 months
five days.
bad drive from Michigan and with a
into the project with half of the 1988
During the five-day waiting period,
tour of the T-Craft plant, it turned out
float season behind me. If I wanted to
the refinished tail feathers were in­
to be quite an enjoyable field trip.
get the Sedan in the air this year, it was
stalled and I was now ready for the
Being a stickler for details and
time to get serious about floats . It al­
engine and mount. I still had grave
safety , I decided to replace all AN
ways seems those good deals are never
concerns over the engine that had been
hardware that was old, corroded or in
around when you are in the market.
question . This exercise equated to over
out of service for over 17 years . I in­
Decent 2000s had all but dried up and
$300 in miscellaneous nuts & bolts ­
stalled the mount and engine with new
riggings for the Sedan were next to im­
lord mounts. The carb was removed to
a complete understanding/knowledge
possible to find. After 10 months of
of the total mechanical aspects of the
free up a frozen accelerator pump and
chasing ads in the US, Canada and
craft and a tremendous personal satis­
complete an old AD for a metal float
even Alaska, I was confronted with
- it is amazing that a part so small
faction that the job was done right. In
two options; I could complete the res­
other words, time and money well
and light could cost so much. Next
toration as a
came new mags,
wheel plane or
harness, plugs,
pop for new
exhaust gaskets
floats. I con­
and all new
tacted J. Frey at
SCAT tubing .
EDO who said
Since the wings
he could fill my
were not on as
order, including
yet, all that was
a new set of
needed was a
Sedan riggings,
temporary fuel
in about 30 days
tank so the en­
if I wanted to
gine could be
take the plunge.
started and tested.
I will not repeat
What a welcome
what the price
surprise; six rev­
was; although,
olutions of the
I had to sell my
prop and the
Chief to cover
old girl fired
the bill.
up. After about
I drove to the
45 seconds to
T-Craft plant
one minute the
in Pennsylvania
oil pressure started
where the floats
to build and the
With the Sedan fuselage suspended from a tree after major rebuilding, the brand new Edo
were assembled
engine settled
2000 floats are carefully fitted to their attach pOints. The trick is to get everything "square" as
at that time and
you tighten up the steam line wires between the floats and the airplane. Note the removed to a 550-rpm
picked them up.
landing gear by the tree. Extreme care must be used to not damage the (highly) expensive idle. I ran the
This was done
floots.
engine several
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
Once assembled and in the water, the Sedan looks like a real seaplane. Large, 200 sq. ft. wing (all-metal) has excellent lifting
capability. Note dual water rudders, a real asset in water handling qualities.
times over the next few days and it was
time to check compression . I was
happy ; 4 'cylinders at 70 pounds , one
at 65 pounds and number six at 52
pounds.
It was late October now and against
EDO ' s recommendation , who thinks
that all floats should be gray , the floats
and rigging were painted to match the
airplane . I installed the floats and de­
cided to move the plane to the water's
edge prior to installing the wings. Let
me tell you, with a 12-foot horizontal
stabilizer , a 20-foot fuselage and a lot
of trees, this was not an easy job . Once
on the water' s edge, the wings, struts
and ailerons were installed and the
plane took shape again after 18 years
of being in pieces.
The major work was done now , with
the exception of re-installing the
gauges that had been removed and sent
to Century Instrument for testing and
dial work. All that was left at this point
was a lot of paperwork, another look
at the weak cylinder and a complete
annual. The cylinder proved to be low
on compression due to a worn piston
along with a bad wrist pin . The jug
was removed and fitted with a new pis­
ton, rings, wrist pin, valves and seats
18 FEBRUARY 1990
and the gauges were installed.
After about an hour of running time
which included several high speed
taxis across the lake and a few com­
pression checks , I called for the annual
inspection . With no surprise the old
girl passed and I was confronted with
the ultimate challenge the test
flight. When I say ULTIMATE
CHALLENGE that is exactly what I
mean. Those of you who have built an
airplane from a blueprint or rebuilt one
from boxes of parts and then proceeded
to climb in and fly it, know that I
The all metal wing allows a single strut for the wing that requires no jury strut. Although
only one door is provided on the right side, this Sedan has a second seaplane door on
the left side for docking on either side. All in all, you must admit, this is one beautiful
seaplane.
From the front. the first class restoration work is plainly visible along with the flat-pitched seaplane propeller on the Continental 145. The paint scheme is well designed and compliments the lines of the airplane. especially with the painted floats. Better enjoy the pretty white float bottoms - they may not stay that pretty for long!
mean. For those of you who have not
- words cannot describe this experi­
ence . This would be my third time as
a test pilot of my own creation and
believe me, the anxiety does not di­
minish with repetition.
After waiting for what seemed like
months (actually about four days) for
the ideal test flight conditions , I was
willing to accept anything short of gale
force winds. It was about 30 minutes
before dusk, winds were calm and it
was time for the flight. I even had the
good fortune of a volunteer copilot,
Tim Bishop , a close friend of mine
who had helped me quite a bit with the
project. The gallery consisted of my
understanding wife, a few close friends
and a multitude of people around the
lake who had followed the project for
the past year. Preflight complete, run­
up complete, controls full movement,
oil pressure good, cylinder head temp
above 200, two high-speed taxis across
the lake and all looked good. I wedged
the Sedan back into the comer of the
mile-long lake , raised the water rud­
ders (something all good seaplane
pilots must remember to do) and eased
on the power. The Sedan was on step
in about six seconds and we were air­
borne with about three-quarters of the
lake to go. Once airborne, I held her
level to build some speed and then
eased back on the stick to gain some
altitude . As we approached the end of
the lake and started a somewhat tight
"THE WINGS
AND TAIL
FEATHERS
WERE STILL
INTACT."
tum , I remember us both saying, "old
engine, don't fail me now ." We con­
tinued to circle the lake with slow pre­
cise movements of the control surfaces
gaining as much altitude as possible
while ensuring room for a deadstick
landing - something I believe is usu­
ally much easier on a lake than at an
airport. All instruments were within
operating limits, the wings and tail
feathers were still intact and then it
happened; an extremely loud screech­
ing sound caused both of us to leave
our seats. We looked around franti­
cally and then my copilot shouted ...
"It's the tach cable; didn't you oil it?"
Thank god that 's all it was, and after
a few minutes the screeching sound
settled to a bothersome noise . The bal­
ance of the test flight was exciting and
thankfully, uneventful.
I have flown 1410H now for about
a year, including a trip across the pond
to EAA Oshkosh '89. Other than the
tach cable and a few loose nuts and
bolts, no problems . I would like to ex­
tend a special thanks to Clayton Elliott,
Tim Bishop and Dick Welsh for their
assistance and knowledge of Aeronca
Sedans and to George Regan for his
excellence in painting and the hours he
spent helping me. I would like to ex­
tend an extra special thanks to my wife
Linda who I believe understands me
and continues to put up with my multi­
year airplane projects . •
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
JOHN LAFFERTY ,
One of the annual thrills at the big
EAA Convention in Oshkosh , Wiscon­
sin is watching the neophytes try their
hand at welding aircraft steel tubing in
the open workshops. Timid hands
bring the flame into position as a small
shower of sparks signals the onlookers
that molten metal is being fused. The
instructor, a man of generous propor­
tions with a large grey beard, leans for­
ward to carefully coach the student on
adding just enough welding rod to form
the proper bead. The tiny pool of
melted steel is slowly "chased" across
the steel joint until an excited student
suddenly realizes he has welded a near­
20 FEBRUARY 1990
by Norm Petersen
Photos Courtesy of John Lafferty
perfect bead. His hands are no longer
timid. He has grasped the makings of
a new skill that will last him a lifetime.
The instructor's pay is a tinge of self­
satisfaction in seeing another student
accept his knowledge.
Having volunteered as a welding in­
structor for over 20 years, our subject
rocks back on his welding stool and
pushes the welding goggles up on his
forehead. A bit of sweat glistens on his
cheekbones. His smile and deep voice
are a trademark. The EAA nametag on
his shirt reads, "John Lafferty."
Few people in this world are such
dyed-in-the-wool EAA types as John
Lafferty (EAA 35501, NC 8308) of
Austin, Minnesota. To fully under­
stand this multi-talented man, we have
to examine the many events in his life
- nearly all connected to his aviation
bent.
Born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1913,
John moved to Austin with his parents
when he was just a baby. Although his
father died when John was only nine
years old, he managed to keep busy
with a St. Paul Dispatch paper route
when he wasn't in
Lafferty tells how
school. One day
they dug the 40­
horse Continental
at age 14, John
rode his bicycle
out of the ground
and sent it back to
out to a field east
Lock Haven , Penn­
of town where a
sylvania, home of
barnstormer was
Piper (nee Taylor) .
selling rides in a
The factory in­
green and silver
stalled it in a
Waco biplane. John
brand new J-2
and a friend bought
Cub which was
a two-dollar ride
flown back to
and they savored
Austin. When it
the joys of flight
arrived, John re­
for the first time.
members looking
The die had been
closely at the new
cast!
airplane, only to
Taking a me­
discover the en­
chanics course in
gine still had mud
Austin High School,
between the cool­
John was soon
ing fins!
able to learn the
Building up fly­
fine art of acety­
ing time at every
lene welding, a Marcellus King, Austin airport manager and John Lafferty's instructor, poses by the J-2
opportunity, John
skill that would Cub that John soloed in 1937. In later years, Marcellus became a well-known racing
soon had the re­
serve him for the and aerobatic pilot, for whom the EM Chapter 386 is named.
quired 35 hours
next 50 years plus .
for a private license . The CAA Inspec­
ministration building. The only struc­
Following school , John went to work
tor, named R. F. Fender , arrived on
ture on the entire field , it had a large
in the local Ford garage as a mechanic
the scene for flight tests. The locals
for 12 dollars a week. Weekends were
oak table in the center that took up
quickly dubbed him "Right Front"
much of the room! The table served as
always spent hanging around the Aus­
Fender. John taxied out for his test
a workbench when the engines needed
tin airport, which in those days was a
with Right Front in the rear seat, door
bare field with maybe one or two
overhaul and as a gathering spot for
and window open . Plowing through
airplanes . One of the local barkeeps ,
the flyers when it wasn ' t full of greasy
several large mud puddles, the rear seat
"Lefty" Saunders, had a strong avia­
parts.
occupant was completely doused with
Before long , one of the locals
tion interest and loaned a young pilot
muck! This is not the best way to treat
bought a Warner Monocoupe which to­
named Marcellus King, who had moved
an inspector, however , John passed his
gether with the two J-2 Cubs , made for
to Austin from Boone, Iowa , enough
flight test.
a "busy" airport . As fate would have
money to buy a Taylor J-2 Cub - 40
it , the Monocoupe and one of the Cubs
In 1938, John bought a J-3 Cub with
horses and all. To this very day, the
a 50-hp Franklin and earned his "Limited
had a mid-air collision over the field ,
EAA chapter in Austin is named the
killing all three people involved . John
Commercial" license, which allowed
"Marcellus King" EAA Chapter 386.
Carefully spac­
him to charge for
ing his two-dol­
rides within 50
lar, 15-minute les­
miles of home.
sons , the young
Barnstorming in
Lafferty started fly­
the area , John
ing instruction with
soon logged the
Marcellus King in
200 hours required
1936. On the 4th
for a full com­
of July, 1937,
mercial license.
after some four
The CAA Inspec­
hours of instruc­
tor was not satis­
tion John Lafferty
fied with John's
soloed the J-2
flying ability dur­
Cub, NC17566. It
ing the flight
was the greatest
check so he gave
day in his life up
John an hour of
to that time.
dual instruction,
which John read­
The City of Aus­
ily admits was the
tin had hauled an
best hour's worth
old voting booth The partiCipants in flight instructors school line up for their portrait at Cinncinati's Lunken
of experience he
out to the airport Airport in 1939. John Lafferty is number five from the left in the front row and Johnny
had ever had! In
to serve as an ad- Vasey is sixth from the right - front row.
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 21
was used for solo
30 days, the inspec­
work. This very air­
tor returned, know­
plane is now being
ing that John had
restored by veteran
been flying almost
EAAer Ed Marquart
every day - on his
in Riverside, Cali­
orders . This time
fornia. Lafferty's
John passed and
class of 12 students
the inspector said,
was eventually com­
"You finally learned
pleted with all stu­
how to fly an air­
dents passing .
plane!"
In late 1940,
With war clouds
gathering on the
John Lafferty joined
horizon, the flight
his friend, Johnny
training programs
Vasey at the Tex
Rankin Aeronautical
were gathering speed
Academy in Tulare,
and the demand for
California where both
flight instructors was
would instruct for
severe. John Laf­
ferty and his close
the next three years.
John Lafferty's class of 12 students pose in front of the Waco UPF-7 at Pancho Barnes'
friend, Johnny Vasey,
The Academy was
training school in Antelope Valley, California. John would especially enjoy hearing
a civilian school
also from Austin,
from any of these 12 men. Write John Lafferty at 100612th Ave. NW, Austin, MN 55912.
under contract to
traveled to Cincin­
nati's Lunken Airthe military and
port to earn their instructors' ratings .
run by Sammy Mason . John Lafferty
was run by a military nucleus. The in­
The aircraft used for instruction were
went out to the famous (or infamous)
structors were enlisted in the Army Re­
Luscombe 8As with no brakes on the
serve and all training was in Stearman
"Happy Bottom Riding Club" run by
righthand side. John says the rudders
PT-17 biplanes. Normal complement
Pancho Barnes at Antelope Valley, out
got a real workout on some of the
in the California desert.
on the field was 250 to 300 Stearmans
crosswind landings.
at all times and the sky was extremely
The job was a tough one. It was so
It wasn't long before Tri-State Col­
busy with the yellow and blue biplanes.
hot in the middle of the day that flying
lege at Angola, Indiana, called for the
became unbearable. John would start
The weather allowed flight training all
two Johns to report for instructor duty
his students at daybreak and fly until
year 'round, so an average class would
and they flew up there in a J-5 Cub
late forenoon, ceasing operations dur­
use 90 days for each student to gain
Cruiser. John Lafferty's first class of
ing the heat of the day . After an early
100 hours of flight training .
10 students included two from Puerto
supper at 4:30, the flying would con­
As John Lafferty says, "Sure it was
Rico. A new Waco UPF-7 was brought
tinue until dark. The UPF-7 was used
hard work, but being right in the mid­
in from Troy, Ohio for advanced train­
for dual and a Waco INF, NC11267,
dle of history-in-the-making was quite
ing and John began
an honor. We flew
his first aerobatic
thousands of hours
training. He admits
in open-cockpit Stear­
it was fun and the
mans, training hun­
Waco proved to be
dreds of new pilots.
a rugged trainer.
Such a unique situ­
With the comple­
ation will never
tion of class train­
happen again! It
ing, the opportu­
was our day to
nity arose to move
shine ."
on to California or
Quite remarkably,
Oklahoma for sec­
John only recalls
ondary Civil Pilot
one mid-air during
Training instructional
the entire three-year
work. The two Johns
stint. Remember,
flipped a coin and
there were 250 air­
it came up "heads"
planes, all VFR, no
for California. They
radio, flying within
drove home to Aus­
a 25-mile circle .
tin for a brief visit
The main and aux­
and then headed for
iliary fields were
California. Johnny
square and you landed
into the wind at all
Vasey began instruct­
With his first class of four students at Tex Rankin's Academy of Flight in Tulare, John
ing at Van Nuys for
times . There were
Lafferty poses with his scarf & leather jacket. Note many Stearmans in the back­
the Tex Rankin
many groundloops
ground, the average population being 200 to 300 aircraft at all times. John taught
School, which was
and scraped wings,
here for three years along with Johnny Vasey.
... 22 FEBRUARY 1990
Waco INF NC 11267, SIN 3446, used by John Lafferty for student solo work at Pancho Barnes' Antelope Valley flight school. This Waco
is presently being restored by Ed Marquart. The large U.S. on the fuselage was required in coastal zones prior to World War II.
but that was considered part of the cost
of training.
In 1943, the two Johns were as­
signed to the Army Air Corps as brand
new second lieutenants and transfered
to Taft, California for Vultee BT-13
instructing . Their Air Force wings had
an "S" in them for Service Pilot, which
meant that you had earned them on
your own. Both men instructed in BT­
13' s for the next 18 months.
From there they moved through
Luke Army Air Force Base for AT-6
training where they were awarded
pilot's wings - not bad, considering
they now had nearly 8,000 hours each!
The next move for the two Johns was
unusual in that both men were posted
to B-29 flight engineer positions as
commissioned officers, whereas the
normal B-29 flight engineer was an en­
listed position. The idea was to gain
the advantage of having three qualified
pilots on board the huge aircraft. John
Lafferty had made the rounds of large
aircraft bases in the U.S. by the time
the war ended. Johnny Vasey finished
the war flying B-29s from Tinian Is­
land in the Pacific.
Once separated from service, John
Lafferty bought a surplus Stearman for
$250 and flew it home to Austin where
it was used for rental purposes in the
GI flight training program in 1947, ,48
and '49. John often wishes he had
bought more at that price!
Beside his flying in the spare mo­
ments, John took up with the automo­
"JOHN
BOUGHT A
SURPLUS
STEARMAN
FOR $250."
tive business once again and he and his
lovely wife, Grace, began raising a
family . On the weekends, John would
go aerial fox hunting with his friend,
Paul Hull, as "gunner." In those days,
fox were plentiful and the counties
would pay a bounty of four to eight
dollars for each fox brought in. Shoot­
ing "varmits" from the air was per­
fectly legal in those days and was
looked upon with favor. John and Paul
would roam the fields of southern Min­
nesota and eastern South Dakota with
the J-3 Cub on wheels and skis, look­
ing for Mr. Fox. Swooping down just
above the running animal, the gunner
would aim behind the fox (remember,
the plane was going faster than the fox)
with small-size shot from a 12-gauge
shotgun. On a good day, it was possi­
ble to earn quite a few extra dollars ­
the best being 22 fox in one forenoon .
And you always turned them in to the
county that paid the highest bounty ­
regardless of where they were actually
taken . The pelts would bring an addi­
tional two to five dollars. Although
some fox hunters reported holes shot
in their wing struts, tires and propel­
lers, John and Paul worked well to­
gether. The only thing John remembers
is pellets hitting the prop on occasion,
the sharp "ping" easily heard above the
roar of the engine!
The real danger involved the pilot
not watching where he was flying! In
all the excitement, the pilot would
sometimes keep watching the fox in­
stead of the airplane's attitude - often
with fatal results. There is a maneuver
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
the front seat pro­
named the "fox
vided the airshow
hunter's stall" which
smoke. With Johnny
my instructor dem­
Vasey at the con­
onstrated to me in
trols, it was a gen­
1956. It is a fully
uine crowd pleaser.
cross-controlled tum
(Today, the 450
that resu lts in a
Stearman is the
vicious snap roll
standard of the
and, at 50 feet of
"smoke & noise"
altitude - almost
airshow act.) One
certain death . It
day in April 1947 ,
claimed many vic­
John Lafferty took
tims before aerial
the Stearman up
hunting was out­
to practice 111­
lawed.
verted spins. He
Meanwhile, John­
kicked the Stear­
ny Vasey was
man over and for­
busy combining
got to turn on the
the 450-hp engine
inverted system.
of a BT-13 with
The inverted spin
the airframe of a
went flat and with­
Stearman and as
out power, the air­
could be expected,
plane refused to
John Lafferty was
John lafferty on the right with his gunner, Paul Hull, pose in front of the 65 hp Cub with
come
out! John
in the thick of the
the pelts of many red foxes that were taken over a winter. Back in the forties, the pelts
action. The idea were worth several dollars, however, a bounty of $4 to $8 was paid by county govern­ saw the ground
ments. This type of hunting is no longer permitted.
approaching and
was to make an
snapped the belt
airshow mount that
would thrill the crowds with its noise
in the supercharger that would allow open. Falling clear, John pulled the
and power. An inverted fuel system the engine to run wide open upside
ripcord and the parachute worked fine,
down. A pressurized smoke oil tank in
was made by installing a nozzle orifice
but the Stearman was destroyed. John
With the smoke valve wide open and the 450 Pratt Be Whitney flat out, aerobatic pilot Johnny Vasey makes a low inverted pass over
the Austin airport with his airshow Stearman.
24 FEBRUARY 1990
Lafferty ended up a
can only be done
charter member of
when it comes from
the Caterpillar Club.
the heart . It has to
Unfortunately, an
be a labor of love.
airshow had been
In all the 50-plus
booked just nine
years in aviation, I
days away! Immedi­
asked John and Grace
ately, Johnny Vasey
if there were any
bought another BT-13
close calls in their
and a Stearman and
life, knowing full
the crew went to
well there were
work building a
probably many in
new aerobatic air­
such an occupation
plane. With both
and avocation. They
Johns working the
admitted the closest
clock around and
call came one warm
others pitching in,
August day when
the new Stearman
they returned home
was somehow fin­
from the EAA Osh­
ished in time and
kosh Convention.
the airshow was
They drove into
flown as scheduled . Piper PA-18S-125 Super Cub on Edo 2000 floats flown by Paul Hull and John Lafferty
their driveway and
since 1951. This airplane has covered most of southern Ontario over the past 38 years!
The only part used
John went up to un­
from the wrecked
lock the front door
Rocky shorelines are a floatplane's
Stearman was the nozzle orifice in the
of the house. As he grasped the door­
supercharger. The plane was always
knob to tum it, he discovered it was
worst enemy, especially when coupled
refered to as, "The Nine-Day Wonder."
with a strong wind. Between such
extremely hot - almost burning his
sojourns and a tree falling across the
hand! Opening the door, he was greeted
John Lafferty'S next project was the
Super
Cub,
the
pretty
red
&
white
by
a blast of 125-degree air. Apparently
total restoration of a Taylor J-2 Cub ,
airplane has been rebuilt three times
the thermostat had jammed and the fur­
NC 19565, which captured the Min­
- once with a factory-new fuselage .
nace had been running wide open for
nesota AAA Best Restored Antique
several
days! Candles all over the house
In
later
years,
Paul
Hull
has
assumed
award in 1960. This beautiful restora­
had
melted,
wooden furniture had split
the
operation
of
the
Super
Cub
and
tion has since been owned by veteran
John Lafferty has gone on to other pur­
and the house plants had burned to a
antiquers, Jack Lysdale and Johan Lar­
suits.
crisp! Just why the house didn't catch
sen, and is now in the San Diego
Besides
lending
a
hand
to
many
fire, no one knows . As John and Grace
Museum of Aviation .
other EAA folks and teaching aircraft
agree, it was a very close call!
Another object of John Lafferty's at­
welding whenever called upon, John
On the walls of the Lafferty home,
tention has been a 1946 Taylorcraft
has been busy building a l80-hp Pitts
there are any number of plaques attest­
BC-12D, NC95866, which was pur­
Special. The workmanship in this projing to John's achievements , including
chased for $525 in Wisconsin and to­
an '81 Oshkosh Service Award, an '82
tally restored to new condition. It, too,
EAA Achievement Award, an '82 EAA
has won numerous awards and is still
Recognition Award plus many, many
owned by John and flown by his son.
more aircraft award plaques and tro­
The T-Craft has had only six previous
phies. The Marcellus King EAA Chap­
owners, all in the Wausau-Merrill,
ter 386 has bestowed numerous awards
Wisconsin area .
on this couple for all their help and
The past 30 years have also involved
contributions over the many years. How­
a couple of fishermen who love to fly
ever, the real beneficiaries of John's
floatplanes! John Lafferty and Paul
talent are the many would-be airplane
Hull (his gunner from the fox hunting
builders who are fortunate enough to have
days) have owned a Piper PA-18 Super
welded their fIrst bead under the watch­
Cub on Edo floats and have flown the
ful
eye of John Lafferty, a pilot's pilot.
John Lafferty's 180-hp Pitts S-1S project re­
entire area of southern Ontario looking
On December 28, 1989, John and
ceives a little sunshine in the driveway.
Note the dynafocal engine mount and the
for the "big fi sh." John humbly admits
Grace Lafferty celebrated their Golder:
immaculate workmanship.
to landing a 22-pound lake trout on one
Wedding, having been married for 50
trip. The 125-hp Super Cub on floats
years . This gifted couple, John, a pilot
is flown off a wheeled dolly in the
ect is a sight to behold! If ever the term
and instructor of over fifty years ex­
spring and slid onto the grass at the
"perfect in every detail" were applied
perience , and Grace, a school teacher
airport in the fall. In 30 years, ever­
- it would be here. John's patience with
for many, many years, have done
thing has worked fine with this system.
making small parts, his exacting wood­
much more than their share of helping
However, during those same years , the
work and metalwork, his ultra-smooth
others. They are the cement that holds
hazards of floatplane operations caught
fabric work, all stand out when the
this old world together. For this, we
Pitts is closely examined . Such work
up with the pair on several occasions.
must all be eternally grateful..
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
HURRY!
HURRY!
Catch the action under
the Type Club
Headquarters
big top.
story and photos
by Jim Haynes
26 FEBRUARY 1990
One of the most rewarding and
pleasant experiences a volunteer can
have at the EAA Oshkosh Convention
is to volunteer time in the Antique/
Classic Type Club Headquarters tent.
The November 1989 issue of VIN­
TAGE AIRPLANE listed 91 different
clubs and associations, most of which
fall under the category of Antique and
Classic. The Type Club Headquarters
tent had only II represented in 1989.
This is too bad, since the tent exists
for the benefit of the clubs themselves ,
especially those that do not have a na­
tional convention . It serves as a gather­
ing place for members to make contact
with others in their organization.
Last summer I volunteered to repre­
sent the Curtiss Robin owners and re­
storers. I asked them to send me photos
of their Robins and many responded,
even those who were still in the process
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 27
of restoration. With these and other
data on the Robin, I was in business.
It was one of the most rewarding years
I have had at the Convention . I met
many fine people and several Robin
owners stopped by looking for some­
one. I was able to pass on the informa­
tion so they could get together.
Joe and Julie Dickey, 511 Terrace
Lake Road, Columbus, Indiana 47201
are the chairpersons who volunteer to
operate the Type Club Headquarters. I
would encourage those who belong to
a type club to urge their leadership to
be represented in this activity, then
volunteer to put in a few hours at the
booth some time during the Conven­
tion. It will be a rewarding experience .•
28 FEBRUARY 1990
THE ARCHIVES
"'~ ~ tpUUt "'~ C~
PASS IT TO
---1]
An information exchange column with input from readers.
by Buck Hilbert
(EAA 21. Ale 5)
P.O. Box 424
Union. IL 60180
From the Pilot's Handbook of
Aeronautical Knowledge EA-AC 61­
238
Refueling procedures: Static elec­
tricity formed by the friction of air
passing over the surfaces of an
airplane in flight and by the flow of
fuel through the hose and nozzle,
creates a fire hazard during refueling .
To guard against the possibility of a
spark igniting fuel fumes. a ground
wire should be attached to the aircraft
before the cap is removed from the
tank. The refueling nozzle should be
grounded to the aircraft before refuel­
ing is begun and throughout the fueling
process. The fuel truck should also be
30 FEBRUARY 1990
grounded to the aircraft and the
ground.
If fueling from drums or cans is
necessary. proper bonding and
grounding connections are extremely
important. since there is an ever pre­
sent danger ofstatic discharge andfuel
vapor explosion. Nylon. Dacron. or
Wool clothing are especially prone to
accumulate and discharge static elec­
tricity from the person to the funnel or
nozzle. Drums should be placed near
grounding posts and the followin g
sequence of connections observed:
J. Drum to ground
2. Ground to aircraft
3. Drum to aircraft
4. Nozzle to aircraft before tank
cover is opened
5. When disconnecting reverse the
order-4., 3 .• 2 .. I .!
The passage of fuel through a
chamois increases the charge of static
electricity and the danger of sparks.
The aircraft must be properly
grounded and the nozzle. chamois fil­
ter. and funnel bonded to the aircraft.
If a can is used. it should be connected
to either the grounding post or the fun­
nel. Under no circumstances should a
plastic bucket or similar non-conduc­
tive container be used in this opera­
tion.
The above excerpt from the book of
Aeronautical Knowledge and a sheaf
of other excerpts came from one of my
Civil Air Patrol pilots just a couple of
days ago . He was concerned, and
rightfully so, at the refueling methods
we used on a Varga last week after
we'd laboriously scraped the deterior­
ated sloshing compound from the
tanks, cleaned out the finger screens
and purged the tanks with MEK to re­
move the loose gooey stuff clogging
the drains and getting into the screens.
This is common to the Varga airplanes
that were manufactured in the late
1970s and the only way to handle it is
the way we are doing it. It seems that
the additives in 100-LL are softening
up the sloshing compound . After play­
ing with this laborious process for
about three and a half hours it was fi­
nally time to refuel the aircraft.
No problem! We just took the six
gallon red plastic cans I had drained
the fuel into , shoved a metal funnel
with a 100-to-one screen reinforced
with some scraps of nylon hose as an
added filter into the filler hole , and
started pouring. About half way
through the process I hollered for Jim
to get the other can ready. Jim was
way outside about 100 feet away
watching from that distant vantage
point. He very reluctantly came back
and got the second can ready to pour.
Dummy me, I never really noticed how
reticent he was or how edgy he
seemed . It was he who mailed me the
bulletins, excerpts and the sheaf of in­
formation. I must admire him for his
tact. He just didn't come right out and
suggest that Lt. Col. "Buckie" was
being a jerk. He waited and let me
know by mail.
The safety circulars and the informa­
tion he sent on the proper handling of
fuel hit me sort of hard . It leaves a lot
of questions in my mind too. I know
all about static discharges and ground­
ing the airframe when fueling, but
what was I using for brains when we
refueled the Varga? If plastic gas cans
are such a hazard why are they marked
"UL approved?" They even have Spec.
numbers on them and a Massachusetts
Approval number. There are warnings
embossed in the side about keeping out
of reach of children; not to breathe the
fumes ; not to siphon by mouth; not
storing in a vehicle or in a living area;
that vapors can be ignited; to keep
away from flame; pilot lights and elec­
tric motors; and to keep the container
closed. There is also a larger warning
about the fact that gasoline can explode
and that it can be fatal if swallowed,
to call a physician if you do swallow,
etc.
There are no messages about
grounding! There is no logical place to
ground it unless you use a metal funnel
and ground that. What if you have one
of the funnels that stops water and
other contaminants and is made of
plastic? Are we safe then, in just hav­
ing the airplane grounded?
I have a lot of questions on this and
I'm asking for some comments from
you readers out there in the field . There
must be a couple or more of you out
there who've the background and ex­
perience to clue us all in on this. I'm
throwing it out to hang. C'mon guys
and gals, let's have your comments on
this one.
Over to you . •
FURTHER ADVENTURES OF: The following yarn unraveled on a
trip to Reno . The trip is about a week
old. I'm about two weeks older. Make
that three. The yarn was the fun part .
The rest was adventure, at times tinged
with terror. Lenticular clouds are
beautiful. Rotor clouds aren't. - Ed­
lock .
by Edlock Hart
T
he Champ purred along like a song
through sky as high as 6,000 feet. The
Mojave desert slid slowly by below be­
cause we were headed for Tehachapi,
and any other way would be less
straightforward than the way that this
way was. Going straightforward be­
came difficult when invisible potholes
and bumps began swapping places .
The RampTramp didn't much care.
In fact, we LIKE bumpy air because
boredom won't mix with it.
While we were bouncing along, a
large lenticular cloud appeared over
California City, where Doug Fronius
flew his beautiful L-K sailplane to
28,000 ft. Imagine the joy of making
a Diamond C flight in a 46-year-old
classic, PERSONALLY restored like
new . Such a flight in a modem glass
slipper would be wonderful, of course,
but Doug's flight doubles the wonder­
ment.
When Willow Springs was behind,
but the Tehachapi Mountains weren't,
HUNDREDS of wildly waving
windmills bristled along the mile-long
ridge that slopes slightly toward the
only gap it's got. The road from
Mojave gets to Tehachapi through this
gap, allowing the path of least resis­
tance to help pave the way. Throttled
back and descending at 100 mph, the
Champ was set up for its usual entry
into Fantasy Haven Gliderport.
Well above and before the ridge, a
surprise surprose us. The prevailing
downdraft was so strong it reached up
and shoved us down eyeball-to-eyeball
with the highest windmills, despite full
throttle and nose up to 60 lAS . Almost
hovering , we crept forward blade-to­
blade at LESS than 10 mph
groundspeed. This strange steady state
allowed the Champ to tilt with those
monster blades until close to collision .
They packed so much more wallop
than our six-foot Flottorp; thus, the
Champ chose to crab to the right, slid­
ing over to the next one with nearly no
forward speed.
While facing off we started to sink
- into the blades below us! A rapid
tum reduced the sink enough to come
back and tackle the next one. Tum tail
and run? That's no fun - we enjoyed
playing Aeron-Quixote joust enough
not to quit. We continued to thrust,
parry, and crab all the way to the gap,
where easy entry into the valley ended
the tournament.
Who won? Aeron-Quixote, of
course, without a single scar. On sec­
ond thought, the equally unscarred
windmills could say THEY won. Let's
call it a draw and hope the windmills
won't forget the feisty little Champ .•
SEE JANUARY '90 SPORT AVIATION FOR DETAILS.
r
Wllillllllllllllllll.,
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VIDEO TAPE AVAILABLE
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~ FABRIC COVERING WITH RA Y STITS Sponsored by EAA
Aviation Foundation. Before Making Expensive Mistakes, See This
~ Tape and LEARN HOW TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. VHS
or Beta, $49.95. Also Direct from EAA (1-800-843-3612), and from
Stlts Dlstrlb"tors. PAL, PAL-M, PAL-N & SECAM also Available.
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APRIL 8·14, 1990
LAKELAND, FLORIDA
SEE JANUARY '90 SPORT AVIATION FOR DETAILS.
Very Smooth 1.7 oz. Patented Pol¥ester Fabric Developed
Especially for Aircraft Covering.
Poly-Fiber Manual with
Detailed Instructions for Fabric Covering and Painting Aircraft for Corrosion Control.
Latest Catalog and Distributor List.
I STITS POLY FIBER
I AIRCRAFT COATINGS '
P.O. Box 3084-V, Riverside, CA 92519 Phone (714) 684-4280 Fly high with a quality Classic interior Complete interior assemblies for do·it·yourself installation .
• Cushion upholstery sets
• Wall panel sets
• Headliners
• Carpet sets
• Baggage compartment sets
• Firewall covers
• Seat slings
• Recover envelopes and dopes
AWWA
MEMBER
MEMBER
Free catalog of complete product line.
Fabric Selection Guide showing actual sample colors and
styles of materials: $3.00.
Qir'~RODUCTS, INC.
259 Lower Morrisville Rd ., Dept. VA Fallsington , PA 19054 (215) 295-4115 32 FEBRUARY 1990
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Ir"""""""'i"""~ p.o. box 88 madison, north carolina 27025 (919) 427-0216 Custom quality at economical prices .
IIiI1 TANI: PAINTlNb AND REPAIRING
SANOIlASTlNG. TANK lINUS AND COA TlNGS
PREVENTIvE TANK MAINTENANCE INSPECTION SERVICE
lADDER SAfETY EOUIPMENT
RESERVOIR LINERS AND ROOfS
DISMANTlING AND MOVING TANKS
NEW. USED AND RECONDITIONED TANkS
ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS AND BELOVED AIRPLANES Here's the video
you've been waiting for!
Precious memories ... and the rebirth ofAmerica's
legendary "leading lady," the Curtiss Jenny. This
high quality video contains 30 minutes ofaviation
magic including rare footage from the Jenny's
earliest days as a miljtary trainer to its later role
as the airplane of choice for America's barn­
stormers. You'll also see amazing footage ofwing
walkers and plane to plane transfers. In addition,
you'll witness Ken Hyde's 16 year, award-winning
Jenny restoration and the unprecedented gather­
ing ofsix Jennies at the 1989 EAA Fly-in Conven­
tion. You may never see these priceless treasures
together again as they take to the air. Hear their
pilots talk about the Jenny's unique handling
characteristics and their thoughts on flying an
airplane from the pages of aviation history. Get
your copy today.
$24.95* • add $3 postage and handling
(WI residents add 5% sales tax)
MAJOR
CREDIT CARDS
ACCEPTED
CALL TOLL-FREE
1-800-84~-~612
In Wisconsin call 1-800-236-4800 Outside USA call 414-426-4800 S
enclosed for __ videotapes of"It's Gotta Be aJenny".
(Send money order or include credit card number).
I am interested in additional information
on the items checked below:
NAME ________________________________________
o
o
o
o
o
ADDRESS ______________________________________
EAA Air Adventure Video Club
Free video catalog
Experimental Aircraft Association
membership
EAA Oshkosh Convention
EAA Aviation Foundation
CITY __________________
STATE _______________
ZIP _________ EAA VIDEO NO. ___________________
SIGNATURE ____________________________________
EAA AVIATION FOUNDATION
EAA Aviation Center
Oshkosh, WI 54903-3065
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION EAA
Where The Sellers and Buyers Meet. ..
25¢ per word, $5.00 minimum charge. Send your ad to The Vintage Trader, EAA Aviation Center Oshkosh, WI 54903-2591. AIRCRAFT:
Replica 213 scale Jenny - 2 place, 4130. Outper­
forms the original. Inexpensive and fast to build ­
flown to Oshkosh twice. Plans - $75.00, video ­
$25.00, info - $1.00. Wiley, P.O. Box 6366,
Longmont, CO 80502. (12-3)
(2) C-3 Aeronca Razorbacks - 1931 and 1934.
Package includes extra engine and spares. Fuse­
lage, wing spars and extra props. Museum quality!
$30,000 firm! No tire kickers , collect calls or pen
pals, please! E.E. "Buck" Hilbert, P.O. Box 424,
Union, IL 60180-0424.
Bellanca 1946 14-13-2 Cruisair - 1100 TTAF,
670 TT, Franklin 150 hp, 45 STOH, runs great! 7.5
gph, 140 mph, always hangared, new wheels and
brakes, pictures available, will deliver. $11 ,000
obo, Jim 517/773-3852. (2-2)
PLANS:
POBER PIXIE - VW powered parasol- unlimited
in low-cost pleasure flying. Big, roomy cockpit for
the over six foot pilot. VW power insures hard to
beat 3'/2 gph at cruise setting . 15 large instruction
sheets. Plans - $60.00. Info Pack - $5.00. Send
check or money order to: ACRO SPORT, INC.,
Box 462, Hales Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
ACRO SPORT - Single place biplane capable of
unlimited aerobatics. 23 sheets of clear, easy to
follow plans includes nearly 100 isometrical draw­
ings, photos and exploded views. Complete parts
and materials list. Full size wing drawings. Plans
plus 139 page Builder's Manual - $60.00. Info
Pack - $5.00. Super Acro Sport Wing Drawing ­
$15.00. The Technique of Aircraft Building ­
$12.00 plus $2.50 postage. Send check or money
order to : ACRO SPORT, INC., Box 462, Hales
Corners, WI 53130. 414/529-2609.
manuals, 44-page catalog airmailed, $5.00. Jon Al­
drich, Box 706, Airport, Groveland, CA 95321 , 209/
962-6121. (c-2/90)
Will Share my treasure of aircraft parts! - 24­
year collection with continuous additions ... and
still buying . . . for all types of aircraft. Tell me what
you need! Air Salvage of Arkansas, Rt. 1, Box
8020, Mena, Arkansas 71953, phone 501 /394­
1022 anytime. (c-3/90)
JN4-D Memorabilia - "Jenny Mail" collector
cachets, actually flown in Jenny to Day and Osh ,
along with T-shirts, pins , posters, etc. Send SASE
for catalog/pricing . Virginia Aviation Co. , R.D. 5,
Box 294, Warrenton, VA 22186. (c-5/90)
Let the government finance your small business.
Grants/loans to $500,000. Free recorded mes­
sage : 707/449-8600. (HP7) (2-2)
J-3 Left Landing Gear - $75.00. Piper aluminum
wheel pants, $600.00. Tip lights and brackets,
$40.00. Five Taylorcraft tailsurfaces , $250.00. Mar­
vel Schebler MA-3 carburetor, 65 hp, $300.00. Two
inch wind up clock, $50.00 Lycoming generator and
bracket, $60.00. 315/363-4915. (2-1)
Sixty Inch Grade "A" Fabric - $5.00 per yard.
Two and three inch pinked tape . $20.00 per 100­
yard roll. 205/347-2887. (2-1)
NEW EAA REFERENCE GUIDE - Now in one
volume! Covering all EAA journals 1953 through
1989. Newly organized, easier to read. MUCH RE­
DUCED PRICE! Past purchasers: $7.50 USD plus
$1.50 UPS/postage, $3.00 Canadian, $7.00 other.
New purchasers: $15 USD plus $1.50 UPS/post­
age, $3.00 Canadian , $7.00 other. VISA/MASTER­
CARD accepted. John B. Bergeson, 6438 W.
Millbrcok Road , Remus, MI 49340. 517/561-2393.
Note: Have all journals. Will make copy of any ar­
ticle(s) from any issue at 25rt per page. ($3.00
minimum).
Membership in the Experimental
Aircraft Association, Inc. is $30.00
for one year, including 12 issues of
Sport A viation. Junior Membership
(under 19 years of age) is available
at $18.00 annually. Family Member­
ship is available for an additional
$10.0 0 annually.
ANTIQUE/CLASSICS
EAA Member - $18.00. Includes
one year membership in EAA An­
tique-Classic Division, 12 monthly
issues of The Vintage Airplane and
membership card. Applicant must
be a current EAA member and must
give EAA membership number.
Non-EAA Member - $28.00. In­
cludes one year membership in the
EAA Antique-Classic Division, 12
monthly issues of The Vintage Air­
plane, one year membership in the
EAA and separate membership
cards. Sport Aviation not included.
lAC Membership in the International Aerobatic Club, Inc. is $25.00 an­
nually which includes 12 issues of Sport Aerobatics. All lAC members are required to be members of EAA. WARBIRDS
Membership in the Warbirds of
America, Inc. is $25.00 per year,
which includes a subscription to
Warbirds. Warbird members are
required to be members of EAA.
EAA EXPERIMENTER
EAA membership and EAA EXPERI­
MENTER magazine is available for
$28.00 per year (Sport Aviation not
included). Current EAA members
may receive EAA EXPERIMENTER
for $18. 00 per year.
FOREIGN MEMBERSHIPS Please submit your remittance with
a check or draft drawn on a United
States bank
States dollars.
WANTED:
MISCELLANEOUS:
Super Cub PA 18 fuselages repaired or rebuilt
- in precision master fixtures. All makes of tube
assemblies or fuselages repaired or fabricated
new. J. E. Soares Inc., 7093 Dry Creek Road, Bel­
grade, Montana 59714, 406/388-6069 , Repair Sta­
tion D65-21 . (c/4-90)
1910-1950 Original aviation items for sale - in­
struments, wood propellers, helmets, goggles,
34 FEBRUARY 1990
Wanted : Continental 670 parts needed. Motor
mount ring , wood prop hub, nut and cone. Stear­
man exhaust system and heat muff and shields.
These are for a homebuilt. 6091783-5466 after 5:00
p.m. EST. (2-2)
Help! Need manuals, diagrams, specs , photos, ad­
vice to rebuild two Aeronca C-3s ; a Razorback and
a Collegian. Roy Johnsen, P.O. Box 214, Wells,
NY 12190, 518/924-3280. (2-1)
payable
in
United
Make checks payable to EAA or the
division in ::hir tJ membership is
desired. Adc " .;s all letters to EAA
or the particular division at the fol­
lowing address:
EAA A VIA TION CENTER OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086 PHONE (414) 426-4800 OFFICE HOURS: 8:15-5:00 MON.-FRI. by Ceorge Hardie Jr.
Little airplanes have always held a
certain fascination for pilots and en­
thusiasts alike. This one was an early
attempt to produce a sport type for the
personal pilot. The photo is from the
EAA archives, date and location not
given. Answers will be published in
the May , 1990 issue of VINTAGE
AIRPLANE. Deadline for that issue is
March 10, 1990.
The Mystery Plane in the November
1989 issue drew very few responses.
Again, Ted Businger of Evening
Shade, Arkansas was first. He writes:
"The airplane was the offspring of
the
MO-I
designed by
Frank
McGreery and engineered by Burt
Raines . The common title for it was
the Rohr ' Guppy. ' The project was
supervised by ' Dapper Dan ' Burnett, a
ling-time co-worker of mine. He .stated
that it flew well enough , nothing spec­
tacular, although it was a little too cozy
with its side-by-side seating. Its largest
fault was coming into existence at the
wrong time, 194711948, just in time
for the collapse of the post-World War
II light plane 'boom ' (should be
'bust ' ).
Nathan A. Rounds of Zebulon , Geor­
gia writes :
'The Rohr Corporation designed
and built the plane in 1946. It was a
two- seat design with a ' tadpol e ' fuse ­
lage and a 'buttertly ' tail. The airplane
was flown and then they designed a
tail-first plane with many features of
the earlier 1946 design. During the
war, Rohr built powcrplant assemblies
for Consolidated- Vultee and later. en­
gine nacelles for the Lockheed Con­
stellat ion. They also made exhaust as­
semblies for many aircraft. Now they
are located in San Diego , California.
"Just so nobody forgets, ' Dapper
Dan' and our boss Fred Rohr were both
part of the Ryan crew that built the
'Spirit of St. Louis .' Dan ' s sister was
a friend of Ed Morrow's wife (VIN­
TAGE
AIRPLANE,
JUNE,
JULY
1985). A few of us are trying to con­ vince Ed to come to Oshkosh next summer." Steve McNicoll of Geneva , Illinois adds more: "The airplane is a development of
the Rohr MO-I, shown in the March
1947 issue of AVIATION Magazine ,
describing the Rohr MO-I. The com­
ponents of the Rohr are very similar to
the Mystery Plane. Evidently the Rohr
was a failure in its initial carnard,
pusher layout, and a re-arrangement of
its component assemblies would result
in an aircraft remarkably similar to the
Mystery Plane."
Rohr "Guppy"
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 35
Jallllwy 1930
Ten Cents