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Remember, We’re Better Together!
www.auaonline.com
Aviation insurance with the EAA Vintage Program offers:
Lower premiums with payment options Additional coverages Flexibility on the use of your aircraft Experienced agentsOn-line quote request available AUA is licensed in all states
The best is affordable. Give AUA a call – it’s FREE!
Fly with the pros… fly with AUA Inc.800-727-3823
AUA is Vintage Aircraft Association approved. To become a member of VAA call 800-843-3612.
AUA, Inc is a proud sponsor of the AeroShell Team for 2011. We want to invite you tostop at our booth B-57 at Sun-N-Fun andmeet the AeroShell Team. We will post times when they can be available.
To better serve our customers and theaviation community, AUA, Inc., Greensboro,NC and Henley Insurance Agency,Birmingham, AL have joined forces.
Be sure and stop by our booth to meet ourAUA team. We will have agents at the boothto give you competitive quotations for youraircraft insurance.
W e l o o k f o r w a rd t o s e e in g yo u a t S u n -N - F u n !
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2 Straight & Level Planning ahead by Geoff Robison
4 News
6 VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign by H.G. Frautschy
8 Curtiss Robin . . . a few barnstormers. . .and a young girl named Pearl by Sparky Barnes Sargent
14 My Friend Frank Rezich, Part VI The Aerospace Years by Robert G. Lock
18 Wheel Landings Magnified Fine tuning an art by Eric Gourley
22 Light Plane Heritage The Ford Flivver by Robert F. Pauley
26 The Vintage Mechanic Landing gears and shock struts by Robert G. Lock
30 Mystery Plane by H.G. Frautschy
32 The Vintage Instructor Things learned on the first real cross-country by Steve Krog, CFI
35 Classified Ads
36 It’s a Buyer’s Market . . .
But what are you buying? by Norma Joyce
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 1
A I R P L A N E M A R C HC O N T E N T S
S T A F FEAA Publisher Rod Hightower
Director of EAA Publications Mary JonesExecutive Director/Editor H.G. Frautschy
Production/Special Project Kathleen Witman
Photography Jim KoepnickCopy Editor Colleen Walsh
Senior Art Director Olivia P. TrabboldEAA Chairman of the Board Tom Poberezny
Publication Advertising:Manager/Domestic, Sue Anderson
Tel: 920-426-6127 Email: [email protected]
Fax: 920-426-4828
Senior Business Relations Mgr, Trevor Janz
Tel: 920-426-6809 Email: [email protected]
Manager/European-Asian, Willi Tacke
Phone: +49(0)1716980871 Email: [email protected]
Fax: +49(0)8841 / 496012
Interim Coordinator/Classified, Alicia CanzianiTel: 920-426-6860 Email: [email protected]
C O V E R S
Vol. 39, No. 3 2011
FRONT COVER: 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of EAA’s Antique/Classic Divi-
sion, now the Vintage Aircraft Association. Throughout the next two years we’ll highlight some of the
people, airplanes, and events that have been a part of our history. This shot of Ed “Skeeter” Carl-
son’s Curtiss JN-4C Canuck, the Canadian version of the venerable Curtiss Jenny, was taken in front
of the Red Barn while it was a part of the “Jennys to Jets” celebration during EAA Oshkosh 1989. EAA
photo by Jim Koepnick.
BACK COVER: Continuing our series of old magazine covers, this issue of Air Trails , like last
month’s issue, features cover artwork by Frank Tinsley. Tinsley’s well-drawn art must be consid-
ered “interpretive”; the final details don’t always match the real aircraft! The Aeronca on floats
on this July 1937 issue, like the illustration on last month’s issue, is a great example. It’s a
combination of a C-3 nose and a pre-war Chief tail, with a bit of the K model mixed in. See page
34 for our attempt at identifying the airplanes on this issue. (Except for the little one on the left
side, in the center. If defies identification!)
8
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2 MARCH 2011
With the Centennial of Naval
Aviation and of U.S. Air Mail service,
EAA and VAA are putting together
celebrations for AirVenture where you
can visit some amazing displays of
aviation history. The Centennial of
U.S. Air Mail display will be set up in
the Vintage area, and the lineup of
aircraft will include everything froma Jenny to a Stearman mailplane. The
Bleriot XI planned for this display is
a recently completed replica aircraft
built by EAA volunteers and staff, and
it looks likely that we’ll have a second
original Bleriot on display as well!
There are plans being made to fly
the EAA Bleriot during AirVenture;
that will be a sight to see and hear!
Other aircraft to be included in this
display are EAA’s Pitcairn Mailwing,
the Swallow, a Fairchild FC-2,and Ron Alexander’s C3B Model
Stearman. We encourage owners of
antique aircraft having a direct link
to early air mail who may wish to
participate in this event to contact us
at [email protected] .
These early aircraft played a
significant role in the advancement
of aviation. There will also be many
other attractions and activities
planned around this celebration
with volunteers dressed in periodclothing re-enacting the business
of air mail. A special Theatre in the
Woods program is also being planned
to provide unique insight into the
exciting world of early air mail
activities. Our volunteer construction
crew in the Vintage area is planning
the construction of an early air mail
station where young and old alike
will have an opportunity to send a
commemorative letter or card from
Oshkosh to their family members
back home via air mail that will
actually be flown in an antique air
mail aircraft.
Also on our list of celebrations
this year is the 75th anniversary of
the Lockheed Electra Junior Model
12 aircraft. This may well be the
classiest aircraft to ever hit the skies.
Seventy-five years ago the 12 flew for
the first time in June 1936, and thismilestone will also be celebrated at
AirVenture 2011.
L e s W hi t t l e s e y o f C h i no ,
California, owner of one of these
beauties (NC18906), is leading the
effort to bring as many of these
aircraft as possible to Oshkosh. Les
tells us that he is hoping for an in-
trail mass arrival of 12s, and the goal
is to convince anywhere from six
to 12 of their owners to participate.
Twelve 12s would be a pretty cooldisplay. These guys will all be parked
together in the Vintage aircraft
display area, and I’m sure they will
be easy to spot. Les’ L-12 was the
2006 Grand Champion Antique
award winner at Oshkosh, and that
same year it was also awarded the
Paul Garber Trophy in Reno.
Some significant amendments
t o Se na t e B i l l 2 2 3 , t he F A A
reauthorization bill, are being touted
as good measures that deserve ourattention. EAA is encouraging its
members to urge their congressional
representatives to support these
initiatives. These amendments
include measures to authorize
through-the-fence agreements at
GA airports based on local airport
sponsor authorization, and call for a
release of abandoned type certificate
and STC data. The vintage aircraft
data release legislation EAA and VAA
have been working on is included
in the Senate bill, and identical
language is in the House version.
This language would authorize the
FAA administrator to make available,
upon request, engineering data
for aircraft, engines, propellers, or
appliances to a person seeking to
maintain the airworthiness of an
aircraft. The administrator can release
the data after determining that:(i) The certificate containing the
requested data has been inactive for
three or more years;
(ii) After using due diligence, the
administrator is unable to find the
owner of record or the owner of
record’s heir of the type certificate or
supplemental certificate; and
(iii) Making such data available
will enhance aviation safety.
To ensure aircraft data remains
available, the bills also includelanguage to require the FAA to
maintain the type certificate/STC
data in its files. Contact information
for your U.S. senate representatives
is available at www.Senate.gov/general/
contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm.
Rep. Sam Graves (R-Missouri),
chairman of the House GA Caucus,
and Tom Petri ( R-Wisconsin),
chairman of the House Aviation
Su b c ommi t t e e , a r e w ork i ng
together to include language thatis GA friendly in the House’s FAA
authorization bill. Please participate
in this initiative that will go a long
way to realizing the success of these
critical amendments.
Do yourself a favor and ask a
friend to join up with us. Remember,
we are better together. Join us and
have it all.
GEOFF ROBISON
PRESIDENT, VINTAGE AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
STRAIGHT & LEVEL
Planning Ahead
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V E H I C L E P U R C H A S E P L A N
2 0 1 1 F o r d M u s t a n g
Drive one.
All Legend, No Compromise
The legendary 5.0L V8 returns to the Mustang GT, delivering 412 HP
and 26 MPG. The 3.7L V6 boasts 305 HP and 31 MPG – new standardsin the class!
State-of-the-art technology includes: Twin-Independent Variable
Cam Timing (Ti-VCT), SYNC in-car connectivity, and AdvanceTrac
electronic stability control.
The Privilege of Partnership
EAA members are eligible for special pricing on Ford Motor Company
vehicles through Ford’s Partner Recognition Program. To learn moreon this exclusive opportunity for EAA members to save on a new Ford
vehicle, please visit www.eaa.org/ford.
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4 MARCH 2011
AirVenture to Celebrate 75th
Year of the Lockheed 12
One of the world’s classic air-planes, the Lockheed Model 12
Electra Junior, flew for the first time
on June 27, 1936—75 years ago—
and that milestone will be cele-
brated at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
2011. Les Whittlesey, of Chino,
California, owner of an award-
winning Model 12A, is leading an
effort to get as many L-12 owners as
possible to bring their airplanes to
Oshkosh this summer.
“The plan is to get together,maybe even arrive at the same time
in trail, and all park in the Vintage
aircraft area,” said Whittlesey, EAA
409631. Special presentations at
Oshkosh on the L-12 will be an-
nounced as they are confirmed.
Whittlesey’s Model 12, the
product of an extensive three-year
restoration, won the 2006 Grand
Champion Antique award in Osh-
kosh as well as the Paul Garber Tro-
phy in Reno that same year.Only 126 Electra Juniors were
made between 1936 and 1941,
when production stopped at the
outbreak of World War II. The all-metal, twin-engine planes were
designed for use as small feeders
for airlines, but most were used by
companies for executive travel, as
well as by government officials and
wealthy individuals.
All Politics Are Local
The FAA Reauthorization bills
currently being drafted in both the
House of Representatives and Sen-
ate will, once approved, authorizethe revenue collection and activi-
ties of the FAA over the next period
of years.
Legislative initiatives as large and
seemingly impersonal as the reau-
thorization bill represent signifi-
cant efforts by EAA and lawmakers.
Ultimately, these initiatives have
a direct effect on you, your flying
freedoms, and the aviation com-
munity. EAA is currently working
many issues within the proposedFAA reauthorization bill.
Vintage Aircraft Data Re-
lease—One provision would re-
quire the FAA to retain data for
early vintage aircraft and releasethat data to the public when the
type certificate is no longer being
supported. This will help vintage
aircraft owners and restorers to
maintain, repair, and restore their
aircraft. EAA has been working
closely with the FAA and Congress
on this language for years.
Through-the-Fence Agree-
ments (TTF)—A proposed revi-
sion to TTF regulations, partially
drafted by EAA, would allow resi-
dential (noncommercial) through-
the - f ence opera t ions a t the
discretion of the local airport spon-
sor (rather than at a national level)
without compromising the abil-
ity of the airport to receive federal
funds. Residents would be required
to maintain the access at their ex-
pense and pay the going rate for
similar on-airport access.
Unleaded Aviation Fuel Re-search Program—EAA is help-
ing Congress develop language that
would raise the priority of the un-
leaded avgas research program at
the FAA. This program supports all
EAA members, regardless of aircraft
or engine type by ensuring a viable
and sustainable supply of aviation
fuel well into the future.
Volunteer Pilot Liability Pro-
tection—An EAA-supported amend-
ment in the Senate version of the billwould provide personal liability pro-
tection for pilots conducting medical
airlift and similar flights, affording
protection to members who extend
their talents and resources for the
betterment of society.
These initiatives have a direct
impact on individual EAA mem-
bers and large segments of the avia-
tion community. EAA’s presence in
Washington, D.C. advances issues
like these that have significant lo-cal/individual impact.
VAA NEWS
Les Whittlesey’s award-winning Lockheed Model 12A NC18906 will be at Air-
Venture to mark the type’s 75th anniversary.
B O N N I E
K R A T Z
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Sun ’n Fun Fly-In
Lake land L inder Regional A i rpor t (LAL)Lakeland, Flor idaMarch 29-Apr i l 3, 2011www.Sun-N-Fun.org
AERO Friedrichshafen
Messe Fr iedr ichshafen, Fr iedr ichshafen, GermanyApr i l 13-16, 2011www.AERO-Friedrichshafen.com/html/en
Virginia Regional Festival of
Flight
Suffo lk Execut ive A irpor t (SFQ)Suffo lk, V i rg in iaApril 30-May 1, 2011www.VirginiaFlyIn.org
Golden West Regional Fly-In
and Air Show
Yu ba Co un ty Ai rp or t (M YV )Marysv i l le , Cal i forn iaJune 10-12, 2011www.GoldenWestFlyIn.org
Arlington Fly-In
Ar l ington Munic ipal A i rpor t (AWO)Arlington, WashingtonJuly 6-10, 2011www.ArlingtonFlyIn.org
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh
Wit tman Regional A i rpor t (OSH)Oshkosh, WisconsinJuly 25-31, 2011www.AirVenture.org
Colorado Sport International Air Show
and Rocky Mountain Regional Fly-In
Rocky Mountain Met ropol i tan A irpor t (BJC)Denver, ColoradoAugust 27-28, 2011www.COSportAviation.org
Mid-Eastern Regional Fly-In
Gr imes F ie ld A irpor t (I74)Urbana, OhioSeptember 10-11, 2011http://MERFI.com
Copperstate Fly-In
Casa Grande Munic ipal A i rpor t (CGZ)Casa Grande, Ar izonaOctober 20-22, 2011www.Copperstate.org
Southeast Regional Fly-In
Middleton F ie ld A irpor t (GZH)Evergreen, AlabamaOctober 21-23, 2011www.SERFI.org
For details on hundreds of upcoming avia-
tion happenings, including EAA chapter fly-ins,
Young Eagles rallies, and other local aviation
events, visit the EAA Calendar of Events lo-cated at www.EAA.org/calendar .
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 5
Upcoming Major Fly-Ins
Fly EAA’s Ford!EAA’s 1929 Ford Tri-Motor heads back on tour in late spring, pro-
viding 12 cities in fi ve Midwestern states an up-close look at the
iconic aircraft from the early days of commercial air travel. It begins
in Racine, Wisconsin, on May 26, then continues through July 10
with additional stops in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.
The Ford Tri-Motor, nicknamed the Tin Goose , was built by the
Ford Motor Company in the late 1920s. EAA’s airplane underwent a
12-year restoration beginning in the 1970s and since the mid-1980s
has been based at historic Pioneer Airport.
Tour visitors can reser ve 15-minute fl ights aboard the aircraft at
the Fly the Ford website, or call 800-843-3612 for more information.
Dates City Airport
May 26-30 Racine, Wis. John H. Batten Airport
June 2-5 Bloomington, Ind. Monroe County Airport
June 6-8 Terre Haute, Ind. Terre Haute International Airpor t –
Hulman Field
June 9-12 Urbana, Ill. Frasca Field Airport
June 13-15 Greenwood, Ind. Greenwood Municipal Airpor t
June 16-19 Columbus, Ind. Columbus Municipal Airpor t
June 20-22 Urbana, Ohio Grimes Field Airport
June 23-26 Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati Municipal Airpor t –
Lunken Field
June 27-29 Akron, Ohio Akron-Canton Regional Airport
June 30-July 4 Sandusky, Ohio Griffing Sandusky Airpor t
July 5-7 Jackson, Mich. Jackson County Airport – Reynolds
Field
July 8-10 Elkhart, Ind. Elkhart Municipal Airport
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Each year at EAA AirVen-
ture Oshkosh the larg-
est single space for
the display of enthu-
siasts’ aircraft is the
Vintage parking and
camping area. For four decades it’s
been not only a picturesque scene of
the finest restored airplanes in this
country, but also a gathering place for
aviation people and their magnificent ma-
chines to share knowledge and friendship.
Each day during the convention, we get
to see the widest variety possible of air-
planes, including a few one-of-a-kind air-
craft. Don’t forget the special Type Club
parking area, where we host many exam-
ples of a particular manufacturer’s airplane.
From replica race planes to the American
Barnstormers Tour, the amazing colors and
outlines of the golden age of aviation are
on display for all to see each year. All of
this is possible through the efforts of the
nearly 500 VAA volunteers, the volunteer
VAA board of directors, and the VAA staff.
It’s why so many visitors and aviation
enthusiasts come back year after year to
work, relax, and enjoy aviation’s premier
event. It’s a place to rekindle old friend-
ships and make new ones. A time to relax
and enjoy aviation, learn something new,
and rub elbows with our fellow aviators.
As you can imagine, it takes some fairly
substantial financial resources to under-
write such an event, and the Vintage area
at EAA AirVenture is no exception.
The Vintage Aircraft Association has,by necessity, elected to underwrite a
portion of its yearlong activities with
funds other than members’ dues. The
proceeds from this fund pay for all sorts
of volunteer activities and improvements
to the VAA area, as well as supporting
VAA advocacy efforts and educational
endeavors. It serves as working capital
for improvements such as the Vintage
Hangar, the new VAA Flightline Safety
Operations Center as well as for up-
keep of many structures. There’s never
a shortage of windows that need caulk-ing, doors that need to be replaced, and
roofs that need to be repaired. To be
certain, almost all of the labor involved
is performed by our dedicated and tal-
ented volunteers, but what about the
cost of supplies and hardware?
That’s where our Friends of the Red Barn
campaign comes in—it provides all of us,
who wish, the opportunity to assist in the
vital financial support of the VAA’s activities.
We’re most appreciative of the contri-
butions 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 diverse items as VAA
awards presented during the annual EAA
Vintage aircraft awards program, special
recognition for our many volunteers, and
expenses associated with our special
displays, forums, and educational areas
such as the VAA Workshop and Type
Club areas in the Vintage Hangar.
Your annual contribution made in the
first half of 2011 will directly benefit this
year’s convention activities and VAA pro-
grams throughout the year.
Please consider actively participatingin the 2011 VAA Friends of the Red Barn
Campaign. Your donation may be tax-
deductible to the extent allowed by law,
and you can enhance your participation
if you work for a matching gift company.
You can do so by copying and filling out
the form included on these pages or by
donating online at www.VintageAircraft.
org/programs/redbarn.html . If you de-
sire more information concerning the
VAA Friends of the Red Barn Campaign,
feel free to call us at 920-426-6110.
We’d be happy to speak with you!Many services are provided to vin-
tage aircraft enthusiasts at EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh. From parking
airplanes to feeding people at the
Tall Pines Café and Red Barn, vol-
unteers do it all. Some may ask,
“If volunteers are providing the ser-
vices, where is the expense?”
Glad you asked. The scooters for
the flightline crew need repair and bat-
teries, and the Red Barn needs paint,
new windowsills, updated wiring, and
other sundry repairs, plus we love to care
for our volunteers with special recognition
caps and a pizza party. The list really could
go on and on, but no matter how many
expenses we can point out, the need re-
mains constant. The Friends of the Red
Barn fund helps pay for the VAA expenses
at EAA AirVenture, and it’s a crucial part
of the Vintage Aircraft Association budget.
Please help the VAA and our nearly
500 dedicated volunteers make this an
unforgettable experience for our many
EAA AirVenture guests.
Your contribution now really does
make a difference. There are seven lev-
els 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 Barn Information Desk Supplies•Participant Plaques and Supplies•Toni’s Red Carpet Express and
Radios
•Caps for VAA Volunteers
•Pizza Party for VAA Volunteers•Flightline Parking Scooters andSupplies
•Breakfast for Past Grand Champions•Volunteer Booth Administrative
Supplies
•Membership Booth AdministrativeSupplies
•Signs Throughout the Vintage Area•Red Barn’s and Other Buildings’
Maintenance
•Tall Pines Café Tent Rental andKitchen Updates
•Flightline Safety Operations Center•And More!
V ’s Friends of the
VAA’s Friends of the
Red Barn CampaignRed Barn Campaignby H.G. Frautschy
6 MARCH 2011
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VAA Friends of the Red Barn
Name______________________________________________________________________EAA #___________ VAA #___________
Address______________________________________________________________________________________________________
City/State/ZIP________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone___________________________________________________E-Mail______________________________________________
Please choose your level of participation:
■ Payment enclosed (Make checks payable to Vintage Aircraft Assoc.) ■ Please charge my credit card (below) Credit Card Number _____________________________ Expiration Date _________
Signature_________________________________________
*Do you or your spouse work for a matching-gift company? If so, this gift may qualify fora matching donation. Please ask your human resources department for the appropriate
form.
Name of Company __________________________________________________________________
The Vintage Aircraft Association is a non-profit educational organization under IRS 501c3 rules. Under Federal Law, the deduction from Federal Income tax forcharitable contributions is limited to the amount by which any money (and the value of any property other than money) contributed exceeds the value of the goods orservices provided in exchange for the contribution. An appropriate receipt acknowledging your gift will be sent to you for IRS gift reporting reasons.
Mail your contribution to:
VAA FORBPO Box 3086
OSHKOSH, WI 54903-3086
Please help the VAA make EAA AirVenture Oshkoshan unforgettable experience for our many guests.
ecome a Friend of the Red arn Become a Friend of the Red Barn
____ Diamond Plus $1,250.00
____ Diamond Level Gift - $1,000.00 ____ Platinum Level Gift - $750.00 ____ Gold Level Gift - $500.00
____ Silver Level Gift - $250.00
____ Bronze Level Gift - $100.00 ____ Loyal Supporter Gift - ($99.00 or under) ____ Your Support $_______
DiamondPlus$1250
Diamond$1000
Platinum$750
Gold$500
Silver$250
Bronze$100
LoyalSupporter$99 & Under
EAA VIP Center2 people/Full
Week
VIP Air Show Seating2 people/2
Days2 people/1
Day
Close Auto Parking Full Week Full Week 2 Days
Two Tickets to VAA Picnic ★ ★ ★
Tri-Motor Certificate 2 Tickets 2 Tickets 2 Tickets 1 Ticket
Breakfast at Tall Pines Café2 PeopleFull Wk
2 PeopleFull Wk
2 PeopleFull Wk
1 PersonFull Wk
Special FORB Cap ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Two Passes to VAA Volunteer Party ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Special FORB Badge ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Access to Volunteer Center ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Donor Appreciation Certificate ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Name Listed: Vintage Airplane Magazine, Website, and Sign at Red Barn ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
✃
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 7
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8 MARCH 2011
David Mars discovered
the 1929 Curtiss Robin
(serial number 237)
during an estate sale
a couple of years ago.
He says, “It was about as near to a
‘barn find’ as any airplane I think
I’ll ever find. I purchased the plane,
took the plugs out, cleaned it up
pretty good, and changed the oil.
Then I flew it out of there.”In his genteel, southern bass
voice, David explains, “I’ve always
been enamored with the Curtiss
Robin, because I grew up within
30 miles of where the Key broth-
ers set their endurance record in
a Robin, and I actually knew one
of the brothers. I really fell in love
with it; it’s not very much of a per-
former and doesn’t fly very respon-
sively, but I kind of like the Ar t
Deco looks of it, and this is the eraof aviation that I’m most interested
in. This originally had an OX-5,
then it had a Challenger engine in-
stalled, and then this 220-hp Con-
tinental R-670 was installed. It was
registered in Mexico, and I can only
imagine what exotic thing it was
used for down there!”
The Robin was designed and
built by Curtiss Aeroplane & Mo-
tor Company of Garden City, New
York, and manufactured at Cur-tiss-Robertson Airplane Manufac-
turing Company in Anglum, St.
Louis County, Missouri. In 1929,
Curtiss Aeroplane and Wright Aero-
nautical merged and became the
Curtiss-Wright Corporation. All
told, more than 750 Robins were
manufactured before production
ended in 1930, and today there are
51 Robins listed on the FAA Reg-
istry. The Robin was touted for its
durable construction, along with itsin-flight stability and ease of han-
BY SPARKY BARNES SARGENT
Relegated to the back of a large
hangar full of old airplane parts in
Georgia, N3277G’s once-brilliant
red paint was nearly camouflaged
by a mottled coating of opaque dust.
Nevertheless, it was the first Cur-
tiss Robin that David Mars had ever
seen outside museum walls, and it
won his heart instantaneously. That
was fortuitous, for the Robin hadbeen destined for static display in
the foyer of the Merrill Lynch office
building in New York. Mars had no
inkling of it then, but his deep af-
finity for the old Curtiss monoplane
would lead him to fulfill a significant
role in sharing the inspiring story of
Pearl Carter Scott, a Chickasaw girl
who learned to fly in a Robin and
became the country’s youngest cer-tificated pilot.
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dling. Ground operations were fa-
cilitated by a steerable tailskid.
Aviation HeritageDavid is proud of his familial avia-
tion heritage, which is a bit unique
in several respects. Elaborating on it,
he shares, “My dad was a bombar-
dier on a B-17 in World War II, and
then he bought a J-3 Cub when he
got out of the service, so I grew upin the 1950s flying off a grass strip
in Mississippi. And one of the rea-
sons I’ve always been a fan of Cur-
tiss is because I have an ancestor,
named J.C. ‘Bud’ Mars, who was an
exhibition pilot for Curtiss.” Indeed,
J.C. “Bud” Mars was taught to fly by
Glenn Curtiss, and he made numer-
ous first-time flights in a wide variety
of locations during 1910, including
Curtiss biplane flights in Fort Smith,
Arkansas, in May; Sioux City, Iowa,in June; and Hawaii in December.
One of David’s outstanding
childhood memories is his first time
at the controls of a Cub—without
proper supervision. “Now this is a
true story,” declares David, explain-
ing, “in 1953 my dad was going to
take my sister and I flying in this
Cub. I tell people that I have the
world’s record for being the young-
est person to ever fly a plane. I
know they think there was an olderperson in the plane when it took
off, and I was just manipulating the
controls—so then I tell them that
the older person was my 5-year-old
sister. My dad propped off the Cub,
and I was standing in the front
seat. The stick was secured in the
aft position with the seat belt, and
he reached his hand in the window
and idled the throttle up, before he
went back to untie the tail. Appar-
ently the minute he got the tail un-tied, I gave it the power, and they
say the Cub went about 20 feet
and jumped off the ground. One
wing dropped, and it cartwheeled a
couple of times and ended up in a
pile of wreckage maybe a 100 yards
from where my dad was. When he
got to the wreckage, my sister said,
‘Well, Dad, I thought you were go-
ing with us!’”
Since that time, David has con-
tinued to have many adventures inaviation. He has owned a Cessna
180 for 35 years and has flown
it frequently in his business ven-
tures—but if you ask him what his
profession is, he’ll simply state that
he is a barnstormer. “I’m in my fifth
decade selling rides in biplanes—
ranging from a Stearman in the late
1970s and 1980s, and in a Travel
Air in the 1990s and this decade.
I’ve been flying with the American
Barnstormers Tour for a few sum-mers now.”
VINTAGE AIRPLANE 9
a Few Barnstormers…
. . . and a young girl named Pearl
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10 MARCH 2011
Making—andRevitalizing—History
As David mentioned, brothers Al
and Fred Key set an endurance re-
cord over Meridian, Mississippi, in
1935. They flew Ole Miss, a highly
modified Robin, and stayed aloft
for 653 hours and 34 minutes.
Their record far surpassed Dale
Jackson and Forrest O’Brine’s 1929
record of 17.5 days aloft in the St. Louis Robin. Additionally, Douglas
“Wrong Way” Corrigan made his-
tory while flying a Robin in July
1938, when he flew from New York
across the Atlantic to Ireland.
N3277G has made its own mark
in more recent history—at least
twice. The first occasion was about
17 years ago, just after Glenn Cruz
had completed a partial restora-
tion of the monoplane at Gillespie
Field in San Diego. He and his bridejust couldn’t resist the opportunity
to fly the grand old Robin to their
own wedding reception. The sec-
ond event was its role as lead air-
plane in the movie Pearl, which was
independently produced by the
Chickasaw Nation and Media 13.
It all started during 2008, when
the Chickasaw Nation decided
to produce its first feature film—
a movie about Pearl Carter Scott’s
early flying career. Pearl was born
in 1915 and learned to fly a Cur-
tiss Robin in the late 1920s, in Mar-
low, Oklahoma. She had her very
first flight with Wiley Post when
she was 12, and he sensed that this
passionate and inquisitive young
girl was a natural-born flier. Afterhearing Wiley’s observations, along
with repeated insistent pleas from
his daughter, George Carter, a suc-
cessful blind businessman who
dearly loved Pearl, declared that if
Wiley would find an airplane and
hire a good teacher for her, he’d
build a landing strip and a hangar
on his property. It wasn’t long until
Wiley found an OX-5-powered Cur-
tiss Robin (which Carter purchased)
and a teacher for Pearl. After learn-ing to fly, she earned her way as a
barnstormer and stunt pilot at lo-
cal air shows. (In 1995, she was in-
ducted in the Chickasaw Nation
Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma
Aviation and Space Hall of Fame.)
Hence, Donna Carlton, head
screenwriter for Pear l, started a
modern-day quest for a Robin
that could be flown for the movie.
Donna and her husband conducted
some online searches, and then shecontacted the American Barnstorm-
David Mars with his Robin, which was the “leading aircraft” in Pearl .
The Robin’s tail is rather angular.
A glance at the Robin’s front seat
and panel.
S P A R K Y
B A R N E S
S A R G E N T P H O T O S
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 11
ing Tour about shooting some foot-
age of their airplanes, with the
pilots and bystanders dressed in pe-
riod clothing. “We contacted Clay
Adams,” recounts Donna, in her
soft, gentle tone, “and he indicated
that another movie was supposed
to be shooting their barnstorm-
ing tour that summer. So I checkedback with them a few weeks later,
when I was sure that we had the
green light for the project. Clay said
they hadn’t heard from the other
movie company and invited us to
come on up. And still at that point,
we weren’t sure if we were going to
be able to pull it off—but as soon
as [our production people] went up
there and saw all the planes, they
knew this was a done deal!”
David recalls that the producersmet the American Barnstorming
Tour in Great Bend, Kansas. “They
asked if we had a Curtiss Robin in
our midst, and it was known that I
had the only Robin in our group—
I don’t barnstorm in it, but I did
have it, so it worked out fine,” he
says. “And that fall, we went to El
Reno, Oklahoma. Ted Davis and
Chris Price brought their New Stan-
dard, and Clay Adams brought his
1929 Travel Air 4000, and I took myRobin there, where we filmed the
scenes that required flying.”
Ted Davis explains that the New
Standard’s role in Pearl was that of
portraying Wiley Post’s airplane.
“I took the actress up in it, with
a cameraman in the front, and
since the New Standard holds four
people in the front cockpit, it was
great. The cameraman could shootback and get some footage of the
actress riding in it, and the pilot as
well, so I think that worked out real
well for them in that respect. Chris
Price did a little flying in the Robin,
with a wig on to look like Pearl,
and he flew in the Standard a little
bit. I did most of the New Standard
flying, and Dave did quite a bit of
the Robin flying. It was neat, it re-
ally was. It’s a neat movie, and it’s a
neat story.”Perhaps only the discerning an-
tique airplane buffs will detect a
misstatement in the movie, when
an actor gestures to the Robin’s
220-hp Continental engine and re-
fers to it as an “old reliable OX-5.”
Donna shares that even though she
and the director, King Hollis, knew
that David’s Robin didn’t have the
OX-5, “He wanted to use the line
as written because it accurately de-
scribed the plane that Pearl flew.”Donna talked with literally
hundreds of aviation enthusiasts
at the Pearl booth during AirVen-ture this past summer, gleaning in-
sight from them about the movie
and the nature of aviation itself.
“Some of the people that came to
our booth at Oshkosh have said
that aviation people are very pas-
sionate about flying—but you can
only go so far with a bunch of
planes in the air; you have to have
a story, and there’s a real story
here that is touching people,”
shares Donna. “Those who haveseen Pearl tell us the final scene
Ted Davis takes actress Angela Gair and head writer Donna Carlton up for a ride over Blakesburg,
Iowa, in his New Standard.
Ted Davis flew his New Standard
biplane for the movie.
S P A R K Y
B A R N E S
S A R G E N T P H O T O S
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12 MARCH 2011
of the whole movie
i s the i r f a v o r i t e ;
it’s very touching.
We worked on that
scene the longest—
that’s how impor-
tant it was to get the
final scene right.”
Bringing theStory to Life
The experience of flying his
Curtiss Robin for the movie and
helping to bring Pearl’s story to
thousands of individuals has been
extremely rewarding for David.
“The thing I’ve enjoyed the most,”
he shares, “is bringing Pearl’s
story to life. All of us in the movie
are really passionate about this era
of aviation, and we want to keep
aviation history alive—whether
it’s about the airplanes or the pi-
lots. I consider myself somewhat
of an aviation historian, and I’d
never heard of Pearl’s story. And
when I heard that a Curtiss Robin
was involved, that was great! So I
enjoy helping keep history alive
by bringing this story to life, and
of course, I enjoy the camaraderie
of being there and flying with myfriends in the movie. That was a
lot of fun; I enjoyed it so much.”
As an interesting side note,
when the movie premiered on May
4, 2010, at the historic Warren The-
atre in Moore, Oklahoma, David
flew his Robin to Moore, and the
airplane was showcased in the the-
atre’s parking lot. “They found a
750-foot patch of grass close to the
cinema that they thought I could
land in, so I went up and lookedat it, but it was just too unsafe.
We found a field 3 miles south of
there, where I could land and then
taxi on the highway with a po-
lice escort to the cinema parking
lot. As preparation for the land-
ing, Chet Peek [a local pilot and
aviation historian] and I walked
over the field. We marked all the
bad spots in the field with toilet
paper, but there was one spot that
was a foxhole—so we agreed thatChet was going to stand in that
foxhole when I landed, so I’d be
sure to miss it. I turned final, and I
kind of fishtailed a couple of times
when I landed, and I planned to
roll out just to the east of him.
I thought I was doing just fine,”
says this southern aviator with a
laugh, “until I looked out the side
window and I saw Chet bolt and
run, leaving the field. So then I’m
on my rollout, and I’m thinking
maybe I’m going in the hole, since
he’s running away! So I kind of put
it into a right turn and got it to
a stop—I think he thought that I
was going to run over him. I saw
him; he just didn’t know that I saw
him!” Defending his actions with
characteristically good-natured
humor, Chet explains, “When you
see a big Curtiss Robin headedstraight at you from a hundred
yards away, you don’t ponder the
situation . . . you bolt and run!”
For screenwriter Donna, the
creation of Pearl was an especially
gratifying experience. “It was very
special, and the pilots spread the
word about the movie, and now
everyone wants to see it. We want
to have family movies that we can
show that are educational, that
are true, an d are a good stor y.Pearl had a real passion for avia-
tion, and we did receive her fam-
ily’s stamp of approval for the
film,” shares Carlton. “In fact, the
family came on the set as well,
and they’re actually extras in the
movie. We were excited a bout
screening Pear l at Oshkosh, be-
cause some of the staff and the
crew joined us there, and it was
like ‘old home’ week for us.”
Additionally, the Taylor familyinvited the crew to hold a screening
in Blakesburg, Iowa,
during the 2010 An-
tique Airplane As-
sociation/Air Power
Museum Invitational
Fly-in, and pilots Da-
vid Mars, Ted Davis,
Chris Price, and Clay
Adams attended withtheir airplanes, along
with Donna and ac-
tress Angela Gair, who played Lucy
Carter. Now that the movie is near-
ing the end of its promo tour, Pearl
should be available on DVD by
early November. As an extra perk
to the AAA/APM fly-in screening,
David’s Robin won the Antique
Pre-1936 Sweepstakes Award.
Phenomenal AviationCommunity
Just as the spirited young Pearl
discovered more than 80 years ago,
powerful and transformational
events can unfold when one’s life
is touched by aviation. Donna dis-
covered this for herself during the
production and screenings of the
movie and conveys this message: “I
have to say that the aviation com-
munity has been absolutely phe-nomenal: fun-loving, passionate,
genuine, warm, welcoming, and
generous. I never knew such a large,
unified group of good-hearted peo-
ple existed. It’s very encouraging
to know that there are so many
people like this at the core of this
country. They love God, America,
and the principles on which it was
founded. My trips throughout the
Midwest have brought me so much
joy, because the aviation enthusi-asts I’ve met seem to stand for all
that’s good and right. How unfor-
tunate for the future of our country
that the mainstream media, by and
large, ignores this huge segment of
our population.”
A refreshing and uplifting ex-
perience yielding new perspec-
t ives—that ’s just part of the
transformation that occurs when
you bring together a Curtiss Robin,
a few barnstormers, and a younggirl named Pearl.
SPARKY BARNES SARGENT
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 13
Pearl was filmed in Oklahoma
during September and early
October 2008 and has mar-
velous cinematography de-
picting the era of the 1920s
and 1930s. The scenes easily transition
from the Carter family’s everyday life to
colorful flights aloft. At times tender and
touching, the film illustrates Pearl’s spe-
cial relationship with her father, as well
as her flying mentor, Wiley Post. The cast
was carefully selected, and lead actress
Elijah DeJesus looks remarkably like the
historical photographs of Pearl, a Chicka-
saw girl who at 13 became the youngestcertificated pilot in the United States. Eli-
jah (who, coincidentally, was 13 years old
when the movie was filmed) easily con-
veys Pearl’s contagious enthusiasm and
exhilaration—passionate feelings with
which most aviators will identify. In Pearl’s
own words, “Once you have known the
freedom of flight, it never leaves you—
even with your feet on the ground . . ..”
Pearl was independently produced by
the Chickasaw Nation and Media 13,
and several key figures involved in themovie’s production are Chickasaw, in-
cluding the producer, David Rennke; the
head screenwriter, Donna Carlton; and
several actresses and actors. Though An-
gela Gair (who plays Lucy, Pearl’s mother)
isn’t Native American, she received the
high honor of being specially recognized
as Best Supporting Actress at the Inter-
national Cherokee Film Festival for her
portrayal of a Native American woman.
Many of the staff wore several dif-
ferent hats throughout the production.Donna smiles warmly as she explains,
“We all did a lot of different things; I
helped facilitate the pre-production pro-
cess, I was head writer and a photogra-
pher, and I did whatever else needed to
be done. First of all, Pearl was just an
amazing person, and after she retired
from aviation, she helped the Chicka-
saw people as a community health rep-
resentative and as a legislator. Through
her work with the tribe, she got to know
Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoa-
tubby really well, and the governor al-
ways wanted her story told. A few years
after Pearl passed away in 2005, we
finally had the resources and staff in
place to produce this movie. There was
a lot of research involved, and we visited
with the family. At first, it was supposed
to be a nice little movie to show in our
cultural center, but it got such a warm re-
ception, and people were asking to see
it, that we brought it to EAA AirVenture in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where more than
3,000 people came to watch it. During
production, everybody was pulling triple
duty, because we all believed in the proj-
ect. So much could have gone wrong but
didn’t. We called that the ‘Pearl
mojo.’ Many people sacrificed a lot for
it, there were a lot of things we did onour own, and a lot of obstacles that
we faced. But we never worried about
it, because we knew the ‘Pearl mojo’
would kick in, and we’d get around
that obstacle.”
Their efforts culminated in an inspi-
rational movie about a young girl whose
heart soared high in the sky on Robin
wings. Pearl has won nine awards to date
and has been shown at nearly two-dozen
film festivals across the country—in ad-
dition to screenings at aviation venues
including AirVenture and the AAA/APM
Invitational Fly-in. While each award is
significant, Donna, in her eloquent man-
ner, shares, “The two awards we brought
home from the Trail Dance Film Festi-
val in Duncan, Oklahoma [Best in Fes-
tival, Best Native American Film], were
deeply meaningful because we were
in the heart of ‘Pearl Carter country.’
Many people at that screening already
knew who Pearl was, and a good per-
centage of the audience had personally
known her. As the head scriptwriter, that
was a validation that touched my heart.
When you pour your heart and soul into
a project, as we all have, there’s no bet-ter feeling than being told by the people
who were closest to Pearl that they
approve of the final product.” For
more information about Pearl , visit
www.PearlTheMovie.net .
Conveying Pearl’s Passionfor Aviation
Donna Carlton, head writer for themovie Pearl .
E li jah D eJesus mast er f ull y p or t r a y s t he d ar ed ev il P ear l as t he y oung av iat r ix g r ow s int o ad ult hood .
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14 MARCH 2011
FRANK REZICH WAS ABOUT TO
become a member of the
Mach 3 team at North
American Aviation (NAA).
In 1959, a concept proposal
was being developed for a manned
bomber that could cruise at 80,000
feet at a speed of around 2,000 mph.
Now known as the XB-70, two
test vehicles were constructed by
the El Segundo, California, fac-
tory and eventually assembled at
North American’s new Plant 42
facilities in Palmdale. The XB-70
was an advanced bomber conceptthat featured new technology of
stainless steel/brazed honeycomb
structural components.
When Frank arrived at the Palm-
dale facility, he was told about a
small group of people working on
a black aircraft located in one cor-
ner of the hangar. It was somewhat
like a clandestine operation. No-
body but the people involved knew
exactly what was going on. This
project turned out to be the NorthAmerican X-15 that was being as-
sembled for the first time.
For the XB-70, cruising at 80,000
feet for extended periods of time
on long missions required pressur-
ization of the cockpit area, which
was unique. Frank said the NAA
pressurization requirement was for
13.0 psid (pounds per square inch
differential). In other words, the
maximum pressure inside the cock-
pit would be 13 times greater thanthe pressure outside (ambient pres-
sure). If the cockpit was pressurized
to 8,000 feet mean sea level (MSL)
and the aircraft was operating at
80,000 feet, then the differential
pressure would be slightly more
than 11 psid. To assure design in-
tegrity, the cockpit section of the
aircraft had to be proof-tested.
This i s where Frank enters
the picture, and his story of this
proof-testing is both serious and
funny. It all took place at the
Palmdale NAA plant.
The focus of this story is the nose
section that houses the pilot andcopilot. Take a look at Photo 2. The
escape capsules are another story,
and Frank was not involved in that.
Picture the small forward fuselage
section that included the wind-
screen; this is the section we are
talking about. A full-scale cockpit
section was constructed and moved
to the Palmdale plant for testing.
The story of pressure testing the
crew cabin goes something like
this. Frank recalls the incident likeit happened yesterday.
“It’s a funny thing how that
generated. I had been assigned as
assistant to the vice president of
manufacturing. And we used to go
down to the shop every day. He was
a ‘floor’ man.
“He was basically an electrician
that had come up through the
ranks, so he was a hands-on guy.
We’re down on the floor one day
and we’re checking progress andthe nose section was by itself. And
we had what we called the ‘six
pack,’ that was in another building
[the engine bay and engines]. Well,
the general foreman [responsible
for] the crew building for the nose
section got sick.
“The boss said to me, ‘Frank, you
go to Palmdale tomorrow morn-
ing. You take over the nose and fin-
ish building it.’ Okay, so the next
morning I go up there and started
going through all the manufactur-
ing orders. Now the airplane has
got two capsules, not just seats, but
capsules, and we had to install therails. We were just finishing up the
rails, and the boss comes by one
day to check the progress. For some
reason the pilot’s rails are different
than the copilot’s rails, and he said,
‘What the heck did you do?’ I said
it looks like we screwed up, but we
got it approved. ‘Okay,’ he says,
‘Get it done—get it ready for pres-
surization check.’
“I guess a couple days later we
moved it to where we had hangardoors we could open. Of course en-
gineering is all over there, so we
started the pressurization. And they
only let us do it from midnight un-
til 6:00 in the morning—‘Safety’
would only allow this test at night
and the doors had to be open. So
we put a wire screen around it [ac-
My Friend
Frank Rezich
Part VI The Aerospace YearsBY ROBERT G. LOCK
PHOTOS COURTESY OF REZICH FAMILY COLLECTION
Top photo: The Mach 3-capable
North American XB-70 on takeoff,
possibly from the Palmdale Plant42 facilities.
NASA/USAF
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 15
tually a heavy chain link fence]. Be-
fore we started pressurizing we all
got behind a row of stock bins. We
had transits set up with ‘dobs’ on
the fuselage so we could see how
far things bend and expand. Well,
it would take almost all night to
pump it up, and the boss would
come in about 3:00 a.m. and ask if
we were done yet. ‘No.’
“The first time, we blew the
windshield out.
“Engineering had to make a
change to tie the windshield roof
to the floor. We made that modifi-
cation, put it back together, and go
to the next time. I think we blew a
side window.
“And the boss kept pestering me
about making the test go f aster.
The only thing I knew—maybe we
can get some ping-pong balls to
fill the cabin. So he goes to Safety
and Safety says no—the ping-pong
balls would come out of there like
they were shot from a cannon.
Okay, we’ll see what Safety will
say about Styrofoam. We could get
8-foot planks of Styrofoam; we can
cut them up to fill the cabin. That
will lessen the volume and may cut
down the time. Well, that’s what
we did; we cut them up and stuffed
them in the cockpit area.
“When we pressurized again we
were watching the transit point and
now the top hatch looks like it’s go-
ing to blow. Sure enough, the fuse-
lage expanded enough so the top
hatch blew out. When the hatch
blew, all that foam came out. Styro-
foam got strained through the wire
The XB-70 nose section.
To get an idea of the volume inside the cockpit, an NAA photograph shows the XB-70 cockpit ar-
rangement. This is the volume with which Frank was dealing and why it took so long to pump thecompartment with compressed air.
U S A F
N O R T H
A M E R I C A N
A V I A T I O N
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and blew all over the hangar like
snow! Have you ever tried to sweep
up Styrofoam? It’s almost impossi-
ble. It moves away from the broom.”
Frank remembers, “We tried vac-
uuming, but finally settled the prob-
lem by spraying water on the foam
from Hudson sprayers; then we
swept it up. It was a mess. We never
reached the 13-psid requirement.”
Now, that’s a funny story. AsFrank recalls, to build an aluminum
structure that could withstand 13
psid back in those days was un-
heard of: “I don’t remember what
we finally got to, maybe around
11 or 12 psid. But we kept blowing
something. I just knew the airplane
was supposed to fly at 70,000 to
80,000 feet.” At 80,000 feet the at-
mospheric pressure is just a fraction
of 1 psi. Frank couldn’t remem-
ber what altitude the crew cockpitcabin was pressurized to, but if it
were 10,000 feet the pressure differ-
ential would be around 10.
The North American XB-70 was
rolled out of the Palmdale Plant 42
facility May 11, 1964. Although the
contract to build 60 aircraft had been
canceled, the flight-test program
continued, first by the Air Force and
then by NASA. The first flight was
September 21, 1964. The first Mach 3
flight was January 3, 1966. A mid-aircollision June 8, 1966, destroyed the
number 2 air vehicle, killing two pi-
lots over the Mojave Desert.
The Air Force lost interest in the
XB-70, and the remaining aircraft
was turned over to NASA for con-
tinued flight-testing for data that
could be useful for the future super-
sonic transport (SST) design com-
petition. The final flight for NAA
XB-70 was February 14, 1969, when
the first aircraft was flown fromEdwards Air Force Base (AFB) to
Wright-Patterson AFB for display
in the Air Force Museum of Flight.
The NASA test pilots were Fitz Ful-
ton and Don Mallick.
As a side note, Fitz is a personal
friend, and I can recall I asked him
what the most unusual trait was of
the XB-70. He said, “. . .it was when
you taxied the airplane. You sat so
far in front of the nose wheel that
it took an army of vehicles andground people to guide me to the
runway. When we made a turn the
nose was way over the edge of the
taxiway. If you turned too short the
nose gear would go off the taxi way
into the sand.”
I was attending A&P mechanic
training at Northrop Institute of
Technology in Inglewood, Califor-
nia, from May 1960 to April 1961,
and the talk around campus was this
new Mach 3 bomber that was beingbuilt at nearby North American Avia-
tion, on the southwest corner of the
Los Angeles International Airport.
There were stories of large heat-
treating ovens and a new stainless
steel honeycomb structure. I also
remember my uncle, Earl Lock, an
aeronautical engineer for Goodyear
Aerospace, coming to the area from
Akron, Ohio, on a business trip.
When we met he said he had seen
the most amazing airplane. He saidit was top secret, and he couldn’t
discuss any details. He drew a sim-
ple sketch of a rectangular box and
said it was the engine inlet and that
a man could stand inside it. He had
seen the mock-up of the XB-70!
When the XB-70 contract was can-
celed, Frank was reassigned to Rock-
etdyne, a division of North American
Aviation. Rocketdyne was a sprawl-
ing complex that began in Canoga
Park as North American’s TechnicalResearch Laboratory after World War
II, funded to develop guided missiles
and to test Germany’s V-2 rocket de-
signed by Werner von Braun.
The company was later renamed
Rocketdyne, and a secluded area in
the Santa Susana Mountains became
the country’s first liquid-propellant,
high-thrust rocket engine test site.
Here they designed, built, and tested
Atlas, Thor, and Jupiter engines. The
massive F-1 rocket engine was laterused in the Apollo program.
16 MARCH 2011
Look at this photograph of the XB-70 taxiing and look where the nose gear is located on the air-
craft. Then look at where the cockpit is located in relation to the nose wheel.
N A S A
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 17
During this phase of Frank’s ca-
reer, as any person who worked inthe aerospace industry can attest,
layoffs became a way of life. There
were periods when he was out of
work for up to two years. The Rezich
family moved from a home in Ca-
noga Park to nearby Woodland
Hills, both cities located in the San
Fernando Valley, where summers are
warm and winters are mild. Frank
recalls, “There was a time when I
was laid off for two years that I man-
aged an engine overhaul facility andbuilt boat engines to keep money
flowing into the family.”
Frank was there during Apollo8 through Apollo 13 launches.
Apollo 8 launched December 21,
1968, and Apollo 13 launched April
11, 1970, so he was at Rocketdyne
during the Apollo 13 crisis. Frank
recalls, “I ran the test lab that did
all the around-the-clock battery
testing. Our battery engineer was
a great big gal about 6 feet tall; she
was up for 24 hours making calcu-
lations on how to conserve power
to get them back safely.”When Rockwell bought out
North American Aviation, Frank
stayed with Rockwell. They trans-
ferred him from airplanes to space,
back to airplanes, then back to
space. Frank didn’t like that very
well, but it brought in money and
he was living in a very desirable
spot on the West Coast.
Frank recalls, “Near the end I
didn’t have a lot to do, and Rock-
etdyne was having a problem withthe company who manufactured
the turbo pump for the space shut-
tle main engines. They were build-
ing and testing the big engine for
the shuttle but couldn’t get the
turbo pump. So Rockwell manage-
ment knew I had a manufacturing
background, so they sent me to see
what was wrong, to find out why
the pump was not being delivered
on time. I did a lot of traveling,
working with contractors to locateand solve problems.”
Frank recalls spending much of
his time in Rockford, Illinois, repre-
senting the Rockwell B-1B program
at the Sunstrand Corporation. “They
were manufacturing the mechanism
for the B-1 wing swing mechanism.”
Next month, we’ll feature an-
other interesting st ory about
Frank’s career with Rockwell. Frank
retired from Rockwell and Sun-
strand to enjoy life to its fullestwith the airplanes he loves.
In this photograph, one last look at the North American XB-70A on a flight out of Edwards Air Force
Base on the Mojave Desert. Fitz Fulton and Don Mallick are in cockpit. Chase aircraft is in background.
The inside of the F-1 and J-2 engine build-up center in Canoga
Park, California.
N A S A
N A A / R O C K E T D Y N E
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18 MARCH 2011
Last summer I had the
opportunity to hop 221
rides in Rod Magner’s
gorgeous 1929 Travel Air
D-4000. After 50 years of
flying tailwheel airplanes, I learned
to fine-tune the art of the wheel
landing as never before.It is more effective to land some
tailwheel airplanes on the main
wheels instead of a three-point, full-
stall landing. The Travel Air is one of
those airplanes, as is the Twin Beech.
There are certain advantages to this
technique. One is that it gives the
pilot a better view over the nose dur-
ing the landing and early portion of
the rollout. In many tailwheel air-
planes such as the Travel Air, there is
little to no view over the nose in thethree-point attitude. This improved
view over the nose aids the pilot in
judging and correcting for any side-
ways drift that is occurring during
the landing.
It also allows the pilot to push for-
ward on that stick and maintain a
negative angle of attack, keeping the
aircraft firmly planted on the groundso it will not want to pop into the air
again, especially in a gusty wind.
Most importantly, there is plenty
of airflow over the rudder, giving it
maximum effect. All of this is well
and good until the airflow over the
rudder decreases and it has to come
down. It is at this moment when the
wheel landing becomes the most
challenging in an aggressive cross-
wind. There are many other facets
to landing taildraggers than the onesaddressed here. It is the tail-up to tail-
down transitional phase that con-
cerns us in this article.
Whatever kind of landing a tail-
dragger pilot chooses to make, as
much as possible he should always
land into the wind. The most impor-
tant goal is to keep airflow over the
rudder to maintain directional con-trol to the very last second. Because
the center of gravity (CG) is aft of the
main gear, its moment greatly exacer-
bates the need to stay on the rudders
and keep the plane going straight.
Maintaining directional control is
paramount. On some taildraggers
the rudder is less effective during the
transition from tail high to tail (rear
wheel) on the ground. Remember, in
crosswinds, it is imperative that the
pilot maintain a straight line. Whenthe rudder is high in the air it is more
WheelLandingsMagnified
Fine tuning an art
BY ERIC GOURLEY
PHOTOS SUPPLIED BY AUTHOR, CREDITED SANDY KENYON, COURTESY RON MAGNER, WWW . MAGICAIR.COM
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 19
effective because of increased airflow.
In the three-point attitude the fu-
selage and wings block airflow past
the rudder; in some cases the airflow
blockage renders it totally useless.When the rudder becomes ineffec-
tive, the tail wheel must be down
for directional control or some other
means of control becomes necessary.
At some point even full rudder may
not be enough corrective action. This
is where rapid corrections with dif-
ferential braking may save the day.
On taildraggers this period be-
tween when the tail comes down
and touches terra firma is critical.
The rudder will become ineffectiveat some point. If it is a prolonged pe-
riod of nanoseconds before it does,
in a direct crosswind, the pilot has a
serious problem to deal with. Unable
to maintain directional control, the
plane will begin to weather vane and
swerve into the wind. If left uncor-
rected for too long, then the impend-
ing ground loop becomes the real
deal, impossible to get under con-
trol. A wingtip may hit the ground,
or worse yet, the side load on thegear may cause it to collapse. In more
forgiving airplanes the critical mo-
ment is brief enough that it may re-
sult only in a tailwheel shimmy and
some embarrassing zigzagging down
the runway.Then how does the hapless pilot
keep the tail from swerving during
this phase? Pulling back on the stick
rapidly and forcing the tail to come
down may cause the plane to lift off
again barely under control. It may
also cause damage to the tail wheel,
especially on heavier aircraft.
The solution is to maintain direc-
tional control during this phase by
using differential braking when rud-
der is simply not enough. Brakingin such a manner is an art. It adds
a dimension to aircraft control that
requires quick attention to not only
steering straight but also applying
judicious use of the elevator.
For example, in a right crosswind,
the pilot must not only be using
more left brake and rudder to coun-
ter the yaw (tail swerve), but also
be careful not to let the nose pitch
forward. This requires not only the
correct amount of brake action butalso careful attention to what the at-
titude of the nose may be by correct-
ing with elevator. Too much braking
and inattention to the nose pitching
forward may cause the plane to catch
the prop or, worse yet, nose over.The Stearman, which has a lighter
tail than the Travel Air, is particularly
prone to this condition.
On the other hand, even with
very effective brakes, the Travel Air
has more aft CG and is less likely to
pitch forward suddenly. It is a deli-
cate balance—a crucial moment for
the pilot.
The Travel Air actually behaves
better if steady forward pressure is
kept on the stick, as the tail will comedown anyway. Sudden up elevator
will result in a resounding “bang” on
the tail wheel. The Stearman needs
to have the stick coming back as the
tail wheel touches. This peculiarity
made for a challenging transition for
this pilot when flying the Travel Air
for the first time after many hours in
the Stearman.
Add to all of this the fact that as
the tail comes down, that magnifi-
cent unobstructed view of the run-way disappears. In the Travel Air,
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20 MARCH 2011
as with many older taildraggers, it
all but disappears. The Stearman
affords a trifle more view. While
this is happening, the pilot mustbe keenly aware of any yaw. This is
much easier said than done. It helps
to have a runway wide enough to
have some side view of the small
piece of pie visible on each side just
forward of the leading-edge wing
root. Keeping this symmetrical, i.e.,
each piece looking identically the
same, will help.
Failing all else, the pilot must feel
the tail swerving and/or the plane
drifting. More than at any otherphase of flight, it is here that the per-
son at the controls must fly by the
seat of his pants. It is also another
reason the Federal Aviation Regula-
tions mandate that pilots must make
all three landings to a full stop
when maintaining their 90-day cur-
rency for conventional gear aircraft.
During this phase of the wheel land-
ing, tail up to tail down, the pilot
must be acutely aware of yaw and
sideways drift. In a phase wherenearly imperceptible changes in
yaw are hardest to see (feel), the pi-
lot must step up to the plate quickly.
Performed correctly, taildraggers that
have greater lag time until the tailwheel touches can be wheel landed
effectively in a crosswind. If the pilot
is unaware and not deft on all the
controls, then the proverbial ground
loop may well occur.
A word on drift here. Drift and
yaw corrections must be caught and
made instantaneously. The greater
amount of correction necessary to
overcome excessive yaw or drift will
almost always end up in increasingly
greater corrections, and it is best togo around if this starts to occur. It
is not a pretty sight to see a resplen-
dent antique starting to sway back
and forth getting more and more
“phugoid” every second, ultimately
ending in a nasty ground loop. Even
the best brakes in the world will not
save the day. Better to be ahead of
the game all the time or go around.
The post phase after the tail
wheel touches is also critical. Make
sure to keep the stick back so thetail stays on the ground for direc-
tional control. This is also requires
finesse, for some aircraft need just
enough up elevator to keep the tail
on the ground without shimmy-ing. Others require that the stick
be firmly planted in the gut to
maintain positive steering. And in
a strong, gusty crosswind, the pilot
should not forget to continue using
those differential brakes. This is the
phase where the pilot all too often
relaxes with the early thought that
“Ah-ha, it’s down,” and a gust of
wind, a pebble, or a divot on the
runway can send them briskly into
the weeds. It is prudent to S-turnduring taxi and position the con-
trols correctly for that gusty wind.
If the rudder and brakes are not
sufficient enough to accomplish the
mission, then cancel flying until the
wind backs off. The pilot flying the
airplane must never relax his vigi-
lance until the aircraft is tied down.
Double-check to make sure the mix-
ture, mags, and master are off before
calling it a day. Then breathe a sigh
of relief.
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22 MARCH 2011
Light Plane Heritage
published in EAA Experimenter April 1991
Editor’s Note: The Light Plane Heritage series in EAA’s Experimenter magazine often touched on aircraft and concepts
related to vintage aircraft and their history. Since many of our members have not had the opportunity to read this se-
ries, we plan on publishing those LPH articles that would be of interest to VAA members. Enjoy!—HGF
THE FORD FLIVVERBY ROBERT F. PAULEY
In January 1927, the Ford Mo-
tor Company displayed its Model
2A Flivver in the New York show-
rooms, the prototype for a sin-
gle-seat private airplane. The
press devoted a lot of copy to thisventure into the field of private
flying by Henry Ford, and the
Flivver was hailed as the “Model
T of the Air.” “Old Henry,” they
said, “would have America flying
their own plane the same way he
had put wheels under us with his
Model T.” Ford insisted that he
was merely interested in proving
to his satisfaction if a plane of
that type had any future, and he
was especially anxious to avoid
creating the impression that it
was ready for production. Thepublic knew better! Soon every-
body would be flying! Rumors be-
gan to spread that Ford had plans
to put the “Air Flivvers” into
quantity production!
The Ford Motor Company had
entered the aircraft business in
July 1925 when Ford bought out
the Stout Metal Airplane Com-
pany. This aviation division was
kept as a separate organization
under the parent company and
under the direction of William
B. Stout, who built the single-engine Ford 2-AT transport plane.
Later, in 1927, the company Stout
founded built the familiar 4-AT
Tri-Motor, and production of
America’s first successful airliner
began on a larger scale.
One day in 1926 Henry Ford
came into Stout’s office and sug-
First Ford Flivver powered with
the Anzani engine.
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 23
gested that they build a small
plane that anybody could fly—
a model of the air. Stout wasn’t
too receptive toward this idea and
asked Mr. Ford, “How would it be
possible to teach anyone to fly in
a single-place airplane without
killing himself?” As an alternative
he proposed a two-seat plane asmore practical, one in which the
owner could be taught to fly. Ford
dropped the subject, and no fur-
ther discussions with Stout were
held. Sometime later, Maj. Schro-
eder, then Ford’s chief test pilot,
recommended to Mr. Ford that
a friend of his be brought in to
head the Flivver project, and so,
in early 1926, Otto Koppen was
hired. This young engineer, who
had designed several gliders while
a student at the Massachusetts In-
stitute of Technology, started work
on the project in great secrecy be-
hind locked doors in the old Ford
tractor building. Mr. Ford’s speci-
fications for the new plane were a
record of brevity—he merely said
that he wanted a single-place air-
plane that would be the size of his
office. Koppen began the project
by actually measuring the office!
In August 1926 the finished
product was first seen by the pub-
lic during the Ford Reliability
Tour that originated at the Ford
Airport. It was a chubby-looking
little plane with a low wing of
cantilever design. The fuselage
was of wooden construction withsteel wire bracing, fabric-covered,
and with the pilot’s seat located
so that he sat up high, which gave
excellent visi bility. The wings
used wood spars and ribs, employ-
ing the thick, high-lift Gottingen
387 airfoil section, and were fab-
ric-covered. The unique full-span
ailerons served as flaps when land-
ing and were operated by pulling
back on the stick, which not only
raised the elevators in the normal
manner, but also depressed the
ailerons to serve as flaps. This ar-
rangement compensated for the
change in center of pressure loca-
tion caused by lowering the flaps,
which still operated differentially
as ailerons. At a later date this de-
sign was changed from the full-
span aileron to the 6-foot-long
inset type.
The landing gear was sup-
ported by a steel tube divided
axle, hinged at each side of the
fuselage, plus vee struts attached
to the main and rear wing spars.
The vertical member of this vee
took the landing loads through
five rubber discs in compression.
These discs were molded to brassrings, to take wear, and were simi-
lar to the shock struts used on the
tail wheel of the big tri-motors. A
large-diameter Palmer tail wheel
was used that incorporated a fric-
tion device to serve as a brake-
was used, and this wheel was
connected to the rudder to give
ground control.
Power was supplied by a three-
cylinder French Anzani engine
that developed 36 hp at 1700 rpm.
At first the lubrication system of
this powerplant gave a lot of trou-
ble, but the addition of a scavenge
pump solved the problem. The
propeller, specially designed by
Otto, was carved by James Lynch,
who was responsible for building
the major portion of the plane. A
great deal of development work
was conducted in an attempt to si-
Second Ford Flivver powered by the special Ford engine.
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24 MARCH 2011
lence the engine. One experiment
involved an inverted “U” exhaust
manifold that led from the three
cylinders to two outlets below the
wing leading edge. At each outlet
a standard Ford Model T muffler
was fitted, and this reduced en-
gine noise by 50 percent. No re-
cords are available indicating howmuch power was lost!
Test flying the Flivver was the
responsibility of Harry J. Brooks,
the 25-year-old chief test pilot
for the aviation division. Brooks
had learned to fly in his teens and
later toured the county fairs cir-
cuit in his Jenny, selling rides and
doing parachute jumping. Tiring
of barnstorming, he joined Ford
as a riveter, did engine assem-
bly work, and eventually became
a company pilot flying the air-
mail routes to Chicago and Cleve-
land. Eighteen months after being
hired, Brooks replaced “Shorty”
Schroeder as Ford’s chief test pi-
lot. In December 1927 he was as-
signed to fly Lindbergh’s mother
to Mexico City in a For d Tri -
Motor, where she joined her son,
who was touring Central America
in the Spirit of St. Louis.B rooks d id a cons ide rab le
amount of spectacular f lying
in the Flivver, demonstrating it
whenever possible. He often com-
muted between his home, where
he kept the plane in his garage, to
the Ford field in Dearborn, prov-
ing the practical, everyday use of
the plane. He raced Gar Wood in
the Miss America V on the Detroit
River during the Harmsworth Tro-
phy Races, to show the plane’sspeed. When Lindbergh visited
the Ford Airport in August 1927,
after his famous flight, he was
given permission to fly the Ford
product. He found it necessary
to remove his shoes to reach the
rudder bar without his knees hit-
ting the instrument panel, but fly
it he did! Aside from Lindbergh,
however, no other person except
Brooks ever flew the Ford Flivver.
The plane was reported to be easyto fly, landed slowly due to the
flaps, and had good visibility be-
cause of the high seating position.
The top speed of the 500-pound
ship was approximately 90 mph,
and the landings were made at 30.
During 1927 a second version
of the Flivver was built, specifi-
cally designed for an attempt to
break the world’s long-distance re-cord for lightplanes in the third
category (single-seaters with an
empty weight between 440 and
880 pounds). This new plane
had a greater wingspan with
wing struts, a rounder and more
shapely rudder, and a longer nose
with a new Ford engine. This en-
gine, designed by the chief en-
gineer of the aviation division,Harold Hicks, was a two-cylinder,
Ford Flivver
35-hp Anzani
span 22 feet
length 16 feet
wing area 100 square feet
empty weight 350 pounds
gross weight 580 pounds
top speed 85 mphrange 250 miles
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VINTAGE AIRPLANE 25
opposed, air-cooled four-cycle de-
sign using parts from a Wright
Whirlwind. The bore and stroke
were 4.50 inches, giving a dis-
placement of 143 cubic inches,
and it weighed 118 pounds dry.
The overall width was 35 inches,
and it was 25 inches long.
The crankcase and cylinderheads were made of aluminum,
while the cylinder barrels were of
steel with turned fins. Forged mag-
nesium pistons were connected
to the crankshaft through tubular
connecting rods, and the crank-
shaft ran on a roller bearing at the
rear end and had a Babbitt front
bearing that also took the thrust.
The overhe