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8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
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8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
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GEOFF ROBI SON
PRESIDENT VI NT GE IRCR FT SSOCI TI ON
usy
time for
us all
As I write this column for
the
March
issue of Vintage irplane magazine, it
is
mid-February here in the great
winter
wonderland of northeast Indiana, and
I would bet a moderate sum of money
that a lot of you are as tired of old
man
winter's antics as I am. Anyway, by the
time you read this, we will be
moving
toward some milder weather condi
tions,
and
we can get back
to spend
ing
more quality
time hanging out
around the airport. I am really looking
forward
to
throwing the doors
open to
not
only
the fresh air, but also the oc
casional visitors and hang-abouts who
stumble in
to
see
what
we are
up
to in
our new
chapter hangar at the DeKalb
Co unty Airport (GWB). This
should
prove to be a productive year for us, as
we have a number of
chapter
projects
in
the
works.
Speaking of Vintage Aircraft Asso
ciation
(VAA)
chapters have any of
you
ever
given
any
serious
thought
to starting a local
VAA
chapter
in
your region?
Belonging
to an EAA
or
VAA
chapter is really an
excellent
way to
enhance
your aviation experi
ences,
and
it is also
an
excellent
op
at work planning and
preparing
for
another excellent experience for the
many thousands of
visitors
we host
each year in the VAA area of the con
vention grounds. Please give serious
consideration
to
assisting us in our
efforts
to
see that
the
2007 event de
velops
into our
best effort
yet.
The
financial
support
for the various activ
ities in connection with the weeklong
event
in the VAA Red Barn area is un
derwritten by a yearly special conven
tion
support
fund. This effort, as many
of you are aware,
is the
VAA s Friends
of the Red Barn program.
Be
sure to
check
out
our
newly
revised
and
im
proved offerings to those who
support
this vital VAA program. You
can
read
more about it starting
on
page 8.
Be
a
part of the movement and be sure
to
be there to see it all in action. You can
read more about it and sign up online
at our
website
www VintageAircraft
org/programs/redbam html
I'm sure you have heard in the recent
past that EAA and the Vintage Aircraft
Association have been working hard for
a number of years
with
the
FAA
to unlock
the virtual death grip that has withheld
approved, this initiative would virtually
eliminate the dilemma for owners who
are reqUired to maintain their vintage
aircraft to approved data, even though
that data could
not
be released due
to
intellectual property laws. For further
information see the story on
page six of
this month's
Vintage
irplane
magazine.
As critical
an
initiative as this is, it
s
also
relevant here to recognize yet again that
the
relationship between the FAA and
the EAA/VAA has never been stronger.
Many thanks to Earl Lawrence
and
the
Government
Programs office
of EAA
and to our VAA executive director, H.G.
Frautschy, for their hard work in assur
ing that this critically important initia
tive has an honest chance to progress.
t
was also quite gratifying to see the
U.S. Congress' recent response
to
the
FAA s newly
proposed
funding struc
ture . Talk about a cold
shoulder
from
this august body I cannot
remember
any
other
recent
hot button
issue re
ceiving such a blunt and decisive reac
tion as this "dead on arrival" initiative.
Sometimes, they
actually
manage
to
get it righ t.
Remember, ow is the time to be
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N E
MARCH
VOL
5
,
NO
. 3
2 7
CONTENTS
Fe Straight Level
A busy time fo r us all
by Geoff R
ob
ison
2 News
6
FAA
Attemps
to
Loosen Grip
on
Abandoned
Vintage
Aircraft Data
EAA
,VAA
efforts lead to potential re
li
ef
for owners and restorers
by EAA Editorial and Government
Programs Staff
1
Restoration
Corner
Ass
embly and Rigging
by Gene Morris
14 Bellanca 260
John Morrison s Triple-
Ta il
Love Affair
by Budd Davisson
2
Horsepower:
Is
More
eally
Better?
Courtesy of the
Lu
scombe Association
by Gerry She
ahan
24
Recollections of Chicago's
Curtiss-Reynolds Airport
One of th e golden age of aviation s jewels
by Ke
nn
eth McQueen
3 The Vintage I
nstruc
t
or
HA
T
ch
eck
by Doug Stewart
32
Pass it
to
Buck
S T
AFF
EAA
Pub li
sher
Tom Pob
e
rezny
Executive Direc
t
or
/Edi t
or
H.G. Frau tschy
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Air
Tour Final Rule ssue -
Part 91 Operators
Relieved
After a nearly three-year process,
the
FAA
has released the final version of
the
National Air Tour Safety Standards,
amending or adding rules
to CFR
Part
61,91,
119, 121, 135, and 136.
EAA
members who operate
busi
nesses within Part 91, General Oper
ating And Flight Rules, asked
EAA to
address
the
notice of
proposed
rule
making
(NPRM)
back
in 2003. EAA
and its Vintage Aircraft Association
made comments in print and at a pub
lic meeting in Washington, D.C., op
posing
the
proposed
rule as
drafted.
Other
industry representatives includ
ing
Rick
Pellicciotti (who created a
Ya-
hoo
website so Part 91 operators could
easily
communicate),
Rob and Bob
Lock of Waldo Wright's Flying Service,
Greg Herrick of the Aviation Founda
tion of
America,
and
Brent Taylor
of
the
AAA
were all
united
in
their
op
position of
the
rule. In fact, more than
2,300 comments were registered with
the FAA, the
vast majority of
them not
in favor of the rule.
As
written
the rule would have, in
effect, moved those commercial op
erators who offered rides or flight ex
periences
into
Part 135 operations.
As
written by Bob Lock of Waldo Wright's
Flying Service, Unless
there
was
an
enormous amount of give and take
with
the FAA,
in no way could a 50- to
75-year-old aircraft
meet the
current
q uiremen ts (in particular,
req uire
ments for the use
of
life
vests
for
flights over water, and the
addition
of
pop-out floats for helicopters not so
equipped that
are used
in
over-water
sightseeing flights), it does
not
signifi
cantly impede those
who
operate their
businesses as Part 91 operations.
Our thanks to all members
and
or
ganizations w ho joined in fighting
this proposed rule. In particular, I'd
like to single out Bob Lock of Waldo
Wright's Flying Service, who was
the
first among us to recognize
the
signif
icant impact this proposed rule could
have,
and who
rallied
the
troops
with
a call to arms that was
cogent,
reasoned,
and above all,
passionate
about the small businesses that day in
and
day out offer
the
public a unique
way to experience flight.
FAA Reaffirms
Young Eagles
Flights Not Subject to
New
Air
Tour Rule
February 22, 2007 - A week of work
by
EAA and
FAA has ensured the future
vitality and success of the Young Eagles
program, by removing possible barriers
that were part of the new air tour rule
announced earlier this
month.
EAA
President Tom Poberezny, along
with
EAA's Earl Lawrence and
Doug
Macnair,
met
Thursday with FAA's se
nior leadership, including Administra
tor
Marion Blakey. They discussed
the
air tour rule's possible effect on Young
clarifying Young Eagles flights as
non
compensation flights. The letter em
phasized
that the
air tour rule does
not
apply to Young Eagles flights where the
pilot does
not
receive compensation.
The final version of that letter will
arrive at
EAA
within the next
few
busi
ness days. In
addition,
Administrator
Blakey and FAA senior officials pledged
that technical corrections would be
made
to the air
tour
rule's preamble
before the rule takes effect on March
15,2007.
For EAA
members who plan
on
flying
Young Eagles, it means
they
may con
tinue to operate as they have in the past
when providing Young Eagles flights.
The
rapid,
positive
resolution to
this situation is an example of the out
standing working relationship between
EAA and FAA, Poberezny said.
FAA
has
helped
provide
the environment
where nearly 1.3 million Young Eagles
have
been
flown,
and they continue
their support
of what
has become
the
largest youth education program in
aviation history.
We
are very pleased
with the outcome and appreciate FAA's
immediate attention to this issue.
EAA Voices Strong Opposition
to User Fee
And
Fuel Tax
Hike Proposal
What
EAA
and other
general avia
tion
groups
saw
coming
for months
arrived
on
February
5 when
i t
was
revealed that user fees
were
a cen
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Proactive Advocacy: EAA's Prescription for What Ails Recreational Aviation
EAA hosted more
than
a dozen FAA leaders for
the
two-day 2007 Oshkosh Recreational Aviation Sum
mit
January 16-17,
where the
issues discussed
ranged
from
sport pilot/light-sport
aircraft
and
experimen
tal/amateur-builts to warbirds, aerobatic regulations,
air shows, vintage aircraft,
and
air tour
operations.
EAA
received deadline-sensitive commitments from
the FAA to act on
the
wide range of topics.
This
is
really the
roll-up-your-sleeves
meeting,
charting
the course
for
what
we
need
to work
on,
said Jim Ballough, FAA director of flight standards.
This is
the
way
we
get
things done.
Get
the
issues
on the table and chart the course.
John
Hickey, FAA
director
of aircraft
certifica
tion,
went
a step
further. When
you
look at what
we're
working
on as
reflected
in
the
list
of
ac
t ions-a strong focus on
vintage
and orphan air
craft
issues
that have plagued the community
for
years, just
to
name
a
couple-2007 could well be
a
watershed
year. I
can't
imagine these being
ad
dressed without
the
(EAA-FAA)
relationship
and
the winter
meetings.
The relationship he referred to is a
product of
EAA's unique approach of proactive advocacy. By
Sport Pilot/Light-Sport Aircraft
The FAA intends to publish a final rule change regard
ing
certification
of amphibious
special light-sport air
craft
(S-LSA)
with a reposition able landing gear by May
2007.
The
FAA is
devising plans to provide on-site registra
tion
at Sun 'n Fun
and EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh for
transitioning ultralights to experimental light-sport
aircraft
(E-LSA).
This will
not only
provide a service to
those
needing to make
the
transition, but also create
more
awareness stressing
that
owners need to get the
conversion process started well in advance of
the
loom
ing January 31, 2008, deadline.
Amateur-Built Aircraft
A mutual goal
is
to determine a regulatory framework
for aircraft
that do not
fit
within
the
confines of
the
amateur-built category, while preserving the 51 percent
rule. The
FAA
is
intent on
addressing builder assistance
activities that fall outside the 51 percent rule.
Aerobatics
The International Aerobatic Club (lAC) seeks to extend
the fuel-carry exemption that exists for performances to
practice flights, plus change the rule
requiring
paper
work in the aircraft for practical and safety reasons. lAC
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reduce public
control
of how the
FAA
exercises its discretionary spending.
DOT
and
FAA have
attempted
to
distract from the user fee issue in thei r
public
statements by
saying
that
rev
enue from general aviation would con
tinue to be collected via a fuel tax, but
they fail
to
acknowledge that the fuel
tax would be increased dramatically
and a whole series of user fees would
be implemented for
FAA
services that
today do
not
carry a charge, said Doug
Macnair,
EAA
vice-president of govern
ment relations.
New fees known
to
be in the
bud
get proposal
as
this issue went to press
would affect aircraft certification and
registration; appointment and/or des
ignation of designees used to certificate
amateur-built aircraft and light-sport air
craft; and airman medical certificates.
EAA
remains categorically opposed
to user fees, Macnair added. Such a
system will
not
enhance safety, it will
not improve services, and it will add
barriers for thousands of recreational
aviators while being a costly burden to
the federal government. I
EAA
contends
that
the current
sys
tem of excise taxes on general aviation
fuel and airline passenger tickets works,
and has worked well for nearly 40
years. In fact, the Airport and Airway
Trust Fund received record revenues
the past two years and
is
on course
to
do so again in 2007.
Congress must approve a new fund
ing plan or reauthorize the existing one
before
it
expires in September. Several
congressional leaders have told
EAA
that
they have more questions than answers
regarding the user-fee proposals. EAA
your elected representatives to tell
them
about the seriousness
of
this
is-
sue and
the
direct impact it will have
on you, your family, your business, and
your community. For contact informa
tion, visit www House
gov and www
Sen-
ate gov
To learn more
about the
user
fee issue
and
why
EAA
thinks it's a bad
idea, read
EAA's
briefing paper.
Go to
www EAA org and look in the Advocacy
section of the member's only area.
Top
Air
Show
Performers
Locked
in
for the Big
Show
What
do Sean D.
Tucker,
Patty
Wagstaff,
Kirby Chambliss, Debby
Rihn-Harvey, Mike Goulian, Kent Pi-
etsch,
Matt
Younkin, and Kyle Frank
lin have in common? Besides being
among the
world's
best pilots, they
are also
among the many
top
per
formers
who
have confirmed
their
appearance at The World's
Greatest
Aviation Celebration-EAA AirVen
ture
Oshkosh
2007.
Each of these performers
work
as
a
headline
act at dozens of air shows
throughout the country, but they
come together
at
EAA
AirVenture
to
make an all-star roster
of
the 'best
of
the
best, ' said Tom Poberezny,
EAA
president, who flew as a member of
the
renowned Eagles Aerobatic Team.
Air
show
performers are eager to fly
at
Oshkosh
because
it represents a
major achievement in their careers,
flying
in front of
the
most knowl
edgeable
and
appreciative audiences
on the air
show
circuit.
Also confirmed
to
appear this year
are the
AeroShell Aerobatic
Team,
Dan Buchanan, Pat Epps, David Mar
nounced on www AirVenture org
EM
AirVenture
2007
Performers
as of February
1,
2007-more
will
be
added, and the list is subject to change with
out
notice
• AeroShell Aerobatic Team, T-6s
• Dan Buchanan, Hang Glider
• Kirby Chambliss,
Edge 540
• Pat Epps, Aerobatic Bonanza
• Kyle Franklin, ub Comedy
• Mike Goulian, Extra
• Debby Rihn -Harvey, Hurricane 2
• David Martin, Extra
• John Mohr, Stearman
• Kent Pietsch, Interstate Cadet
• Sean Tucker, Oracle Challenger
• Patty Wagstaff, Extra
• Matt Younkin , Travel Air Mystery Ship
In
Honor of Those
Who Have
Fallen
People
often take
pencil rubbings
as
mementos t
EAA s
Memorial Wall.
At EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2007, a
solemn dedication ceremony will be held
on Sunday morning, July 29, to honor
those who have gone before us. EAA's
Memorial Wall, located just behind
Fer-
gus Chapel adjacent to Pioneer Airport,
provides an everlasting tribute to our
http:///reader/full/www.House.govhttp:///reader/full/www.House.govhttp:///reader/full/www.House.govhttp:///reader/full/www.EAA.orghttp:///reader/full/www.AirVenture.orghttp:///reader/full/www.House.govhttp:///reader/full/www.EAA.orghttp:///reader/full/www.AirVenture.org
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Applications
need
to
be
submitted
by April I, 2007, for inclusion
in
this
year's dedication ceremony.
u s Air Force
to
Mark 60th
Anniversary at
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
The U.
S.
Air Force has always had a
major presence at
EAA
AirVenture Os
hkosh,
but
in 2007 it will kick it up a
notch when it commemorates its 60th
anniversary. The U.S. Air Force will
bring its special exhibit, Heritage to Ho
rizons, to mark the occasion, filling a
lO,OOO-square-foot pavilion with more
than 30 displays recognizing the nota
ble people and aircraft that have been
part of the Air Force's first 60 years.
As
one of the Air Force's officially des
ignated events, EAA AirVenture will also
host a sizable contingent of current mil
itary aircraft during the weeklong event.
The exact aircraft and appearance dates
will be released
as
they are finalized.
The U.S. Air Force has always been
very supportive
and
enthusiastic in its
participation at EAA AirVenture, featur
ing airplanes such as the F-l17 stealth
Academy liaison officers, and Air Force
Recruiting Service.
In
addition,
the Air Force Recruit
ing Service will
bring
the
popular
Cross Into
the
Blue exhibit with several
hands-
on
activities.
The anniversary commemoration
adds to EAA AirVenture's always-popu
lar warbird activities. The
hundreds
of
warbirds that gather at Oshkosh each
year include World War II-era aircraft
from the U.S. Air Force's predecessors,
as well as
those
from
other branches
of the U.S. military and other air forces
from around the world.
For more information, visit
www.Air
Venture.arg.
Doolittle Raider
Thomas
Griffin
to Speak
at
Museum
A 8 25
launches
off the deck of the
USS Hornet in
Doolittle s
Raid in 1942.
In April 1942
the situation on the
warfront was grim for the
United
States. The]apanese had bombed Pearl
Harbor just four
months
earlier, and
America needed a victory. President
Roosevelt and his advisers conceived a
plan to deliver that much-needed vic
tory
to
the U.S. military that came to
be known as Doolittle's Raid.
SportAir Workshops Coming to
California,
Michigan
Anyone can learn the skills necessary
to build his or her own airplane, and
EAA s
SportAir Workshops are teaching
future homebuilders throughout
the
country. Let us help you achieve your
dreams of building
and
flying your
own aircraft.
On March 24-25 (previously sched
uled March 17-18), a
workshop
is
scheduled at Watsonville, California,
at Aircrafters
on the
Watsonville Mu
nicipal Airport. Classes offered include
Composite Construction, Sheet Metal
Basics, Fabric Covering, Electrical Sys
tems and Avionics,
and What s
In
volved in Kitbuilding?
April 14-15 a series of courses is slated
for Belleville (Detroit area), Michigan,
at the Michigan Institute of Aviation
Technology. Space remains for Com
posite Construction, Sheet Metal
Ba
sics, Electrical Systems and Avionics,
Introduction
to
Aircraft Building,
and
What's Involved in Kitbuilding.
To learn more about these and other
scheduled workshops, visit
www SportAir org
or call Mark Forss at
800-967-5746,
ext. 2.
EAA 8 17 Tour Set to
Begin This Month
There are plenty of opportunities to
see EAA s beautifully restored and main-
tained B-17
Aluminum
Overcast
when
it heads
out
for its spring 2007 tour be
ginning at the end of the month.
The 2007 tour kicks
off
at
North
Las Vegas Airport
March
30-April
I,
followed
by
scheduled stops in Cali
fornia, Oregon , Washington, Idaho,
http:///reader/full/www.SportAir.orghttp:///reader/full/www.SportAir.org
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F
TTEMPTS
TO
LOOSEN
GRIP
ON
ABANDONED
VINTAGE
AIRCRAFT DATA
EAA VAA
efforts lead to
potenti l relief for owners and restorers
EAA
EDITORIAL
AND
GOVERNMENT
PROGRAMS
STAFF
E
nd
the Vintage
Aircraft Associa
tion, as well as
would remedy the current
Catch-22
surrounding
orphaned TCs, where
owners are legally
required to
main
This is
a direct result of
EAA
and
VAA s
ongoing
dialogue with the se
nior FAA management team and
has
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to develop a legal process that would
allow it to release data from type cer
tificates
that
were obviously
aban
doned. But existing laws restricted
FAA's
ability to release such data be
cause
it
was deemed
to
be
intellec
tual property even though the
owner
of record had
long
since ceased to
pinge
on the legitimate and legal
right of
TC
or
STC
owners to main
tain their data as proprietary infor
mation and profit from that data
provided they
continue
to
support
the product,"
Frautschy
explained.
"We in no way want to harm any
individual
or
company economi
cally
through this proposal.
How
ever,
for those corporate entities
that have
been defunct for
what
is
often decades,
and
who are no
lon
ger
providing support
to
the owners
of their
products, it falls squarely on
the
vintage
aircraft owners
to main
tain
their aircraft in
accordance
with
that
original
engineering
data.
If
it
is
not available for legal reasons, the
owner is genuinely caught between
a rock and a
hard
place, and
indeed
safety is
ultimately compromised.
"This proposa l is an excellent
start but
is by no means
the
com
plete
solution
to the data avail
ability problem for older aircraft,"
Frautschy continued. Specifically,
when known type
certificate
hold
ers are unwilling to release mainte
nance-related data, vintage aircraft
owners receive no Continued Oper
ational Safety (COS) support of the
type
certificate, as
required by FAR
23.1529 and
Appendix
G
to
Part 23.
EAA
and its Vintage Aircraft As
sociation will
continue
to work
with
the FAA and
Congress
on
this
issue
as
they
have recognized the difficulty
mechanics, restorers,
and
owners have
encountered while diligently attempt
ing to maintain vintage aircraft to
their type certificate requirements."
r---------------------------------
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The VAA annual fund raising campaign
fue
ls
VAA activities at AirVenture Oshkosh
H G FRAUTSCHY
For
more than three decades, the vintage
airplanes
and
their enthusiasts have had their
own special area during the annual
EAA
con
vention. Over the years it s been a picturesque
scene
of
the finest restored airplanes seen in
this country, a gathering place for aviation peo
ple and their magnificent machines to share
knowledge and friendships. We ve been privi
leged to see many one-of-a-kind airplanes in
our area. Remember the
Gee
Bee
R-1
replica
built by Steve Wolf and Delmar Benjamin?
How about the lineup of Howards and Cessna
195s? We
can t
forget the special Type Club
parking area, where we host many examples
of
a particular manufacturer s airplane. More
recently we ve been the Oshkosh home for the
inspiring National Air Tour, the thunderous Tri
Motor reunion, and the American Barnstormers
Tour.
All
of this is possible through the
efforts
of
the nearly
500 VAA
volunteers, the volunteer
VAA board of directors,
and
the
VAA
staff.
Their passion is what makes it a great place
to be throughout the week
of
AirVenture, and
why so many visitors and aviation enthusiasts
come back year after year to work, relax, and
en
joy aviation s premier event, EAA AirVenture Osh
kosh. It s a place to rekindle old friendships and
make new ones. A time to relax and enjoy avia
tion, learn something new, and rub elbows with
our fellow aviators.
As you can
imagine, it takes
some fairly substantial financial resources to
underwrite such an event
and
the Vintage area
structures. But how does all
of
this work
get
funded .
To
be certain, almost all of the labor
involved is performed by our dedicated and
talented volunteers, but what about the cost of
supplies and hardware?
That s where our Friends of the Red Barn
come in -
it
provides all of us, who wish, the
opportunity to assist in the vital financial sup
port of the Red Barn area
of EM
AirVenture. It
gives us the unique opportunity to be
an
es
sential element of an event that has no peer in
the entire world , that being the world renowned
annual EM AirVenture Oshkosh gathering.
We re most appreciative
of the
contribu
tions
made by hundreds
of
VAAers who see
the tangible benefits of supporting their fellow
VAA
members in this manner. As a critical part
of
the
VAA
budget, the fund pays for such di
verse items as
VAA
awards presented during
the annual
EAA
aircraft awards program, spe
cial recognition for our many volunteers, and
expenses associated with our special displays ,
forums, and educational areas such as the
V
Workshop tent and the Type Club tent.
Your annual contribution made
in the
first
half of 2007 will directly benefit this year s
con
vention activities and programs. There are now
seven levels
of
gifts and recognition, including
a new Diamond Plus giving level, which entities
you to
all benefits plus your choice
of
a Ken
Ko
tik aviation art print. A portion of Ken s artwork
can be viewed on his website at www.KenKoti
Many services are
provided
to vintage
aircraft
enthusiasts at EAA AirVenture
Oshkosh.
From
parking
airplanes to feed
ing people at
the
Tall Pines Cafe and Red
Bam more
than
400
volunteers
do it all.
Some may
ask, u volunteers are provid
ing the services, where is the expense?"
Glad
you asked. The scooters for the
flightline
crew
need
repair and
batteries,
and the Red Bam needs paint,
new
win
dowsills,
updated wiring,
and
other
sun
dry
repairs, plus we
love
to
care
for our
volunteers with special recognition caps
and pizza party. The list
really
could
go
on
and on, but
no
matter
how
many
expenses
we
can
point out, the
need
remains constant. The Friends of the
Red
Bam
fund
helps pay for the VAA expenses
at EAA
AirVenture,
and is crucial part of
the Vintage
Aircraft
Association budget.
Please help the VAA
and
our
4OO-plus
dedicated volunteers make this
an un
forgettable experience for our
many
EAA
AirVenture guests. We've made it even
more fun
to
give this year, with more giv
ing
levels
to
fit each person's
budget,
and
more interesting activities for
donors
to
be part of.
Your
contribution
now
really
does
make difference.
There are
seven levels
of
gifts
and
gift recognition. Thank
you
for
whatever
you
can do.
Here are some of the many
activi
ties the Friends of the Red
Barn fund
underwrites:
•Red
Bam
Information
Desk Supplies
•
Participant Plaques
and
Supplies
http://www.kenkoti/http://www.kenkoti/http://www.kenkoti/http://www.kenkoti/
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
11/44
Ken Kotik Aviation Art Print
Close Auto Parking
Two
Tickets to
VAA
Picnic
Tri Motor
Certifi
cate
Breakfast
at Tall PinesCafe
Special FORB Cap
Two
Passes to
VAA Volunteer Party
Special FORB
Bad
ge
Acces
s to
Volunteeer Cente
r
Donor
Apprec
i
ation
Certificate
Name Listed:
Vinta
ge Airpla
ne
Magazine,
Website
and Sign
at Red
Bam
1
Pers
on Full Wk
*
Dlamond Plus
$125
Full Week
2 ickels
21ick
els 21icke
ls
2People/
Full Wk
2People/
Full Wk
2People/
Full
Wk
VAA Friends of
the
Red Barn
Name_____________________________________________________EAA#
________
VAA#
________
Address
____________________________________
________
____________________________________
_______
City/S tate/Zip
__________________________________________________________________
____
Phone
__________________________
_______________E-Mail
____________________________________
_
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
12/44
I
Editor's Note: "Assembly and Rigging" is
the
ti tle
of this ninth insta
ll
ment of
the
"Restoration Corner"
series .
Author
Gene
Morris is an
airline
captain living in Texas . He also serves on the Vintage Aircraft
Association
Board
of
Directors.
ssembly and igging
Now that you've brought your
airplane up through all the vari
ous
stages
of
rebuilding/restoring,
you have
probably learned all
that
you can absorb
about
good
working
habits.
You
will,
of
course,
continue
with
these habits, and
you
will have
gotten to know your airframe
and
powerplant mechanic with
an
in
spection authorization
(A&P/IA)
very well by now.
Hopefully he can
be
considered
an expert
on
your airplane.
If
not,
I would at least
contact
someone
who has
been
there before ... even if
it's
by
telephone,
you can pick up
a lot
of good
ideas.
The
Internet is
another terrific way
to
contact other
owners and restorers. This is
not
to
say that your A&P is
not
capable,
but
it's
part of sharing experiences
and
ideas
with
each other.
My
restoration
experience
is
lim
ited
compared
to some, but
I
have
helped
several
people where I,
and
am very happy and flattered to do so.
Y GENE MORRIS
EAA
81175,
Ale
1877
help you, especially if
it
doesn't cost
anything.
Tail Surfaces
You
can probably
assemble
the
tail feathers all by yourself.
Just
con
tinue with
your good habits
and
be
sure to use a level to get things nice
and
straight.
For
instance,
someone with
past
experience might save you some
work
with horizontal
stabilizer ad
justments.
Some
vintage
aircraft
require
the
installation of
washers
under the stabilizer leading edge at
tach points or
may
have more than
one bolt hole for mounting these
pieces. Some knowledgeable tips
could prevent you from having to
take it apart after you've flown it
and
found it
out
of
rig.
The same
situa
tion
exists for some vertical fins.
Believe
it or
not, I once saw a
turnbuckle
tightened
up
too tight
to
pivot on an elevator "up"
horn
and
the turnbuckle failed during a
What a
landing,
but there was
no
damage
In
your assembly
of
mov
able items, they
must
be allowed
to
move.
I f
the
empennage
is
braced with
streamline
wires,
treat
them
care
fully
using
masking
tape
or
similar
protection
on the crescent wrench
used to adjust
them.
The tightness
will be a
consensus between you
and
your
A P.
Be sure
to
guard against
pulling
the surfaces out
of plumb.
Also,
you
will
notice
that
one end
of
the
wire
has right-hand
threads
while those on the
other
end are
left-hand. Your
good working
habits
will
insure that you do
not lose the
left-hand
jam nut
Most
aircraft have specified lim
its
of
control surface travel, so
you
should
use
your bubble
protractor
for that step.
Wings
Some folks get the urge to taxi
their
pride
and joy
before install
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
13/44
ably are still
peeling
dope off your
fingers,
your
wife has
thrown
away
all your dope/paint-laden clothes,
and I hope
somewhere in
all the la
boring
you
have planned to have
a
wing-raising party.
If
you are
prone
to parties,
this is another for your
list, don t let anybody stumble into
your nice straight stringers, etc.
Installing
wings
on an airplane
can vary all the
way
from putting
up a simple lift
and
putting in two
bolts
(or
is
it four?)
as
on an
Er
coupe, to hanging four
wing
panels
on a biplane .
To
make it simple and very basic,
I ll
start with
the typical high
wing
monoplane like the Champ, Cub,
Taylorcraft, etc. The wings
attach to
the fuselage with a bolt
at
the
front
spar and
one
at
the
rear
spar.
If
it
were
not for your friend holding
up the wing tip, it would fall to the
ground . A real must for this opera
tion is three
or four
drift
punches
to get that
initial
hold on the holes
until
you
can
line them up for
the
bolts. Also,
you
should
have
a fiber
hammer
to
tap in
the
bolts.
Take
care not to ruin
the
threads during
this process.
Before
the
wings went up in place,
you should have fastened
the
lower
strut to the fuselage.
All
that is required
now is to raise the strut up to
the
wing
and,
1
and behold, it will fit perfectly.
I
don t
know of
an
airplane
that
will
not stand upright with just
one
wing
panel-unless
it s Ken Hyde s Jenny. I
know for a fact that the old Travel Air
stood up, almost straight,
with
both
wings on
one
side.
Gene Morris
flying
his
93
American Eaglet NC548Y.
do you suppose I would know that?
There are a couple of things to bear
in
mind when rigging the
aileron
cables. Naturally you will
want
the
control
wheel
or
stick
to
be centered
when the
ailerons are even.
That
will
be
your job. On most airplanes the
ailerons
should droop
just slightly,
perhaps 1/ 8 inch or maybe a little
more. Rigged thusly the air load will
down
the bottom
of
the wing. The
wing
panel
should have
a slight
twist
in
it, with the trailing edge at
the
tip being
about z inch
higher
than the
wing
root. This
is
called
wash-out, and
it s
obtained by
in
creasing
the
length
of
the rear strut.
It s also a
good
idea
to
stand
in
front of your
airplane
and
eyeball
for uniformity of the
wash-out
on
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
14/44
as
retaining
aileron control for a
longer period of time.
Of course,
you
have
seen that
all
fuel lines are in place in that tiny little
space between the wing root rib and
the fuselage as well
as
the wiring to the
wing lights and the pitot/static lines.
Be sure
the
wing-to-fuselage
fairings (when used) are in good
shape
and
fastened securely to the
airframe.
We
once had a PA-12 in
Alaska that
nobody
could
land
de
cently. We finally determined that
the
wing fairing was
loose
just be
hind the windshield, and during the
landing flare
that
little bit
of
fairing
sticking up adversely affected the
airflow over the tail surfaces
One
more thing
about wash-in
and wash-out.
Since the
ailerons
have
the
same
amount
of
droop
with
the
stick or wheel centered,
they
will be
adjusted correctly.
Should
your airplane fly straight
and
level,
hands
off,
and one
aile
ron is up
and
one is down, do not
re-adjust
the
ailerons
Correct the
WHAT OUR MEMBERS
ARE RESTORING
'a;
~
REARWIN SKYRANGER
-
1948
LU
SCOMBE 8B
condition by lengthening the rear
strut
to
the wing
with
the "Up" aile
ron. Make
the
adjustments
in
small
increments
, then test fly until the
ailerons remain even.
Don't be hesitant about
asking
questions, and always be
observant.
For instance, Cessna 140As and some
others with
single struts have an ec
centric bushing at the rear spar fitting
to
adjust for wing
heaviness
. Some
airplanes don't have any wing adjust
ments. My 1940 Culver Cadet is one
of
those and, as you might expect, it
flew wing heavy. I did not
want
to
correct it by
installing
an adjustable
aileron
tab,
so I flew
it
for months
with a large rubber
band
stretched be
tween the stick and the Landing gear
lever. I finally broke
down
and put a
tab
on
it.
My 1931 American Eaglet
has
no
elevator trim
system
at all, so
we
carry
the rubber band on cross
country
flights, attached to the seat
belt
and
over
the
stick.
The
result
ing
back pressure on
the
stick cor-
WHAT OUR MEMBERS RE RESTORING
Are
you
nearing completion of a restoration? Or is it done and you ' re busy
rects a slight nose-heavy condition.
The price of staying original
Biplanes
I
only
have experience
with
one
biplane,
our
old Travel Air 4000. On
that
plane the center section is adjust
able fore and aft, which changes the
CG
location.
That needs
to
be done
for different engine installations, etc.
Most biplanes have center sec
tions and
the sequence for install
ing
the wing panel is: 1)
center
section;
2) lower panels; 3) upper
panels.
When the
lower panels are
installed,
the
tips are
supported
by
the landing wires. The tips of the
upper panels are
supported by
the
outer interplane struts.
Rigging these
birds
can give one
gray
hairs
because when one wire
is
adjusted,
one
more
will
probably
need re-adjusting. Rigging specifica
tions are available for most airplanes,
and
these
instructions should
defi
nitely be followed. I would guess that
it's really a good feeling to
put
a bi
plane
together
and have
it
fly per
fectly the first time
If the flying and landing wires aren't
"streamlinedII into the slipstream, they
may flutter
during
flight. This condi
tion should be remedied immediately,
as
flutter can mean failure.
If you are not already familiar with
the rod terminals,
you
should
know
they
have
a
small
opening
called
a
witness hole
in
the side
of
the shank.
This is
the
gauge to assure that the
rod
end is
screwed
into
the terminal
at least that far The proper threading
of each
end
must be verified by insert
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
15/44
~ I ~ ~ t o n
X PLAN VEHICLE PRICING
ENJOY
THE
PRIVILEGE
OF PARTNERSHIP
eJ.
fAA
Members
who
are consider
ing
the
purchase
or lease of a new
Ford Motor Company
vehicle
should
be
sure
to take advantage
of
the
Ford
Partner
Recognition Program.
Your membership benefits qualify
2007
LINCOLN
MKX
The
first
-
ever crossove
r
from Linco
ln
establishes
a
step
in
the evolution of Lincoln.
Clean,
flowing exterior lines
come
together in an
athletic stance,
while innovative technologies , li
ke
the exclusively available Vista
RoofT
M
and astriking
interior, create
an
invi
t
ing
and stylish
environment. The
all
new Lincoln
MKX
will
elevate
your driving
expe
rience to awhole new level.
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
16/44
BELLANCA
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
17/44
like every other young pilot, found
that
both
his first job
and
lunch
money
were illusive.
/II picked up a
job
with a flight
school/FAR 135
operator in
Laredo,
Texas, doing
flight
instructing and
air taxi flying. I was
hoping
after col
lege to fly with the Air Guard, but
this was 1982,
and
there was a glut of
airline pilots on furlough going back
to Guard and Reserve units due to the
PATCO
strike, early effects
of
deregu
lation, Braniff
shutting
down,
Frank
Lorenzo, oil embargos, so after about
eight months of long
days and pea
nut
butter and
jelly sandwiches, I was
able to go active duty Air Force and
right
into
pilot training.
I went through T-37s and T-38s
at Vance Air Force Base, then tran-
sitioned
into the
KC-13S. I always
thought
it
sort of ironic that I re
fueled
little
airplanes
in
college, so
what
did
the
Air Force
have me
do?
Refuel bigger
airplanes while
doing
400 knots.
The measure
of
whether
or
not
a pi
lot is truly
an
av-junkie is
whether
he
gets
too much
flying
on the
job
and
then doesn't
need it on
the side. In
this case, John
is
definitely hooked.
While
I was stationed at Griffiss
Air Force Base
in
New York, to keep
myself
in
touch
with
my roots, I
bought a
Cessna
120 that we nick
named 'The
Paul Poberezny Special'
because it
was
painted
in
the
EAA
paint scheme. The little airplane fol
lowed
me
around for
the
rest
of
my
Air Force career
and
to FedEx.
Even though I was flying in the
Air Force, I my and
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
18/44
The
distinctive triple tail
of
the el-
lanca 260.
international
routes,
and
flying
night
freight became more
appealing
to
me. So I sent them my resume, inter
viewed, and was offered a job I
hav
e
been
with them nearly 17 years now,
most
recently as a
captain and
check
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
19/44
I
was really close to having it fly-
ing again
when
another FedEx
pilot
walked up with a
check and
said, 'I
want your 170,' and I flinched. I tried
to
go a year
without
another airplane,
and should have looked for a 12-Step
Airplane Junkie Recovery Program.
John
had already
decided he
needed
another
four-place airplane ,
but this time he decided he wanted
something
that
was faster
but
still
had a little character. Speed wasn 't
everything.
I was enamored of the triple-tail
Bellancas, especially the 14-19-3s. I
flew one while I was in college and
I WAS
fell in love with
them.
Even though
they are a nosedragger,
they
are still
a Cruise master.
Looking
through
Trade-a-Plane
the few available seemed to be run
ning $20,000 to
$30,000, but they
were then 35-year-old airplanes with
was
in
boxes. However, a lot
of new
ECI parts were included.
The airplane had some modifica
tions, such
as
aux
fuel
tanks in the
wings,
main
gear doors,
and
a
new
instrument
panel.
The good
part
was
that
I could get a look inside the
wings
and
see
that
the
wood
was in
excellent condition.
The seller was
running
an
FBO
that he was trying to make into a re
pair
station
specializing in Bellancas
and
said
he'd
bolt
it
together and
I
could fly it
out
of there in short or
der. I should have known that noth
ing goes that easily. But we made a
deal, and I gave him 50
percent
to get started
on
the airplane.
John
waited a few
of it and stand
in
line be
hind the IRS in bankruptcy court for
maybe 10 cents on the dollar
or pay
off
the
existing
bank
lien
on
the
air
plane
and
take
the
project on myself.
I decided to do
the
latter, and
that's
when
Jim and Rosie Stark came
into
the picture.
days
later letting me know
that he
already
had
the airplane
in
his
shop
in Sullivan, Wisconsin. I
commented
that was
quick, but
he said he was
worried
about
the
IRS
seizing every
thing
at the FBO,
even though I
had
cleared up
the
bank lien and had title
to the airplane.
When John was able sit back
and
study
the
airplane he realized that
maybe he'd done okay, despite the
aggravations he'd just been through.
The previous owner used
the
air
plane to commute between his busi
nesses in Birmingham, Alabama, and
Minneapolis. He was
the
one who
had
the
aux
wing tanks
and
gear
doors installed. Plus he jammed a lot
of stuff into the panel. Unfortunately,
between
the
time I first looked
at
the
airplane
and
Jim moved it
to
his
place, several of the radios, including
the Stormscope, disappeared . How
ever, I figure that for a little more than
the going price of a flying 260, I now
had known
quantity
with good spars,
fresh fabric, and a fresh engine.
Even though a
lot
of work had
been done
on the
airplane, there
was still a lot to do, so John and Jim
went to work. The Morrisons decided
that the airplane might
as
well have
a
proper
rebuild, not the bolt-it-to
gether-and-fly-it concept that started
the ordeal.
John says, From the onset, Jim
wasn't
very pleased
about the
tapes
on the fuselage, so he redid
them.
Then
to make matters worse, he was
spraying and sanding the finish when
he found
static electricity or
some
ENAMORED
WITH
THE
TRIPLE-
TAIL
BELLANCAS"
-John
Morrison
weeks,
and
t h n
a
month
. Then, at
six
weeks, when
he
hadn't
heard anything from the
seller about progress on
the airplane,
he
made
the call.
I had a little
trou
ble
getting through,
but
when I did I found
the
IRS was
shutting
down
the FBO. I
weighed
the
options: wash my hands
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
20/44
pair
o
under-wing
fairings that are
vaguely reminiscent
o the
landing gear
fairing
pods
on
the
Curtiss P-40 hide the actuating
mechanism
or the Bellanca s
retractable
landing gear_
John had
to do something about all
those boxes with engine parts in them.
I
took everything
I
could find
that looked like it belonged in an en
gine over to Glenn Millard. The en
gine
is an
IO-470F and appeared to be
in pretty good shape, which wasn't
hard to
see because
nothing
was as
sembled.
So
Glenn spread everything
out, did an inventory,
then
built
me
a
new engine, which has been
running
great, so
far.
Also we've added GAMI
injectors
and an
engine analyzer that
shows
that
at 65 percent power, we're
burning about 11 gallons per hour at
160 knots true airspeed.
The fuel
and hydraulic systems
are pretty complex, so we called the
Bellanca factory for some advice . We
also needed their help in rigging the
airplane. This was in 1998,
and
they
Cruismasters really
complemented
the lines
of
the airplane. I came up a
variation
of that
while
on one of my
12-day FedEx trips
through
Asia.
Jim introduced me to Randy
-
finger at Center
Aviation
in
Water
town,
Wisconsin.
His
shop
did
the
paint and
upholstery, after
Lisa
picked
out the
fabrics. I went to
the
Super
flight
forums
at Oshkosh, and
Dip
Davis showed me how easy it is to do
a spot repair
on
Superthane, which
is
why I chose that
paint
.
The
internal antennas are from
Advanced
Aircraft
Electronics. I
wanted to
put
an
ADC
oil
filter
on
it, but we
weren't
sure
it
would fit, so
while
we were at Oshkosh in 1998,
Jim
borrowed
a filter from
the
ADC
people
at their
booth,
and
we
drove
down
to
Watertown
to
see
if
it would
After I started flying it, I found
one of the airplane's two weak points
is
its
'Rube
Goldberg'
fuel system.
It has
90
gallons spread among five
tanks with
two selector valves
but
only two
fuel gauges:
one
for
the
main
tank
selected and the other for
the
aux
tank
selected.
You
have
to
be
religious about managing
the
fuel. I
wish there was a way
to STC
the MD
II 's fuel system controller into it. In
the
meanwhile,
the
Masten
engine
analyzer
with
the fuel totalizer func
tion
and
the
clock will have
to
do.
I
had
been flying
the
airplane a
couple
of
years
when
I
made
a
ma
jor 'oops' and discovered the other
weak point. I had removed the co
pilot
floorboard and
was
under the
panel when I barely
bumped
the gear
handle and the manual hydraulic
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Hors
ower:
s
More
etter?
the Luscombe Assoc
BY
GERRY SHEAHAN
At the Lus-
com be forum
during this past year's
EAA AirVenture, there was
a lengthy discussion on the
pros and cons of different
engines and
engine
con
versions in the standard
than it re-
ally wants
to
go."
I thought about
that
conversation
for a couple
of days, and those thoughts
led to
the discussion
at
the
Oshkosh forum. Steve Krog,
who heads up the Lus
combe
Association s newslet
ter
efforts,
thought
that topiC would
make
an
article
that
could give a dif-
ferent perspective
to
many members
thinking of doing an
engine change
or upgrading
to
a different Luscombe
with a different engine. He tells
me
that the Association gets lots of ques-
tions on this. So
do
we here t EAA/
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
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dipstick
immediately behind
the
prop, that's a 65-hp Lycoming. It's a
smooth-running engine that doesn 't
seem
to
produce the power of
an
equivalent-rated Continental. (Look
at
the
length
and
pitch
of the
prop;
it seems
to
bear that out.) Many have
been converted to Continentals for
that
reason. There aren't
many
small
Lycomings around anymore .
65 hp
Continental: Probabl
y
the most
common engine pow
ering Luscombes today. Its
light
weight
makes for a very nice flying
airplane ..
.it flies like a leaf.
That is
especially true if efforts are made
to reduce the overall
weight of the
airplane. While the lack of a
starter
and electrical system reduces the
airplane's utility, it
is
light-sport air
craft eligible, which increases its de
sirability. Some old-timers talk about
the pull-type starters with a cable or
rope into
the cockpit
that were in
stalled on some 65-hp Continentals,
especially in Aeronca Chiefs. To me,
those
starters fall
into
the bigfoot
category. I've never seen him, either.
(J have a cable-actuated McDowell
starter on my Aeronca Super Chief. It
was in sta
ll
ed as standard equipment
on th e 65-hp Aeronca Chief, 85-hp Su-
per Ch
i
ef,
and
on
a number o
Taylor-
craft airplanes built right after World
War
II
.
It
works
great,
i the engine is
in
tun
e and
you
don t abuse the starter
by yanking on the handle. Before you
ask,
no, I won t
sell
it .-HGF
75 hp
Continental: The orig
inal 75-hp engines
in Luscombes
for a
75
hp:
no
electrical system
but
a nice flying airplane i f kept light.
If
you
want
faster
airplane,
buy
faster
airplane.
Don't push
lOO-mph wing
faster
than
it
really
wants to go."
85 hp Continental: My dad
and
I owned one of these Luscombes for
years before I bought my
airplane.
The electrical system, battery, starter,
voltage regulator, wiring, two gas
tanks, lights,
radios, instruments,
extra
trim, parking
brake, and up
holstery were nice, but the perfor
mance of the airplane
suffered
as
a result. And
the
extra
10
or
20
hp
wasn't enough to overcome the ex
tra weight. It started well, it ran well,
and
the
airplane flew well, but it
didn ' t have the lightness
on
the
controls
the
lighter airplanes did . On
hp with no
electrical system; a good
friend owns one, and I've flown i t a
number of
times. It's a
performing
airplane,
but
a starter
is
a nice
thing
to have, and he doesn't .
lOO hp 0 200 Continental:
This
is
a conversion; they weren't
built this way. The primary reason
for
the modification
was
the short
age and expense of 85-hp crank
shafts. While this might seem like a
natural
route to
go for
an
upgrade,
think i t through. A good friend
spent
time, effort, and
money
to
re-
place the 90
hp in
his Cessna 140
with an 0-200, and in the end he
insisted
that
his performance at best
was no better than
the 90
hp
and
actually believed it went down The
reason?
You'll
be
using a
certified
prop on that 0-200, and most
certi
fied 0-200 props are off Cessna 150s
and are only 69 inches long. Also,
an
0-200 is slightly
wider, so
your
baffling won't fit and you'll have to
do some cowling work. Lastly, there
is
the paperwork/approval issue to
deal with. Given the new position of
the
FAA
concerning field approvals
and
one-time
STCs (which
is pretty
much
no
more
of either ),
you'll
have to
jump
through a number
of
hoops
that have surprised
people
once they were already committed
to the project. Do your homework
before
starting this
conversion. And
then
realize you might not achieve
the performance improvements you
hoped unless
you experiment with
different props that might not be le
gal on that 0-200. Especially
think
it
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is
through the
he
only access ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
cockpit. There
is
ap
proximately
14
pounds
of lead
bolted
on
various
pOints of the tail. The firewall needs
beefing
up to
go from a
three-point
to a five-point engine
mount.
The
Lycoming has a
starter
gear on the
front of the engine, requiring a new
nose bowl or reworking
the
existing
Luscombe one. There are a number
~ ~ ~ i ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ § ~ loads on the
control surfaces
)jt:==lJr- are higher, making
\.
available
than some
small Conti
nentals. Lycoming engines make
the airplane get off and climb faster
the stick forces heavier.
As
much as I like my
airplane
and
the
way it climbs, it doesn't fly like
a Luscombe
anymore. The front end
doesn't even look like one.
If you are considering upgrading
your
horsepower
or
buying an air
plane with a bigger engine, first ask
yourself: Why
am
I doing this?
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
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bit more,
but
it's
burning
10 gallons
an hour. t the same speed, my 180
hp
RV-6 is
only burning
6
gallons
because it was designed to cruise
faster. Overall Lycomings are thirst
ier,
and your
range will be reduced
unless you slow
down
to Continen-
tal speeds.
Final
thought:
I t
was
common
for airplane owners back in
the
'50s
and
'60s to increase speed by
chang-
ing
the pitch of
the prop
or install
ing
a
cruise
prop where the rpm
stayed the same but the cruise speed
increased
due
to the prop
taking a
bigger
bite
of air
with each
revolu
tion.
What many
of
them
didn't
understand
was
the
relationship be
tween
manifold
pressure
and rpm.
Just because
your tach
says
your
en
gine
isn't
turning fast doesn't mean
it isn't working
hard.
Ten-speed bi
cycles are nice,
but
it's
hard to
pedal
uphill in 10th gear. If
your prop
has
been on
the
airplane for a
long time
and
is taking too big a bite,
your
en
gine
is doing the
same thing . Check
the length and pitch of your prop.
Make sure it 's
correct
for
your
en-
gine
and
that you
can turn
rated
rpm
in the
air using a digital ta-
chometer
through the windshield.
The
correct prop might help
over
come
what
you perceive
as
a lack of
takeoff
and
climb performance.
The
wrong prop can't
pedal up
that
hill
in
10th
gear
For
other Luscombe resources,
visit
VAA s
Type Club pages at www
Vintag
eA
ircraft or
type .......
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Recollections of Chicago's
CURTISS-REYNOLDS
p
I
R
o
R T
One
o
the golden age
o
aviation s jewels
BY
KENNETH
MCQUEEN
the
heady days of
the
1920s,
as
the trauma
of World War I began
to
fade, aviation of
fered an attractive and seemingly endless
promise for
the
future. Improvements in
aircraft and engine design resulted in ve
hicles relating
much
more closely to airplanes we see to
day
than to those of the preceding decade.
Late in 1929,
to the
north/northwest of Chicago, Cur
tiss-Reynolds Airport was established for private
and
com
mercial aviation. Located at Shermer and North Lake
Avenues, it was a mile or two northwest of
the
village of
Glenview, which in that period boasted the grand popula
tion of 1,900 souls (now more
than
20 times larger). The
airport's name, which differed at times, was to honor avi
ation pioneer Glenn Curtiss
and
the banker
who
financed
its development.
The expansive spirit of
the
country at the time the air
port was started tended to affect its features. Private avia
tion was seen
as the
next big leisure activity,
and
airports
were to exhibit characteristics of country clubs.
To
this end
the entry area of this 4S0-acre airport was made attractive
with landscaping around the parking lo t between Shermer
Avenue and the hangar.
Also
on the operational side of
the
This account is nothing more
than
a series of homely
recollections by a
then-young
person
who
lived less than
a mile southward and to whom the airport became a sec
ond home. To he
and
his friends there was always a good
reason for a bike ride
up there to see what was going
on
.
Does anyone remember "Colonel" Roscoe Turner? He
was a flamboyant figure of a flier in those days, appearing
in his uniform of riding pants, knee-high boots, military
style coat
and
cap, plus a white scarf. His airplane
at
Cur
tiss-Reynolds was a Lockheed Vega. As a tireless promoter
he was
not
above commercialization,
and
his airplane was
boldly emblazoned with
the
name "Curlee Clothes" after
a clothing line of
the
time.
Always the clown, Turner was once seen with one foot
in a tail wheel dolly, using it
as
a big roller skate,
and
get
ting a laugh
out of his friends and audience.
There were plenty of airplanes
to
check out in the han
gar, including Wacos, Aeronca C-3s, Taylorcraft, Stinsons,
Beech Staggerwings, a Boeing tri-motor, and a Davis para
sol. Another parasol, probably
one
of a kind, languished
in the hangar.
The wing
planform was a perfect circle,
enough to
give an aerodynamicist
the
willies with
the
as-
pect ratio of 1.0. Its ailerons, extra large in proportion to
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Aviat on cadet quarters
gle. The group was very happy with
the
outcome.
The author s
father,
out
of work at
the
time
due to the depression,
put on his World War I
Army uniform
and
had
a
job directing traffic
at
the airport during
the
races.
Afterward, the
dis
mantled grandstands
were
stacked in
a
high,
orderly pile in an
iso
lated
building
on the
south
edge
of the air
port.
For
probably no
good reason, a
door
to this building was not locked,
and
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A few of the airplanes and places
seen by the author
at
the
airport
during the golden age of aviation
in the 1930s
by,
west of Shermer
Avenue.
It
was like the old adage " You
could tell it was
an
airport by the
flight
obstruction
."
Although
i t
seemed outrageously in the way,
nobody
ever tangled
with either
the
guy wires or
with the
mast it
self. WGN's transmission tower is
now
4 1/5 miles directly west of
O'Hare airport, on the west side
of Route 53.
On
weekend afternoons a ge
nial
young man named
Jerry
and
dressed
in
a suit and tie
had the
job
of
hawking airplane rides for
$5. ou
could
always
hear
Jerry
or see
him
waving a book of tick
ets.
One
day to
the
author's com
plete surprise Jerry called to him,
"Ken, you're always here; help fill
this airplane " Before I knew it,
8/20/2019 Vintage Airplane - Mar 2007
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\
the wing from upper surface to lower and back again, fas
tening the fabric
on
left and right sides of each rib.
On a particular weekend
the
wind was strong
out
of the
west, but not too high to prevent flying. This prompted a
number of
attempts at really slow flight across the ground.
At any
given time several airplanes could be seen over
the
airport, heading west and trying to be
the
slowest. An
Aeronca
C 3
managed to get down to
about
zero ground
speed before stalling out.
Special aviation events were staged at Curtiss-Reynolds
in 1933, in
connection
with the Chicago World's Fair.
During
one
air show a small open pusher plane was flying
erratically at low
altitude in front of
the
audience
when
the
"befuddled" pilot pulled back power
and
called out to
those below, "How do I get this
thing
down?"
An attempt
was made from the field one
summer
for a
flight endurance record by a monoplane named
the
Ques
tion Mark for the occasion. (The airplane was an Army
Air
Corps Atlantic-Fokker C-2A trimotor. Flying over the
Los
Angeles area,
the Air
Corps crew set a world record for en
durance with
the
Question Mark in the winter of 1929.) In
leasing the northernmost sections
of
the hangar. Opera
tions included
a
naval
reserve
unit
with
Grumman FJ-
type biplane fighters
and other
single-engine Navy types.
Training of nava l aviation cadets also was conducted.
At
one point a snow fence was erected
in
an east-west
direction all
the
way across the
center
of
the
field, proba
bly in connection with some drainage rehabilitation proj
ect.
Wouldn t
you believe it, but
an J
returning at night
ran smack dab
into
it while taxiing. It was a forlorn sight
out
there
the
next day.
Late in the 1930s the U.S. Army
Air
Corps, predecessor
to the
U.S.
Air Force, established an aviation cadet train
ing facility
at the airport,
run by a civilian
contract
or
ganization. The two-story barracks building was located
kitty-corner
on
the southwest edge of the airport, housing
both
Army
and
Navy cadets.
The Army used the good old Stearman biplane for flight
training. One incident is remembered in which two were
landing
simultaneously and,
unfortunately, in the same
airspace.
The resulting
very-low-altitude
collision com
pletely shredded the airplanes. The single mass of wreckage
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using a house-mover's roadway constructed
of
large tim
bers
and
sporting curves, turns,
and
branches. These be
came homes for base staff, at their new spots around the
remainder of
the
golf course.
Long military-style runways were laid plus
two
very
large-diameter
circular concrete pads . In line with the
expected
concentration on primary
flight
training with
N3N
Yel/ow Peril
biplanes these circular takeoff and
landing areas permitted a
much
higher density of op
erations
than possible
with
relatively
narrow
runways,
due
to
the relatively short ground runs of this aircraft
type . Initial climb-out and final approach
directions
were flexible, depending only
on
wind direction and
not on runway
orientation.
With this arrangement it was amazing to see how
many
N3Ns could be taking off
and landing at
the same time.
From our home it was quite a sight. A modicum of longitu
dinal and lateral spacing was all it took, and a lot of airplanes
were passing over your roof in a short period of time.
The only untoward incident recollected with regard
to the base
had
to do with a Navy fighter
taking
off on
missioned, all
the
concrete pulver
ized, structures and fixtures gone,
and the
entire property returned to
civilian uses.
The only remaining parts-the
venerable Curtiss-Reynolds han
gar, the control tower, and a
pair
of
the adjoining
pod
facades-are
now
a historic site. Memories of the
old airport of
which it was a part
now
exist only
with
historians
and
among
those who
were
fortunate
enough to have been there. It was a
remarkable period with a simplicity
and a freedom fondly remembered.
The spirit endures today
among
those in aviation for its enjoyment,
and especially among individuals
willing to commit in
the
flourishing
build-your-own-airplane arena.
To learn more
about
the
Glen
view Hangar One Foundation and the new Naval ir Station
Glenview Museum, visit www HangarOne org The museum,
located
at
2040 Lehigh Avenue, Glenview, Illinois, is open
weekends, Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
and
Sun
day from 12 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Other times for tour groups
can be arranged with a
phone
call to 847-657-0000.
lh -
BUTYRATE
SYSTEM
f O f
~
VINT GE
http:///reader/full/www.HangarOne.orghttp:///reader/full/www.HangarOne.org
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In the wee hours of the morning of
August 27,2006, a CRJ-100 was cleared
by
the
tower
of
the Lexington, Ken
tucky, Blue Grass Airport to take off
from Runway 22, a 7,300-foot
long
runway.
As
most of us know, the crew
mistakenly
taxied onto Runway 26,
which is only 3,500 feet long, and at
tempted
to take off. The airplane ran
off
the end
of
the
runway, impacting
the
airport perimeter fence
and
trees,
and
crashed.
All but
one of the people
aboard
the
airplane died,
and the
air
plane was destroyed by impact forces
and the post-crash fire. (The first offi
cer was the only one to survive.
He
lost
a leg and suffered brain injuries.)
I know
that many
of us in
the
gen
eral aviation world were asking these
questions: How could they have
done
that? Didn't they check their compass
and
horizontal
situation
indicator
HSI)
with the runway heading? Obvi
ously they didn't, and I'll address
that
in just a little bit.
Y OUG STEW RT
H T
he k
airborne, and
then
crashed
in
a field.
Now
these were
professional
pi
lots, flying under Part 121 of the CFRs,
which strictly regulate things like ster
ile cockpits
and
other essential items
of effective crew/cockpit resource man
agement CRM). Even with the regula
tions
that
they were obliged to observe,
they
managed
to
make some horrible
mistakes and decisions, and as a result,
49 people are
no
longer with us.
But what about all of
us
who do
not
have
to fly
with that type of
regula
tion? Is there anything that we can
take from this accident
that
might pre
vent
us from
coming
to a similar ca
tastrophe? Absolutely, even if we are
flying a Single-seat airplane that was
built in
the
'30s
and
we are operating
out
of a sleepy grass airstrip.
Clearly
the
biggest mistake the pi
lots
of
the CRJ made was to take off
on the
wrong runway. Early
on in
my
flight-instructing career, I
came
up
with
an
acronym to help keep me, as
an
appellation
similar to one gained
by a Curtiss Robin pilot, a Mr. Corri
gan, numerous years ago.
I know I am not the only pilot
who
has announced,
as
I back-taxied
on
the
runway of a small nontowered airport:
Boondocks traffic, Super Cruiser back
taxiing Runway 29, as I eagerly set
my
OG
to 290 degrees so as to
minimi
ze
my
time prior to takeoff. Of course the
only
problem was that I was heading
110 degrees as I did
all
of this.
The
only thing
that
saved me
that
late afternoon, as I took up
an
easterly
heading after departure (according to
my
OG),
was
that the
sun was shining
directly in my eyes. Something was ob
viously wrong. In this
somewhat
hu
morous (and embarrassing) anecdote,
the only
thing
injured was my ego.
But when
we
are operating at a busy
airport, with
multiple
runways, and
kick up the ante even more by adding
nighttime to the mix, there
is
no doubt
whatsoever that ensuring that your OG
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the possibility of coming to a screech
ing halt
on
the downwind is nowhere
near
as
great
as when
you do
the
op
posite and set it 1,000 feet too high.
Just a few weeks ago I was working
with
a client in
my
PA-l2.
As
we ap
proached the airport and were descend
ing to pattern al