Vintage Airplane - Dec 1979

8/12/2019 Vintage Airplane - Dec 1979

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E. E. Buck Hilbert


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Editorialtaff

PublisherPaul H.PobereznyEditorGene R.Chase

Phoro by David Gustafson)Thi s 8eechcraft C 17S is Seri al No.8-20 ow ned byRaymond Jones of Sou thfield , MI.

Associate Editors: H. Glenn Buffington , Edward D. Williams, Byron(Fred)Fredericksen ,Lionel SalisburyReadersareencouraged to submit stories and photographs .Associate Editorships are assignedto those writers who submit five or more articles which are published in THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE during the current year . Associates receive a bound volume of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE and a free one-year membership in the Division for their efforts. POLICY-Opi nionsexpressed in articles are solely those of the authors. Responsibility for accuracy in reportingres tsentirely with the contributor. DirectorsClaudeL. Gray, Ir. Mor lon w. l es te r9635Syl viaAvenue P.O. Box 3747PRESIDENT NOrlhridge, CA 91324 Martinsv ille VA 241 12W. BRADTHOMAS, JR. 2131349- 1338 703/632-4839 Home301 DODSON MILL ROAD 703/638-8783 OfficeDaleA.Gus tafsonPILOTMOUNTAIN, NC 27041 7724 Shady Hill Drive Arth ur R.Morgan919/368-2875 Home In dianapolis, IN 46274 3744 Nor th51st Blvd.JI7193 4430 Milwaukee, WI S3216919 /368-2291 Office 4'14/4423631Ri chard H.WagnerVICE PRESIDENT P.O .Box 181 lohn R. TurgyanJACK C. WINTHROP Lyons,WI S3 148 1530KuserRoadROUTE1,BOX111 414 /76:1 0 17 Home Trenton, NI08619414/763-9588 Office 609/585-2747ALLEN ,TX 750022141727-5649 AI Ke lch66W. 622 N.Madison AvenueSECRETARY Cedarburg,WI 53012

414/377-5886 Hom eM. C. "KELLY " VIETS7745 W. 183RD ST. AdvisorsSTILWELL,KS 66085 loh nS. Copeland StanGomoll Gene Morris913/681-2303 Home 9Joa nn e Drive 1042 90th Lane, NE 27 ChandelleDrive913 /782-6720Office Westborough, MA 01S81 Minneapolis, MN 55434 Hampshi re. IL60140

61713667245 6121784-1172 31216833199TREASURER Ronald Fritz Robert E Kesel Geo rgeS. YorkE.E "BUCK" HILBERT 1989 Wilson ,NW 455 OakridgeDrive 181 SlobodaAve.P.O.BOX 145 Grand Rapids ,MI 49504 Rochester ,NY 14617 Man sfield. OH44906UNION, IL60180 616/453-7525 71613 42317 Home BusinessPhone419/755-1011815 /923-4205 716/3252000. Ext. HomePhone419/52 9-437823250123320 Office

THE VINTAGEAIRPLANE (ISSN 0091-6943 ) is owned exclusively by EAA Ant ique/C lassic Division, Inc .,and is published monthly at Hales Corners. Wis co ns in 531 30. Second class Postage paid at HalesCorners Post Office . Hales Corners , W isconsin 53130, and additional mailing offices. Membershiprates for EAA Anlique/Classic Division. Inc .. are $14 .00 per 12month period ofwhich $10.00 is for thepublication of THE VINTAGEAIRPLANE .Membership isopen to allwho are inte rested inaviation.

t i ~ V I ~ T A 3 ~ A I I 2 V L A ~ ~OFFICIALMAGAZINE

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSICDIVISION INC.of THE EXPERIMENTALAIRCRAFTASSOCIATION

P.O. Box229, HalesCorners, WI 53130Copyright" 1979EAAAntique/ClassicDivision, Inc. ,AllRights Reserved .DECEMBER 1979 VOLUME 7 NUMBER 12

(On The Cover Bob Lickteig, Albert Lea, MN owns this immaculate Stinson V-77, N46KW. Photo byTed Kaston.)(Back Cover . .. Fu ll size replicas at Os hkosh 79 of famous racing aircraft. the Travel Air Mystery Ship.owned by lim Younkin. Springdale, AR and GeeBee Model Zowned by Bill Turner. Riverside. CA.)

TABLEOF CONTENTSAntiques And ClassicsOr BirdsOf AFeatherFlockTogetherbyPaulH .Poberezny ,.. . . . . .. . .. ,,.. . . ,,. . . . . . . ,.,,. . . . .. . . . . ,............. 4Tullahoma79 by FredR. Gefken . . . ,.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5New Additions To EAA Air Museum Foundation Collection by Gene R,Chase... ... 6APhoto Essay Of The Howard DGA-15P,Grand Champion AntiqueAt Oshkosh '79by DavidGustafson.. . . . . ... . . . .. ... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .,.. 10AnnualTurkey Day Fly-Inby Gene Chase .,. . . . ,. . . . . . . . . . . . ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Borden 'sAeroplane PostersFromThe1930 's by LionelSalisbury . . . _.. .. . . .. .. . .. . 18ACurtissAlbum by George Hardie ,Jr .. ,. . . . . . . . . .. ,,,. " ,.. ,.. ,,. . . . . . . . . ,. . . ,. 20Letters ., .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. ..... . . . . . ,.." ... . . . . . . . . . . . " .. . . . . .. . . . . .... .. .. 241979Class.ic Judges At Oshkosh ., .,. . . .. . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . _.. . . .. .. ,.,.. 25Retraction . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . .._. . . . . . . . . ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .,,... . . . . . . . . . . . 25CalendarOf Events,... . .. .. ,. . . . ,,.. . . . . . . . .,,. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 25Important Notice .. .. . . . . . .... . . . ... ..... . . ,. . . . . . . . . . ,,... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25LouiseThaden DiesAt Age73 . . ,.. .. . ... .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,,.. .. . . ... .. . . .. 25Memories Of LouiseThaden . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . ,.. . . .,,,,.. ,,,.,,,. . . . ,,. . . . .. . . . . , 26

EAA ANTIQUE/CLASSIC DIVISION MEMBERSHIPo NON-EAA MEMBER - $22_00 . Includes one yearmembership in the EAA Antique/Classic Division, 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE; one year mem

bership in the Experimental Aircraft Association and separatemembership cards.SPORTAVIATION magazinenot included .o EAA MEMBER - $14.00. Includes one yearmembership in the EAA Antique/ClassicDivision , 12 monthly issues of THE VINTAGE AIRPLANE AND MEMBERSHIPCARD.(Applicantmustbe current EAA member and mustgiveEAA membership number .)

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ANTIQUES AND CLASSICSOR

BIRDS OF A FE THER FLOCKTOGETHER

by Paul H PobereznyEAA President

Did you ever wonder why the Antique/Classic,International Aerobatic Club and Warbirds of AmericaDivisions were formed in EAA? The question has beenasked from time to time and perhaps now it shouldbe answered once again, so we will all know the historyof the founding of the Divisions .

The founders of EAA did not foresee the tremendousrate of growth of the organization, or the many andvaried aviation interests of the growing membership.Even after this was recognized , it was still a smallgroup working in the Poberezny basement and laterin the various stages of office development, whichworked hard and still does to answer the needs andsolve the problems of the many members with theirvaried and individual interests.

The annual Convention kept growing in size withincreased attendance and types of aircraft, while atthe same time the available manpower at EAA Headquarters remained the same. We saw a need for helpin planning and service for these special interestactivities. As we all know, birds of a feather flocktogether , so it was only natu ral then to seek outinterested aviation enthusiasts. We enlisted theirtalents and leadership abilities to develop the threeDivisions as a part of EAA. Their assistance was notonly needed at the annual Fly-In Convention, butthroughout the year.

The expertise and commitment of Division memberswas needed to help make possible their individualpublications, The VINTAGE AIRPLANE SPORT AERO-BATICS and the Warbirds Newsletter and Magazines.These skills were also needed for the developmentof chapters within the Divisions as well as promotingEAA and sport aviation by fostering and attending otheraviation events.Each of the Divisions is a separate corporationhaving its own officers, directors and treasury. EAAHeadquarters offices are used as home base for allDivisions and much work, on behalf of the Divisions ,is accomplished there.

Those of us who founded the Divisions did not givethought to a legal tie between each Division and EAA.It appears it would be in the best interest of all ifeach member of the Divisions was also a member ofEAA, thus permitting us to present an even more unitedfront in aviation matters.A meeting of the three Division presidents andEAA Headquarters representatives is scheduled forearly December, to discuss and insure that the bestinterest of our activities is preserved ; that throughgood business practices we will continue to growand be successful.

There are many benefits to aviation in encouragingpeople in pursuit of their hobby, whose interests liein a particular area such as antique and classic aircraft .

As my good friend Bob Taylor of the Antique AirplaneAssociation always says , Keep the Antiques Flying .I know Bob would agree with me that you people owni ng th ese fi ne vi ntage ai rcraft as well as the moremodern classic aircraft have set some very high standards in aircraft repair, restoration, and maintenance

in most cases it exceeds the aviation industry efforts.Not to be forgotten is the higher than average skilllevels attained by these pilots and this is evident whenI review the total general aviation accident reportseach week. This self policing; this individual desire forperfection has been noted by FAA and we have discussed it at the Washington level many times.

Most all of the outstanding restoration projects,repairs and maintenance are accomplished by nonA & Ps. Unfortunately, in many cases , the skill levelof the A & P falls short of the needs of the perfectionistand craftsman. In line with this, why not considerthe possibility of discussing with FAA the issuanceof a Repairman's Certificate to the restorer? The FAAhas just done this for the builder of amateur builtaircraft. If there is enough interest in the matter, letme know , along with suggestions, and justification. Iwould be glad to meet with FAA on this , on your behalf.

As you know, through the efforts of Bob Taylorsome years ago, registration numbers can be displayedon antique aircraft as they appeared prior to the fuselage side number requirement. EAA led a 13 yearsuccessful battle to have the 12 inch billboard sizefuselage numbers reduced to 3 inches . However , allis not calm on this matter at the Washington level, andyou again may be called upon to make known, withjustification, your feelings on the matter . There arethose in Air Traffic Control and law enforcementagencies who are promoting the return to large fuselagenumbers. Big government will again try to step oneveryone's toes because of a few irresponsible pilotswho operate aircraft il lega lly. We have the responsibility of making our feelings known to those whoengage in buzzing. We will keep all of you informedrelative to changes toward the return of the requirement for billboard size numbers.In the Did you Know Department , we bring toyour attention the fact that a FAA control tower op eratorcannot legally waive FAA regulations which prohibitaerobatic flight. It is not unusual for some controllers,with their enthusiasm for aviation, to ask for a highspeed pass or other unusual flight man euvers. Whena pilot cooperates with such a requ es t , it can pos siblycause embarrassment for both. There are variations offly-bys and then there are buzz jobs with some aerobatics thrown in. Use discretion .

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mhby Fred R. Gefken432 Ridgewood Roa dapl ewood, NJ 07040 m

I had the pleasure of attending the first TullahomaConvention with Dave Richter (president of Chapter238) riding co-pilot.I left Hanover airport Thursday, September 27, at14:30 with one hour on my newly majored 61 Skyhawkand picked Dave up at linden. We proceeded southwest making our first gas stop at Waynesboro, Virginia. The folks there were kind enough to let uscamp for the night. Hamburgers over the campstoveand a walk around the country provided our entertainment for the evening.Friday morning we were off again. The weather,being fickle as usual, lowered the boom short of ourKnoxville gas stop, and we spent several impatienthours at New River Airport, Dublin, Virginia beforetrucking on . Though rain and heavy clouds prevailed,they seemed to part for us like Moses at the Red Sea.As the distance remaining would have left a lowfuel reserve for holding patterns we elected to landin the rain at Morristown, Tennessee. Providence musthave nudged us for there we met Evelyn Byran Johnson,a beautiful little lady in her late 60's, who couldn'tresist showing us a telegram she had just received fromWashington, D.C.ltwas naming her, FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR OF THE YEAR. The beautiful people you meetflying around this great country .The remaining leg of our journey displayed abeautiful sunset through the clouds and we put downat Tullahoma 20:05 E.D.T. Friday night and set up ourcamp under the wing of 72Xray.

Tullahoma at 760 miles is almost as far as Oshkoshand my first impression was this is a mini Oshkosh .All the same ingredients were there right down to theDC-3 and Pope Paul s P-51 as they called it downthere) plus the now familiar M red balloon.The forum tents were nestled around the Staggerwing Beech Museum and the display aircraft were allset up around the perimeter of the forum areas . Theantique and classic aircraft were way out in left fieldbehind the ultralights but strolling through the Tullahoma countryside wasn ' t a hardship . At least it

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The main g te at Tullahoma - with the EDC-3 s backdrop.

wouldn't have been had the ground been drier. Allweek they had rain which turned everywhere into aquagmire. Even the B-17 scheduled to fly Saturdaywas stuck in it.The town of Tullahoma reminded me of the T.V.series Dukes of Hazard , freight trains rumbledthrough town and hot cars screamed all night. Tullahoma went all out for EAA, declaring a festivalSaturday. They closed off two of the three main streetsfor a fair with a flea market and live blue grass musicall day. These are the things successful EAA Conventions are made of and happily Paul Poberezny announced there will be a Tullahoma 1980 .Air traffic was handled A-La Oshkosh with the flagmen dancing about like the original American ballettroupe. My biggest thrill was taking off right behindthe B-17 on Sunday. I'm sure I'll never have that honoragain.From a 13:00 Sunday liftoff we made it to Lancaster,Pennsylvania at 20:00 being forced down by the everpresent cloud cover and darkness . Unfortunately thestalled weather system kept us in Lancaster until Tuesday afternoon when a special VFR clearance got usback home . (Remember Murphy 's law for airmen,

time to .spare, go by air .)

I 'm not a fair judge of these Conventions butTullahoma '79 for me was as good an experience asOshkosh, with more scenic country enroute. Temperature for camping was about l ike Oshkosh, 60'snights, 80's days . The airplane campgrounds had anice grove of trees arou nd for that woodsy atmosphere.The activities, forums, etc. were all like slipping intothe old Oshkosh shoe and the interview with SteveWittman telling his early flying experiences over theP A. system was great.My only disappointment, also echoed by others ,was how far away the fly-by and air show pattern was.One could hardly recognize the type aircraft in thefly-by's . I'm sure these details could be worked outbetter next year.I must congratulate the local chapters, and Headquarters for organizing a successful Convention. Imyself heartily recommend at least making Tullahomaif you don't make Oshkosh next year. It's an idealtime of year and with some imagination, I can see onemaking a side trip to Nashville 70 miles) then maybeon the way home, camping at Cape Hatteras for a fewdays of fishing.Sounds good, doesn't it?


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NEW ADDITIONS TO E AIRMUSEUM FOUNDATION

COLLECTIONy Gene R Chase

photo by L Fray)L H erron, fAA 4 26 compl eted this Quickie in April,1979, and within months had acquired 5 hours offlight time in the unique craft.

Some rare and exciting aircraft have recently beenacquired by the Museum . They are a Knight Twister, aQuickie and two Monocoupes including a Model 110and a Model 110 Special.

The Knight Twister , N3TL was donated by Mrs. T. M.Love and Thomas M . Love , Jr. , widow and son ofThomas M . Love , EAA 83170. Colonel Tom Love, Centerville, Maryland, was a retired U.S . Air Force pilot andhad planned to donate this plane to the Museum beforehis untimely death in his Decathlon.

Tom acquired the Knight Twister from Robert M .Ubel , EAA 44423 of Cincinnati, Ohio who started construction of the plane in 1968 and completed it in1970. The plane was originally powered by a Continental A-65 but later a 115 hp Lycoming was installed .This aircraft is one of the most authentic pla ns-builtKnight Twisters in existence and many Oshkosh attendees will recall seeing it and meeting Tom at the75, 76 and 77 Conventions.6

The modernistic look of the Knight Twister beliesthe fact that it was originally designed some 50 yearsago by Vernon Payne. N3TL is flyable, however it wasdisassembled and delivered here via a rental truckdriven by Tom Love, Jr. , and a friend who helped withthe driving chores. This is the first Knight Twister everoffered to the Museum , and it is an outstandingexample of this diminutiv e sport/racing biplane.

The Quickie, N2WX was donated by Lee and DianeHerron of West Orange, New Jersey and it is the firstplans-built example of this popular single place custombuilt aircraft. Lee and Diane are ardent supporters ofEAA . Lee is an EAA Designee and also a FAA AccidentPrevention Counselor. This Quickie is Lee s fifthcustom-builtLike the Knight Twister, the Quickie also arrived atthe Museum via surface transportation . When PhyllisTemplin , EAA 87294, learned that Lee had donated hisQuickie, she immediately offered to drive to West

Orange to pick up the craft. Phyllis had a trailer hitchinstalled on her station wagon, then drove from herhome in Arlington Heights , Illinois to the Museum toget one of EAA s flat bed trailers .

She towed the empty trailer to West Orange wherethe plane was loaded and secured for the trip back toWisconsin. Obviously, Phyllis is an active supporterof EAA with a particular interest in the Quickie because she has the kit which she plans to start buildingright away. Phyllis is also a Warbird member and shemanages the Junior Warbird program at Oshkosh.The Museum is pleased ,to have this immaculateversion of the Quickie which represents the onlyexample of modern composite construction on display.The Warner 125 powered Monocoupe 110, N533Wwas donated by G.A . Watson , EAA 145843 of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Mr. Watson had owned this planesince 1974. Earlier information indicated that theplane was built by William P. Lear , Sr ., in 1930, but


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Ph o to y Lee Fra y)This Knight Twister joins other racing aircraft in th e raci ngsection of th e Museum. The new and as yet, ,unpaint edengine cowling whi ch Tom Love h dstarted, wi ll be com-pleted by th e Museum s res toration shop .

subsequently we have learned that the first ownerwas the Sherwin-Williams Paint Company.Mr . Lear purchased N533W from Sherwin-Williams,flew it for about 2 years then sold it to Perry H. Pedrickof Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Pedrick flew the Monocoupe until 1940 after which it went through severalowners. Log book entries indicate that it was based inCalifornia from 1952 to 1955.In September , 1955, the coupe was flown to Rock-ford , Illinois by Gene L Ellan and flown from this dateuntil 1974 when Mr. Watson acquired the plane.Although currently out of license, the Monocoupeis flyable and was delivered to the Museum s facilityin Burlington, Wisconsin on a ferry permit by GeneChase.

The last factory-built Monocoupe 110 Special isN15E , the plane donated to the Museum by Mr. LeonJ. Levitz of Phoenix, Arizona.


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This rare and valuable clipped wing version of theModel 110 is powered by a Warner 55185 rated at 200hp for takeoff. Its date of manufacture is July 28 1949and the log book indicates the total fl ight time at347:35.Many EAAers will recognize this aircraft as the oneformerly owned by United Air Lines Captain Donald J.Taylor in 1964 and 1965 when he lived in Denver Colorado. The plane was heavily damaged in an acci -

dent and purchased by Dick Austin of GreensboroNorth Carolina who rebuilt it and flew it during 1971.Mr. Levitz purchased the Monocoupe in February 1972 and owned it until donating it to the Museum.

After the decision was rnade to truck the Mono-coupe to the Museum, EAA members Bob Burbick ofSun City, Arizona and Mike Jankowski of Phoenix,volunteered to disassemble it and load it into a rentalvan. Fortunately for the Museum, Mike had some time

available from his job as a mechanic for Hughes Air-west Airlines, and he offered to deliver th e preciouscargo to the Museum.With the addition of the Model 110 and Model110 Special Monocoupes to the Museum s inventory acollection second to none of this great line of aircraftis being acquired . These two coupes join the Mu-seum s Velie powered Monocoupe 113 and Model90A.

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Photo y ene Chase)his Monocoupe 110 was manufactured in 1930 in Moline,Illinois, and was featured in several o the factory adver-tisements o the day.


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A PHOTO ESSAY OFheHoward DGA-t5GRAND CHAMPION ANTIQUE AT OSHKOSH 79.

Photos by avid Gustafson

Dick M artin s Howard photographed at I and Lois Kelch sbeautiful hom es ite t Cedarburg, Wisconsin .


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A trademark of civilian Howards s th location of thpitot tube on the jury strut instead of th wing leadingedge

The north and south ends of the sturdy Howard

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Howard DGA 1 5P built fo r th e Navy during II . Th e Navy s des ignation fo r thi s model was NH I . ThisHowa rd Air craft fac tory photo is fro m th e co ll ection of Bob Cd ll oway of Anti och, Illin ois who worked forHoward during th e war. 3


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For 10 years, AI and Lois Kelch have hosted thisextremely popular event at their fly-in homesite onthe south edge of Cedarburg, Wisconsi n. The big daywas September 9 this year, and 53 aircraft and 192people were in attendance.The popularity of the Turkey Day Fly-In was evidenced by the arrival of two guests from California,Claude Gray and Charles Auten. Willie Ropp was there

)Ott 9 1'1-y Gene Chase

in his AT-6 from Michigan and several flew in fromIllinois.Kelch's facilities aren t unlimited and due to thesize of the 79 affair, AI and Lois are forced to makeit an invitational fly-in next year. Kelch's are perfecthosts and this annual fly-in at their beautiful homesitewith the manicured grass runway, is truly Utopia forthe airmen and friends who attend.

h ot y Ted Kaston)

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(Photo y Ted Kos ton )Aerial view o the Turkey Day Fly-In.Th e taxi strip from the parking areato th e runway is in the lower center ofthe pi ctur e.

TURKEY D Y FLY INAll photos by David Gustafson excep t s noted.)

A recentl y res tored N3 N arri ves. A few o th e 5 planes in attendance at the Turkey Day Fl y-In .


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Dale Crites, Dean r i t s I Kelch maneuver Dale s7972 Curtiss Pusher into a parking place. Some o the people who consumed 9 turkeys, 3 e rs ofcorn , 6 Ibs. of potato salad, gallons of beans, 75 gallonso ice cream and many cans of soda

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St inson ReliantBy Lionel Sa lisbur yBORDEN S AEROPLANE POSTERS Seven Harp er Roa dBrampton OntarioCanada L6 W3Article Numb er 1 1 Poster Number Series Numb er 1ROM THE 1930 S

.

The new four place Stinson Reliant Model SR wasmanufactured by the Stinson Aircraft Corporation atWayne , Michigan and introduced in 1933. At the amazingly low price of $3,995.00 it outso ld all other aircraft up to and including six place machines.

Threeviewand detai ls are reproduced from the backof the poster These photos were originally produced ....... .on a stiff paper , 19 x 11 , printed in black and white

N X T MONTH - Th e Chance Vought Corsa ir TH E NEW STINSON RELIANT

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http:///reader/full/3,995.00http:///reader/full/3,995.00http:///reader/full/3,995.00


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THE NEW ST NSON RELIANTFour Passenger Cabin Plane with25 Horsepower Lycoming MotorSpecifications: Span, 43 feet 3 inches. Length

overall, 27 feet. Height overall, 8 feet 5 12 inches. Wingchord, 75 inches. Dihedral, 1 1 degrees. Wheel tread,10 feet. Gross weight, 3125 pounds. Weight empty,2 4 pounds. Useful load 1085 pounds. Pay load, 585pounds . Oi l , 4 gallons, 3 pounds. Gas, 5 gallons,3 0 pounds. Baggage, 75 pounds. Wing loading, 13.3

pounds. Power loading, 14.54 pounds.Performance with Full Loads: Rate of climb (initial),75 feet per minute. Service ceiling, 14,500 feet. Maximum ceiling, 16 ,5 feet. Cruising speed, 115 miles perhour. High speed, 135 miles per hour. Landing run , 250feet.

Lycoming 215 hp motor, 9 cylinder radial, aircooledand mounted on rubber. Safety glass throughout, nonglare safety glass in windshield. Six standard fl ightand engine indicating instruments. Fuselage finishedin black with silver contrasting color. Floor carpetbetween front and rear seats and special natural finish

cork insole flooring (easily washable) for pilot s section.Direct drive electric starter, 12 volt aircraft storage

battery. Adjustable metal propeller. Stinson speedring , short type. Fenders. Baggage compartment andbaggage door. Adjustable pilots ' seats. Dual controls.Low pressure semi-airwheels (tapered beari ngs).Steamline tail wheel. Self energizing brakes. Aerolshock absorbers. Parking brakes. Cabin heaters andventilator. Durable leatherette upholstery . Mappockets. Adjustable stabi lizer. Ball bearing controls.One-tone garnish moulding. Indirectly lighted instrument panel, two-tone.

A Album


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Another view of the first successful Curtiss flying boat withLt Ellyson at the controls.

by George Hardie JrEAA HistorianPhotos provided by the Author

After the successful flights of his hydro-aeroplane, ' Curtiss decided to build atrue flying boat. He started construction of the craft during the winter of 1911-12at North Island, San Diego, California. The first flight was made on January 10,1912from the w t ~ r of the Spanish Bight.As can be seen in the photo, the design of this craft embodied a departure fromusual Curtiss practice. The engine was mounted in the hull ahead of the pilot anddrove two tractor propellers with a crossed-chain drive, simi lar to the arrangementused by the Wrights. Evidently this caused a weight distribution problem for a successful take-off was not made until young Johnny Kaminski, a Curtiss student was persuaded to stand on the rear of the hull as shown thus raising the nose out of the water.A straight-away hop was made in this fashion. Whether further flights were made isnot known.Curtiss returned to Hammondsport in May, 1912 and work was immediately startedon a new flying boat design. On this one the hull was enlarged to accommodate twopersons and a single engine was mounted as a pusher. A control surface was installedat the nose of the boat to assist in breaking loose ff om the water on take-off . The dualcontrols featuring the throw-over wheel enabled Curtiss to offer training instructionin the new craft. Dubbed "The Flying Fish", the flying boat was an immediate success.It is interesting to review the Curtiss ads of this period. "Water Flying - A TopNotch Sport " was the lead in one ad in Aero Hydro Magazine in August, 1912.The sales pitch continued, "Speed faster than the fastest motor boat, - on the water,over the water, cross country. As safe as yachting. Arise and alight on the water andeliminate aviation dangers ".

(Continued on Page 22

Here s the first Curtiss flying boat experiment at NorthIsland, San Diego in January, 7972 Note the dual tractorpropellers.

The first successful Curtiss flying boat, shown here onLake Keuka, Hammondsport New York in the summer of7972


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This monoplane Curtiss flying boat was built on specialorder for R V Morris in 1912.

An early Curtiss flying boat note the removable splashhood ahead of the pilot and the ailerons mounted on thewing struts

nother experimental version of the flying boat on theLake Keuka shore t Hammondsport in 1912.

A later Curtiss flying boat incorporating refinements suchs better hull design and ailerons mounted on the upperwing

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A CURTISS LBUMContinued from Page 20


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The Curtiss flying boat had a special appeal for sportsmen. Orders began to pourinto the plant at Hammondsport, taxing the ability of the factory to keep up with thework. Among the many rich sportsmen who placed orders were such names as HaroldF. McCormick of Chicago, l J "Jack" Vilas of Wisconsin, William R. Scripps ofDetroit, and J B. R. Verplanck of Fishkill , New York .As production progressed, the design of the flying boat was continually beingmodified and improved. That flat bottom of the early boats caused difficulty in breaking loose from the water on take-off so a step was added. Later, ducts were added toadmit air behind the step which improved performance even more.

The production version was labeled the Curtiss Model F. Wingspan was 42 feetwith a net empty weight of 1440 pounds . Powered with a Curtiss OX engine of 90 hp,top speed was listed at 65 mph . Structure was of wood, with wings and control surfaces fabric covered. Side-by-side dual wheel control was provided with basic instruments - tachometer, oil gauge and fuel gauge furnished as standard equipment.

In 1913, Elmer Sperry of the Sperry Gyroscope Company became interested inadapting his device to an airplane . His son Lawrence was sent to Hammondsport towork with Curtiss on the project. The gyro was first installed in the Navys flyingboat for tests. After perfecting the device, it was installed in a new flying boat furnished by Curtiss and flown by Lawrence Sperry at Paris , France, where he won theInternational Safety Airplane Contest on June 18,1914.In 1914, Curtiss was commissioned by Rodman Wanamaker of New York to designand build a flying boa! capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean on a flight to Europe.This aircraft, the "American", became the prototype of the large flying boats whichwere developed in World War I.

The C-2, on e of a series of Curtiss flying boats built for the U S Navy in 1913.

G lenn Curtiss (left) and H enry Ford with a Curtiss flying boat. The C-2 in flight over Lake Keuka, with Lt. Patrick Bellinger at the co ntrols.


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The Curtiss Model F flying boat, t e production version Lawrence Sperry's hands off demonstration of his autodesigned for the sportsman pilot. mati c pilot t Paris , France in 1914.

The twin-engined Curtiss flying boat America built in1914 for t e proposed transatlanti c flight. Another view ofthe America , largest flying boat of itsday in 1914 with wingspan of 74 feet.

3

protests of those of us who opposed the rules .It s encouraging to see that a regulatoryagencyrespond

return to Oshkosh - I only hope that itmay be next year - can't wait too long. Open Letter to Aircraft Owners :For the past few years , we the flying public ,


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L TT RSDear Paul:

Since writing my letter of 16 July to PeterStrombom, with copy to you , I have scanned allsubsequent issues of SPORT AVIATION tosee if any action was taken as a result of mycomplaint. I have not however, gone throughthe editions with a fine tooth comb , but I -cansay if there was any expression of regret forthe blaspheme, it was certainly not as prominent as the offense.

As foretold therefore I must discontinuemy sllPport of the EAA Headquarters , but notof my local chapter.So much for your " deep religious belief .I am sorry to note you seem to lack the moralcourage to choose between the owner of ashiny P-51 and your crucified Savior , exceptin favor of the former.Sincerely yours ,Charles Peter GoodwinRoute 2, Box 29Frederick, MD 21701Editor's Note: Mr. Goodwin objects to a photothat appeared in an earlier issue of SPORTAVIATION of a P-51 that was painted in thecolors of a famous Mustang of World War IIbearing the name " Cripes a' Mighty .Gentlemen:I'm sending this to Paul in the hope that hemight have further thoughts on it.Periodically we read reruns of the San Diegodisaster . But no one so far as I have read hascome up with the so simple solution . This issimply to work it out so the crew can see whatthey can't see now .They say radar won 't do it. Submarines doit with periscopes , truck drivers do it withmirrors , department stores , banks somemotorhomes do it with closed circuit TV.Even a porthole in the belly would help,where someone could look out . Imagine abomber with a blind spot!So let's do something about it - the bigblind spot in airliners . And hurry up .Sincerely ,Stephen du Pont3129 Bu rr StreetFairfield, Connecticut

Dear Sir:I 've received notificati on from KansasSenator Bob Dole of the FAA's abandonment ofcontrolled visual fl ight rules. The Senator'sletter says, in part:I m convinc ed that the withdrawal of theseproposals is a direct result of the informed

will to the overwhelming expressionsof public sentiment against a proposal. Thisexperience should prompt us to communicateour views on other matters to the govern -mental agencies involved.I'd take that just a bit further. I think EAAand all the other members of the aviation community who reacted quickly and firmly tothe proposal deserve our thanks . That includeseveryone who wrote letters. Let's hope thatnext time (and there will be a next t ime)the FAA tries to take our rights away that we allreact just as fast and just as strongly.

Cordially ,Russ GrovesKARE RADIOP. O. BoxGAtchison , Kansas 66002

Dear Paul:We did miss you very much in Minnesota butunderstood your reasons for not being ableto make it. The Lindbergh Fund will be writingyou officially concerning their gratitude foryour arranging for the planes and Verne andJim , who absolutely made the Lindbergh Celebration up there.They are amazing men and their dedicationand commitment is astounding. Each in hisown way does something that leaves a lastingimpression on a state like Minnesota.I am enclosing a small article which givesthe gist of the various releases and I am sureyou know that the top half of each of the threeMi nneapolis/St. Paul newspapers had thepicture of the Spirit of St. Louis all on thesame day.It was beautifully arranged and I personallyam most grateful- as is the Lindbergh Family.With best regards .Sincerely,James D. Newton4650 Estero Boulevard

Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931Editor's Note: Captain Verne Jobst flew the" Spirit of St. Louis and Captain Jim Bartonpiloted the Stinson SM-SA.

Dear Brad:Just thought I'd drop a line to say how muchDad and I appreciated your friendship andcompany at Oshkosh. We had a wonderful time- in fact it was far beyond all expectationsfor me, and I feel sometimes that it musthave been a dream.I know that it was through the Antique/Classic Division's wonderful help and friendship that made our stay so much more enjoyable.There is no doubt in my mind that I must

Hope you r " Staggerwing Fly-In " went welland I will look forward to reading your newsin he VINTAGE AIRPLANE.Have been flying the Clancy Skybaby designed by Dad s brother in 1931, but thisone has a Praga B engine , instead of a Henderson motorcycle engine. It was quite an experience for me as there is a lot of family historytied up in this little airplane. This is the onlyone flying in Australia after its builder took20 years to build it.See you again one day in Oshkosh, unlessyou make it to Australia first.Thanks again, Brad, for everything - Cheersfor now, Lyn ButlerOne Vicotria StreetRosevill N.S:W. 2069Australia

Dear Sir:Please find enclosed my check in the amountof 4 .95 for your publication entitled SPORTAIRCRAFT YOU CAN BUILD. I am consideringa project and could use this information.I would also appreciate any information onpower plants. For example, I have no idea whata Lyc. 0-235 or an 0-360 means in terms of hp,etc . TBO figures would also be of interest. Iam assuming that the book you have publishedlists the best engine application for any givendesign .I have advertised in your publication fora Kinner B-5 engine, complete and/or parts.I have received no responses and wonder whatto do next. I am not a member of your AntiqueDivision , but wonder if I could advertise inits publication . My first' priority is to restorea Kinner Sportster. I have located a restorableair frame but need the power plant. Can anyone tell me if I could put a B-5 up front alongwith an experimental classification? I am amember of the Kinner family and find thatamong all of us who still are involved in aviation that very little is known about the engineering nor do we have much know-how in thiseffort . There must be a B-5 out there somewhere without a kings ransom asking price .I look forward to receiving your book andany suggestions you may have to offer someone who is new in aircraft restorations and/orhomebuilt projects. I have been restoringantique automobiles for over twenty -years,which states my mental deterioration andblind faith in the impossible.Best regards ,Leon Kinner311 Union StreetThe Dalles, Oregon 97058

have been told the fatigued story of Poland 'smaneuver to manufacture NEW Franklinengines and then market them in this country.So far their proposal has been just that , amere conception of keeping the aviation worldawaiting a non-existent product.As you are very much aware . . . THERE ARENO ENGINES and/or REPLACEMENT PARTSBEING SHIPPED FROM POLAND .The chronic myth of Poland 's intention ofsending engines to this country (just anyday now), is mere propaganda that seems tohave originated from holders of large inventories of now obsolete and bogus Franklinparts .As a result of acquiring important information from reliable sources Aero Engineering,Inc., went to work on the modification of theFranklin engine. For the past three years AeroEngineering has been doing paper work andtesting under Research and Development for aSTC on the Franklin engine. This STC is nowpending with the Engineering Department ofthe FAA in Des Plains, Illinois.

After long hours of work and outgoingexpenses, Aero Engineering is NOW theproud holder of FAA PMA parts on the Franklin engine, with more PMA's on the way.Aero Engineering plans to resurrect this

engine and manufacture it by Americans forAmericans here at Freeman Field , in Seymour,Indiana. We hope to have the support ofinterested persons who are in the know orhave experience with the Franklin engine.I will keep you posted as to our progressand inform you of any changes , here or abroad.I will be very happy to talk with people whoare truly interested in resurrecting the Franklinengine.Those who are interested please contact medirectly .Let's keep the Franklin in the air over America! Sincerely,Dan SkaggsAero Engineering, Inc .1155 A Avenue West

Freeman FieldSeymour, I ndiana 47274

4

1979CLASSICJUDGESAT CALENDAROFEVENTS


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OSHKOSHListed below are the names and addresses of theClassic Judges so you can contact one of them inyour region if yousodesire.GEORGE S. YORK, Chairman- 181 Sloboda Avenue ,Mansfield, OH 44906STAN A. YORK- 181 SlobodaAvenue ,Mansfield,OH44906

GEORGE W. LE MAY - S003 BulyeaRoad, N.W ., Calgary,Alberta,CANADA T2L 2H7PAUL L STEPHENSON - 1839 Childers Drive , NE ,Albuquerque,NM 87112KEVIN L STEPHENSON - 1839 Chi lders Drive , NE ,Albuquerque, NM 87112REID LASSETTER - S04 Thomas Drive, Rossville, GA30741DALE WOLFORD,Co-Chairman- 443 TR 1S00, Rd #2,Ashland ,OH 4480SJIM MANKINS- 2142 Ridgeview Ter., Corona, CA91720JILL KLEINHEINZ-11S0 CalleDelArroyo, Sonoma,CA95476

WERNER GRIESBECK - 210S ~ r o a d w a y Abbotsford,B.C.,CANADAV2T3G4JOHNWOMACK - 2401 North State, lola,KS 66749

RETRACTIONThe November issue of The VINTAGE AIRPLANEfeaturedpart two of TH EPARADE OF FLIGHT. On page6, the Cessna 170, belonging to Bob Baas , of Irving ,Texas , was incorrectly captioned as a 1942 Piper L-4,

owned byGeneO'Neil of Fostoria, IA.* * *Also in the November issue, we ran a storysubmitted byTom Hull on the Sixth Annual Chicken andWaco Antique Fly-In & Picnic. During the editingprocess,thefollowing was inadvertently deleted:Ted i ltner and George Smith , both from Reading,Pennsylvania, brought th eir Beech Staggerwing and BobHoward of Oxen Hill, Maryland came with his RearwinCloudster.Also,theFly-In/Picnic took placeon May 6, insteadof May 7,as stated.Thankyou Tom, for bringing this to ou rattention.

MARCH 16-22- lAKELAND , f lORIDA - Sun 'N Fun 1980. Note newdates. For information, please co ntact : Betty jones, 4195 Forres tDrive,Mulberry, Fl 33860.JULY 12 - MEYERS OTW REUNION - BACK TO FACTORY- OTWowners and ent hu siasts - hangar flying, dutch treat. For furtherinformation please contact Dick Martin, Rt. 3, Aerodrome Road ,Green Bay, WI 54301, or Haro ld lossner, 415 EighthStreet Place,D es Moines , IA 50313 .

AUGUST 29- OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN - 28th Annual EAA FlylnConvention. Startmaking your plans no w.

AUGUST 1730- OSKOSH, WISCONSIN - World Aerobatics '80 .For the first time ever, the U .S. will host the World 's Aerobatic Championships. Do n 't mi ss this historic event . For information, please contact WORLD AEROBATICS '80, EAA, Box 229,HalesCorners, WI 53130.

AUGUST 2224- COFFEYVillE, KANSAS- Funk Flyln. BestAntiqueand Best Homebuilt trophies as well as Funk trophies. Flybys Spot landing - bomb drop contests. Meet and talk to Howardand joe Funk, aviation pioneers. For further information, pleasecontact Ray Pahls, 454 South Summitlawn , Wichita , KA 67209, o rG. Dale Beach , 1621 Dreher Street, Sacramento, CA 95814 9 6443-7604 for info.OCTOBER 15 - TUllAHOMA , TENNESSEE - 2ND ANNUAL EAANATIONAL FAl l FLY-IN. Don't miss this one. Contact EAA, Box229, Hal es Corners ,WI 53130.

IMPORTANT NOTICEGASOLINE CREDIT CARDS- Some of the largeroil companies supplying aviation gasoline havechanged their policy in respect to accepting creditcards from other petroleum suppliers. The ones thathave recently changed their policy in this respectareas follows:CHEVRON- EffectiveJanuary1,1980,thiscompany

will not accept credit cards from Continental, Gulf,Mobil ,Phillips,Texacoor Union.MOBIL - Will not accept"bank cards" atcompanyowned stations.SHELL - Will now acceptonly Shell credit cards.

UNION - Will only accept Master Charge, Visa,BP Canada,SunocoDX,Hu sky,Union andgovernmentcredit cards.

LOUISETHADEN DIES ATAGE73Mrs . Louise M. Thaden died on November 9, 1979at High Point , North Carolina. During her flyingcareer she held many aviation wo r ld records forwomen. Sheis probably bestknown for havingwon the1936 BendixRace in aBeech Staggerwing with BlanchNoyesas co-pil ot. Donations maybemadeto afavoritecharity, or to the Staggerwing Foun.dation ChapelFund,BoxS50, Tullahoma, Tennessee,37388.

Classic owners~ t m t q ~

~ t :/ ~ J ~OG ('. - ,\ l l< \IRESSIT UP

WITH A NEW \d5rU1Ii dea INTERIORAll Items READY-MADE for EasyDO-IT-YOURSELF INSTALLATION

Seat Upholstery - Wall PanelsHeadliners - Carpets - etc.

Ceconite Envelopes and DopesSend $1 .00 lor C.t.log and F.brics Selection Guide

4 ~ P ~ 1 H C .259-15 Lower Morrisville Rd.

I V ~ . I Fallsington, Pa. 19054I , I (215) 29 5 - 411525

MEMORIES OF LOUISE THADEN


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Louis e Thaden waves triumphantl y upon landing aft erselling the solo endurance reco rd in 1929 H er Trav elAir biplane was specifica lly equipped for the flight with

special fuel tank holding 195 gallons of gasolin e. Shewas 23 yea rs of age with barel y two years of fl ying ex-perience.

Three founding members of the 99 s, the organization ofwomen pi lo ts. Left to right are: Am elia Earhart, Fran cesMarsa lis and Louise Th aden. Today the 99's are th e lea d-ing women s aviation orga niza tion.

For Louise Thaden 9 6 repr esented her p ea k yea r ior ac-complishments. With Blanch e Noyes s her co-pilot, Mrs.Thaden entered the Bendi x transcontinental ra ce and wonit in Beech Staggerwing. H ere she accepts th e troph yfrom Vincent Bendix , th e sponsor.

A proud Louise Thaden stands before th e sign des ignatin gher hometown airport at Bentonvill e, Ark ansas s LouiseM Th aden Field . This is fitting tribute to fin e ladyand dedi cated pi onee r whose courage and determinati onbrought many women into aviation s ca ree r.

6

Pharo by Ted Kas ton)Patti and Monty rov es Jr . Sunnyvale, CA and the firsttime ever at Oshkosh, th e beautifully restored Focke Wulf


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44J.

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Documents

Vintage Airplane - Dec 1979